Believe it or not, learning any new command or trick takes a lot of brain power on your dog's part! Think about the subject you struggled most with in school (for me, that was math), after 10 minutes my brain was so worn out I could barely focus. Dog's are kind of the same!
After about 10-15 minutes you may notice your dog starts to lose interest, is more easily distracted or just walks away and completely disengages. This is fine! Let the dog dictate the training session, it shouldn't feel like a chore for you or the dog, it should be a fun experience. It's been said that a 15 minute training session is just as good (if not better) at tiring out a dog as a one hour walk! If the dog is done, then you can end the session on a positive note like an easy trick or command that they can easily complete, give the treat and lots of attention and love.
Training your pup can create some cortisol (a stress hormone) build up in their brain. This is because they're trying to problem solve and figure out what you want them to do. A great way to ease that stress in your dog is a good play session after your training is complete. I know my dog Ember loves a good game of fetch after our daily training sessions. This is another way to end the session on a good note and make it fun!
Do you notice your pup start to lose interest after about 10-15 minutes of training?
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