Failure and Frustration

Often than not, presumably because of the huge communication barrier we have with the canine species, we bump heads and end up feeling frustration along with experiencing failures in our training. We've spoken about success in this blog before and what it means to be successful but we also need to cover the other end of that spectrum. Many of you are probably thinking, "Why even go there?" or "Why focus on failure?" Well, failure is where we learn and take lessons from. Failure is so important and I would honestly be disappointed if it wasn't part of the learning curve. Failures are what makes the successes so much sweeter. Frustration is what makes you delve deeper and think harder. It makes you think outside the box and try things you had not thought of trying before. Each dog is different and they all have something unique that motives them or gets them really revved and excited. But, unless we get stumped and run into problems along the journey, we won't ever be pushed to go "there" and pull other ideas out of our hats.

"The greatest barrier to success is the fear of failure." -Sven Goran Eriksson

We are naturally worried and fear failure and what it may bring. Often times we don't want to continue trying because we think, "What's the point?" But, it is only those who truly persevere that manage to push through to that success. Failure is feedback and information. What you do with that information is up to you. The feedback you receive may frustrate you at first, but this vital information has hidden answers that lead you to your successes.

So what exactly is frustration? Frustration can be difficult to zero in on because at the moment it's happening, we don't really even want to think about anything. It's hard to run into a road block and try to think straight. During those times in training it's best to stop, back up and take a break. Being frustrated at your dog is definitely not the way to positively train and it certainly won't get you anywhere near the results you are likely striving for.

Why does frustration happen? This can honestly be caused by many things. A lack of consistent reinforcement or raising the criteria too high too quickly are two of the top things that play into building frustration for your dog and this will lead to misunderstanding or lack of response from the dog. This in turn of course frustrates you, the trainer, and it becomes a vicious cycle. You're unable to reward and the dog gets no feedback because a stalemate is created.

Now, let's talk about what we can do to keep frustration and from happening. Failure does not necessarily go hand in hand with frustration because we can teach the dog that failure isn't a bad thing. I touched on this a bit in previous blog posts but the main point is, failure happens but it just means we have to try again. If we don't teach our dogs that failure is okay we continue to vicious frustration cycle and just make things worse.

So, when you're training a dog a new behavior remember to reward often. Remind yourself that just as you would want an appealing paycheck, your dog deserves a high value paycheck as well. Whether that be kibble, treats, cheese, hot dogs or a toy is really up to the dog and what they enjoy being rewarded with. Recall that we do have a communication barrier so it is imperative that you be patient and give your dog the benefit of the doubt when learning new and complex tricks. One hugely important lesson I'd like to reiterate though is the fact that dogs are simply living beings just like us. They make mistakes just as we do. They have off days or days when they just don't feel like working. They have moments where they can't recall information or need a break. Listen to your dog and give them the same treatment you would want someone to give you. Kindness goes along way and most certainly keeps you and your dog from getting too frustrated and upset with each other. And remember, even if you do have an off day or a training session really doesn't progress or go the way you wish it had, failure happens. It is a part of all of us and a part of life. But, it doesn't mean your dog is incapable of learning, it doesn't mean you are incapable of teaching and it CERTAINLY doesn't mean that it's the end of the world.