Today, Stacy, Robin, and Crystal discuss questions from their roundtable that they were unable to answer. They begin comparing their dogs’ workdays with their rest days, sharing anecdotes around what their dogs’ days off look like. This leads to a discussion around time management. Robin mentions that a dog’s training hours can be dependent on weather and climate. Search and rescue work, Crystal explains, will take all your time and all your money. They share the most effective ways in which they practice time management.

The next question is about training every day, multiple times a day, and how to make it work with the dogs’ needs. Stacy shares that the two often fit into each other well. For example, when the dog needs to be fed, it is an opportunity to work on something like impulse control. They emphasize the importance of building your relationship with dogs outside of training and setting aside time regularly to do so.

They then address a question from a listener about how to not get overwhelmed by all the training required for a new search dog. One thing Robin recommends is to train baby behaviors. Stacy advises to focus on keeping your dog engaged. Crystal suggests approaching training as teaching behaviors rather than fixing behaviors. They close in discussing the social pressures of training, and why they aren’t useful. “Those happy little accidents are those times that we get to teach. That's not a mistake,” Crystal explains. “That's an awesome thing we get to experience and do with our dogs and ourselves.”

Key Topics:

• The roundtable (00:41)
• Working days versus rest days & schedules in flux (01:12)
• The impact of weather on training (06:27)
• Balancing dog work with computer work (8:00)
• Training as an all-day affair & time management tips and tricks (11:39)
• Balancing a dog’s training with its needs (23:03)
• Building relationships with dogs (27:09)
• Giving a dog grace (31:26)
• Avoiding getting overwhelmed & mental attitude adjustments (35:14)
• Social pressures (45:40)

Resources:

• K9 Detection Collaborative Episode 19: Thoughts on Finding a K9 Training Tribe, Coach, or Instructor
• MacRae Sheep Dogs
• Imagineer Australian Shepherds: "What Really Matters" post
• Stacy Barnett Coaching | Robin Greubel Coaching | Crystal Wing Coaching

We want to hear from you:

• Check out the K9 Detection Collaborative FB page and comment on the episode post!
• K9Sensus Foundation can be found on Facebook and Instagram. We have a Trainer’s Group on Facebook!
• Scentsabilities Nosework is also on Facebook. Here is a Facebook group you should join!
• Crystal Wing K9 Coach can be found here!
• You can follow us for notifications of upcoming episodes, find us at k9detectioncollaborative.com