Working with dogs has taught me an enormous amount about animals, but working with dog owners has taught me just as much about people.

After training well over 20,000 dogs, I’ve worked with every kind of owner you can imagine. Some are extremely involved. Some are nervous. Some are impatient. Some want to learn everything they can. Some want me to simply “fix the dog.” And some have a very clear idea of what they think their dog needs before we’ve even started.

I’ve learned that training the dog is often the easier part. Getting the people to understand what the dog needs can be the bigger challenge.

People Love Their Dogs

The first thing I’ve learned is that most people genuinely love their dogs.

Even when an owner is doing things that aren’t helping the situation, it’s usually not because they don’t care. In many cases, it’s because they care so much that they have a hard time seeing the situation objectively.

They may make excuses for the dog.

They may give the dog too much freedom.

They may be afraid to establish boundaries.

They may think correcting a behavior means they’re being mean to their dog.

Or they may simply not understand how dogs learn.

I’ve learned that my job isn’t to criticize them for that.

My job is to educate them.

Sometimes the Owner Needs Training Too

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that when a dog comes in for training, the owner is part of the equation.

I can teach a dog to sit, stay, come, place, heel, or respond to other commands.

But if the owner doesn’t know how to reinforce those behaviors, the training can eventually disappear.

That’s why I tell people that when their dog finishes training, their work begins.

They have to learn how to communicate with the dog.

They have to understand timing.

They have to understand motivation.

They have to know when to give the dog freedom and when the dog needs more structure.

And they have to be consistent.

Coachability Matters

I’ve also learned that one of the biggest factors in an owner’s success is whether they’re willing to be coached.

Sometimes I have to tell an owner something they don’t really want to hear.

Maybe they’re giving the dog too much attention.

Maybe they’re allowing a behavior that needs to stop.

Maybe they’re being inconsistent.

Maybe they’re expecting too much too soon.

Or maybe they’re trying to solve a problem with love when what the dog really needs is structure and direction.

I’m not telling them these things to criticize them.

I’m telling them because I want them to succeed.

You can’t improve something if you’re not willing to hear that something needs to change.

People Want a Remote-Controlled Dog

Another thing I’ve learned is that some people expect training to produce a remote-controlled dog.

They think, “I paid for training, so now my dog should just do whatever I tell him.”

But dogs don’t work that way.

Training establishes communication, but the relationship between the owner and dog still matters.

The dog has to understand the owner.

The owner has to understand the dog.

And the owner has to continue reinforcing what the dog has learned.

Training isn’t a transaction. It’s a process.

Consistency Is Everything

I’ve seen some dogs make incredible progress during training and then struggle after returning home because the rules changed.

One family member allows something.

Another family member doesn’t.

One day the dog is corrected for jumping.

The next day someone laughs and pets him when he jumps.

The owner asks the dog to come, but doesn’t enforce the command.

Eventually the dog learns that commands are negotiable.

Dogs don’t understand inconsistency the way people do.

They learn from repetition.

What you consistently reinforce becomes a habit.

That’s why the whole family needs to understand the basic rules.

I’ve Learned to Meet People Where They Are

Another important lesson is that every owner learns differently.

Some people want all the details.

Some want me to demonstrate it.

Some need to physically work with the dog while I coach them.

Some need to hear something several different ways before it clicks.

I’ve learned that being a good trainer isn’t just knowing how to train a dog.

You have to know how to teach people.

And sometimes that means changing the way you communicate.

If someone doesn’t understand what I’m explaining, I can’t just keep repeating the same explanation and expect a different result.

I need to find another way to get the point across.

Families Have to Work Together

I’ve also learned how important it is for everyone in the household to be on the same page.

I’ve seen situations where one spouse is very committed to following the training plan while the other is much more relaxed.

They both love the dog, but they’re communicating different expectations.

That can create confusion for the dog and frustration between the people.

The dog doesn’t know which rules apply.

That’s why I encourage families to agree on the basic expectations and reinforce them consistently.

The dog needs one set of rules.

Don’t Expect Perfection

I’ve also learned that owners sometimes expect too much too quickly.

They may have had a problem for two years and expect it to disappear after two training sessions.

But dogs are creatures of habit.

If a dog has practiced a behavior for a long time, we’re going to have to replace that habit with something better.

That takes repetition.

It takes patience.

And sometimes it takes time.

Time is a friend when you’re training a dog.

The Human Side Has Made Me a Better Trainer

Probably the biggest lesson of all is that I can’t just train the dog. I have to understand the people.

I need to understand what they’re struggling with.

I need to understand what they’re capable of doing.

I need to understand their lifestyle and what they realistically need from their dog.

And then I need to help them develop a system they can actually maintain.

Because the best training program in the world doesn’t help much if the owner can’t or won’t continue it.

That’s why I don’t measure success simply by how well a dog performs while it’s with me.

Success is when the owner takes what we’ve taught them and successfully incorporates it into everyday life.

When the dog listens at home.

When the family understands how to handle the dog.

When the owner becomes more confident.

When the household becomes calmer.

And when the dog and owner start functioning as a team.

That’s the human side of dog training that I’ve come to appreciate more and more throughout my career.

I’m training dogs—but ultimately, I’m helping people learn how to communicate with the dogs they love.