Racing to Fail!
I can’t imagine anyone entering a race to go as slowly as possible because for one, it’s counterintuitive and two, we as a society have become used to having things quickly, so much in fact, that we no longer have patience; after all we can get same day delivery from Amazon, instant oatmeal, meals in minutes with our microwaves, and let’s not forget the drive-through or curbside pick up at some restaurants, pharmacies and other retail stores.
Of course patience is all relative. I recall the excitement waiting as my computer was logging onto the Internet in under 5 minutes. Today, I’d be looking for a new provider or computer!
And when it comes to training our dogs, most pet parents reflect this “hurry up” mentality when they ask questions such as, “How long will this take?” “Why do I have to reward my dog?” Or one of my favorites, “When will my dog’s behavior issues be cured?”
It also makes sense why the the quackery in the dog training industry is on the rise, as these fraudsters appeal to our collective impatience, promising a quick fix to our dogs’ “bad" behaviors!
The problem with taking shortcuts with behavior problems, in addition to hurting the dog, is that with behavioral issues, especially those that are driven by fear, the faster one proceeds, the quicker they’ll fail. It takes hard work to put in the necessary steps to succeed.
As always, I will digress…
Many years ago, I brought home a new buddy for my resident cat. I separated them for a day and then let them meet. It was a disaster which culminated in one of the cats having to wear a cone to protect the stitches he received after their horrible fight!
I could have avoided the mayhem, if I hadn’t been in such a hurry for the cats to forge a relationship.
When I was just a “youngster” of 45 years old, I decided to take up running by seeing how far I could go. My first attempt while seemingly impressive, as I ran 8 miles north, I wasn’t thinking that I’d have to run 8 miles south! I spent several days popping pain killers and blisters! The only thing that probably saved me was having spent the early part of my life as a certified couch potato, my legs were in good shape!
I could have avoided the injuries by joining a beginner running club!
Without proper preparation, we skip the necessary steps, not only to learn how to safely proceed, but also to give the learner time to habituate to the situation.
Take the fearful dog, for example. The incompetent dog trainers who, in their attempt to sell a quick fix to their client, skip all the all-important steps that would have eased the dog into the situation. This is a “Face your fears” protocol, actually known as flooding, where the animal reaches such high stress levels, that he exhausts himself, and supposedly he’s cured…Actually this is abuse and if his owner has any compassion, will get the poor dog the help it needs to hopefully recover from this trauma.
Believe me, I can understand why clients fall victim to their thirst to win quickly, but as I’ve learned the hard way, this mentality often leads to huge setbacks.
I am reminded of what a friend said to me which I love to impart to my clients; he said, “If you think you’re going too slow…SLOW DOWN!”
Remember, the person who takes the time to put in the essential steps, has a clear idea where they’re going; whereas, the person who blindly races toward the finish like, is too busy running to see how far behind they really are!
The next time, you find yourself skipping steps, please resist the temptation to plow ahead, as you will find yourself racing to fail!
HAPPY TRAINING & ENRICHMENT
© Fran Berry CPDT-KA, UW-AAB all rights reserved 2024
