I Think I’m Gonna Quit Training Dogs!
Why frustration, setbacks, and self-doubt are a normal part of the dog training process—and how to keep them from sabotaging your progress.
Have you ever caught yourself saying:
“My dog only listens when I have treats.”
“My dog only listens when the trainer is here.”
“We’ve been working on this for weeks, and my dog is STILL doing the same thing.”
“This dog training isn’t working.”
If you’ve been there, I want to share something I’ve been experiencing lately that changed how I think about the training process.
Strangely enough, I figured it out while learning how to dance.
Learning Something New Is Messy
Right now, I’m learning dance moves with multiple steps and complexities. I understand the process for learning them:
Break the move into pieces.
Practice each piece.
Slowly put them back together.
Then practice with different music until the move becomes natural.
The steps themselves aren’t that difficult.
But there’s another part that’s MUCH harder—and nobody can see it happening.
I forget a step.
I remember that step and forget something else.
I finally get the move right, then screw it up again.
I watch followers dance beautifully with my instructor, but when I try to lead the same move, it doesn’t work nearly as well.
Then the conversation in my head starts:
“Why can’t I get this?”
“Maybe I’m not good enough.”
“Why can they do it with my instructor but not with me?”
“Maybe I’m getting too old for this.”
“Maybe I should quit.”
And THAT’S when something clicked.
The steps weren’t making learning so difficult.
It was the swamp of thoughts and emotions I was walking through while learning them.
Dog Owners Walk Through the Same Swamp
Once I recognized it in myself, I realized something else:
I watch dog owners walk through this exact same swamp.
You know what to practice.
You’re following the process.
Your dog is making progress.
Then your dog has a bad day.
An old behavior comes back.
Your dog performs better with treats.
Or your dog performs beautifully for the trainer but struggles with you.
And suddenly, the conversation starts:
“See! My dog only listens when I have treats.”
“My dog only listens when the trainer is here.”
“Look! He’s STILL doing it.”
“This isn’t working.”
A difficult training session suddenly feels like proof that all the work you’ve been doing isn’t paying off.
But that’s not necessarily what’s happening.
When Frustration Starts Changing Your Training
Here’s where the swamp becomes dangerous:
Those thoughts start changing what you DO.
You rush ahead.
You skip steps.
You change the training.
You become inconsistent.
Or you quit practicing altogether.
Now your frustration with the process begins sabotaging the process itself.
Dog training rarely happens in a perfectly straight line. There will be great sessions, frustrating sessions, breakthroughs, setbacks, and days when something your dog seemed to understand suddenly falls apart.
That doesn’t automatically mean the training isn’t working.
It means you’re still in the learning process.
Don’t Judge Your Progress From the Swamp
So the next time you find yourself thinking, This dog training isn’t working, remember:
Don’t judge your progress while you’re standing in the swamp.
Life got unexpectedly busy and you haven’t practiced with your dog?
Resist the urge to jump ahead. Go back to where you left off in your training stages and continue from there.
Your dog had a training session that didn’t go as expected?
Instead of immediately thinking, We’re going backward, remind yourself:
My dog is imperfect, and he’s learning—just like me.
One difficult training session doesn’t erase the repetitions you’ve already completed or the progress you’ve already made.
Expect the Doubt. Complete the Step Anyway.
I once heard a teacher say:
“Learning is uncomfortable. If it’s not uncomfortable, you’re probably not learning.”
I’m no psychologist, but if I could give you one tip from what I’m experiencing myself, it would be this:
Expect the doubt. Complete the step ahead anyway.
Keep practicing.
Keep building repetitions.
Keep following the training stages instead of allowing one frustrating day to convince you to change the entire process.
Because sometimes the hardest part of dog training isn’t teaching your dog what to do.
It’s making it through the swamp without convincing yourself to quit.
Contact Breyers Canine Academy
Looking for puppy training in Dallas, TX? Breyers’ Canine Academy provides in-home dog training in Dallas and nearby communities, including Highland Park, Addison, Plano, Frisco, Richardson, and Garland.
Ready to get started or have questions?
Call or Text: 469.237.0099
Email: info@breyerscanineacademy.com
Service Area: Dallas, Texas
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