When Working With Animals, Patience Is Key.

Remember the saying “patience is a virtue”? Keep remembering that when training! All animals work and learn at a different pace so be patient with them. By being patient you are less likely to get frustrated with your animal which means that the chances that the training session will stay positive is greater.

Agility competitors know what I mean when I say, “enjoy the journey”. Or what about, “focus on the journey, not the destination”. Enjoy the moments of success and challenges along the way because there is no rush when you are committed to your dog.

My little Gino is my greatest example of patience. When I first started competing in agility with him, he was so nervous and he would run out of the ring each time without doing any obstacles. It took me a year to get him to run a course! He loved agility outside of the competition setting which is why I continued to work with him to get him comfortable at the agility shows. Now, he’s my super star and so close to getting his MACH title (which stands for Master Agility Champion).

If you put the time, effort and patience into your dogs, you will see results too!