5 Things Dog Trainers Do Best

Dog trainers are a one of a kind. We all come from different backgrounds, careers, and experiences. We have different styles and beliefs about what we do, but still, there are a few things we all share. We all share some pretty awesome strengths. Here are some top 5 places where we shine:

5. Get Up Early

Dogs can't tell the time. As long as they're rested, they can work and most of the time that means starting with your first dog in the early hours of the morning. Sometimes this is to beat the scorching heat of a summer arvo, sometimes it's 'cause we've got early appointments, meetings, trade shows, or just heaps of dogs we're working with that day. Whatever the reason, we're usually up and at it with the dogs before most people have brekkie.

4. Exercise Adaptability

Training dogs is a lot like having kids: no single plan works for all. Every dog's got their own special set of skills and drawbacks. Each one learns in their own way. We've gotta be ready and able to change our plans so every pup gets the most out of their training time. We've gotta be able to go back if a dog starts to backslide and we've gotta be ready to come up with new plans if our schedules are stuffed up by sickness or injury.

3. Seek knowledge

Dog training's come a long way over the years, and most of that's 'cause we dedicate ourselves to honing our craft. We all know there's more than one way to crack a nut when it comes to training so we're always open to hearing other people's experiences or checking out new products. We know that the day you reckon you know everything is the day you need to bail out of the business, and we've got no desire to move on.

2. Be Consistent

Consistency's part of a dog trainer's DNA. It's the secret to training dogs, and we're onto it, so you can bet we're as consistent as they come. We set the rules and we respond to any slip-ups the same way every single time. Might sound a bit dull to some, but it's how we get results.

1. Have Patience

Mate, we've got patience. Might not have come to us naturally, but it's been drilled into us over time 'cause at the end of the day, that's what gets you over the line. We've copped patience with our dogs 'cause you can't hurry a winner. We've copped patience in ourselves 'cause we've stuffed up before, and even though we might've given ourselves a hard time back then, we now get that the lessons from those stuff-ups are what's made us top-notch. We've copped patience with the newbies 'cause we remember being green once ourselves, and no one's a deadset legend straight away. The main thing is they're keen to take it slow and keep at it.

Obviously, there's heaps more we're good at, but these 5 topped our list.