You’ve probably heard the phrase, “Practice makes perfect.” As canine behavior consultants, we see it all the time. A client will say, “My dog just won’t stop jumping on people,” Nine times out of ten, those behaviors didn’t just appear out of nowhere. They were practiced—and unintentionally reinforced—over time.
Your Dog Is Always Learning—The Question Is, What?
At the end of the day, every interaction with your dog is shaping their behavior. They’re always learning from you—whether it’s what you intended to teach or not. The key is to be mindful of what you’re reinforcing so that practice makes perfect for the right habits.
So, next time your dog does something great, don’t just think, “That was nice.” Make sure to reward it! That’s one of the ways to create a well-mannered, happy pup—one training session (and one treat) at a time.
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