One of the most stressful parts of dog ownership is wondering if we’re doing “enough.” It’s easy to feel like we’re letting our dogs down and not giving them enough training—I’d guess that sometimes this feeling has merit and other times it doesn’t. So, how often should you be training your dog, and how long should your sessions last? What’s the right amount for your dog? If only it was a straight-forward answer! Unfortunately, there are a lot of factors that come into play when we consider training intervals and durations. Working through those factors and then applying them to our individual dog is the best way to make sure that our dog is getting what they need.

Don’t Over Do It

“Your dogs are amazing—you must train ALL THE TIME!” I’ve heard this said more than once, and I chuckle every time I hear it (and for the record, my dogs aren’t amazing, they all just like to work, which can certainly look exciting). On the contrary, like most people, I have a lot of things competing for my time: work, kids, kids’ sports, chores, etc. Somewhere on that list is dogs. They’re on the list, but the reality is, they aren’t always at the top of the list. That means they aren’t necessarily getting trained every day, and sessions are often short. I think that’s the reality for most of us though—training every day isn’t feasible for most of us. Believe it or not, I think that can be a GOOD thing! Let me explain.

Limited training sessions force us to be intentional:

My best training sessions are almost always the ones where I have a clear and concise objective for the session. This type of session is easier for my dogs to comprehend and retain, and it’s also easier for me to stay on track during the session. When our training opportunities are limited, it makes it easier for us to have a better game plan going into the session, and to make the most of the opportunity. I think this can be a good thing if done correctly! Conversely, if we have infrequent training sessions, and go into them with NO game plan, this can of course backfire!

Limited training sessions help avoid burnout for the trainer and the dog:

As with most things in life, there is a point of diminishing returns when it comes to training dogs. When we do too much of a good thing (in this case training our dog), it ceases to be a good thing. As trainers, too much training can often lead to boredom, which eventually leads to burnout. When that happens, the pendulum may suddenly swing, causing our dog to not get enough training. Making sure we don’t overdue our training sessions keeps us fresh and looking forward to the next time—this mindset helps us be intentional with our sessions as well. It’s not all about the trainer either, dogs can also get burnt out from too much training. If they aren’t showing excitement to work with you, it’s possible you’ve pushed past the point of diminishing returns. Try dialing it back a bit and see if the enthusiasm returns. 

Symptoms of Insufficient Training

It’d be a mistake to read this article and think it’s impossible to give your dog too little training. While I’ve seen many dogs that had too much training and were apathetic about work (and owners that fizzled out), I’ve also seen my share of dogs that missed out on the training they needed, and they were worse off for it. Usually, those dogs are accompanied by an owner that says something to the extent of “I wasn’t sure what to do, and I didn’t want to ruin the dog, so I did nothing. He’s a clean slate, though!” Oh, if only that were true! Unfortunately, a “clean slate” doesn’t exist in dogs. Dogs are shaped by their environment from birth, so regardless of whether we gave them formal training or not, they have certainly learned SOMETHING every day of their life. Usually, if left to their own devices for learning, those things they learned likely won’t line up with the behaviors that we desire.

When a dog’s initial training is neglected, not only do they not learn desirable behaviors, they also don’t learn HOW to learn. The most significant part of short, consistent sessions for young dogs is not so much what they’re learning as much as it is that they’re learning to offer behaviors to achieve desirable results. Puppies that miss this concept are often considerably more difficult to train when they grow up, because they don’t have a clear understanding of how to learn new concepts from humans. So, while it’s certainly possible to over-do training, it’s your responsibility as an owner to make sure that your puppy receives intentional and consistent training right from the start.

Be Strategic With the Frequency and Duration of Your Training Sessions

We’ve established that it’s possible to train too much, and not enough, so what is the RIGHT amount of training? Every dog is different, some have more inclination to training and thrive with frequent and longer sessions. Others aren’t as inclined to training and need shorter and less frequent training sessions in order to build their enthusiasm. As your dog’s owner (and by extension “trainer”), it’s your responsibility to find the right balance of training for your specific dog. Here are some considerations that should help you get it right.

Balance and adaptation:

There is no rule that says we can’t pivot our training approach any time we want. Over the course of a dog’s life, there will be times that I really pour the training on, and other times when I may back it off significantly. This is typically based on what I’m seeing in the dog. Curbed enthusiasm typically means I should back it off a bit. If they’re learning quickly and hungry for more, I may step up my training. Often, our tendency is to try to do more when we’re not seeing the results we want, but if our training speedbumps are related to lack of enthusiasm, we need to strongly consider letting off the gas a bit.

Short on formal training, long on informal training:

Formal training sessions (i.e. sessions where the bumpers, treat pouches, Cato Boards, and other gear come out) take effort and preparation. Personally, I don’t think these sessions have to happen every single day. They need to happen, no doubt, but we don’t need to beat ourselves up if we miss them sometimes. However, informal training sessions should be happening every single time we interact with our dog. Small reminders of acceptable and unacceptable behavior, general manners, and learning how to relate and interact with us is what I would consider informal training. If we fail to see these learning opportunities for our dog, we’re likely going to fail to see the desired results in our formal training sessions.

Look for progress:

I believe this is key to knowing if we’re doing the right amount of training. If we are seeing incremental progress, even if it is small, it’s likely we’re giving our dog the right amount of training. Often, I’m simply looking for progress in the little things, such as eye contact, calmness while working, eagerness to work with me, etc. If these areas are improving, I know bigger successes are just around the corner. The big wins are easy to see (maybe it’s a beautiful delivery to hand or learning to sit at a distance) and can be exciting, but progress in the small things is the foundation and cannot be overlooked. If progress isn’t happening, we need to think long and hard about what the hang-up is. It could be that we’re struggling to communicate effectively, but we should also consider the possibility that we aren’t doing enough or have potentially pushed too hard. Lack of progress means it’s time to be a problem solver!

Here’s a good rule of thumb to ensure your training sessions are frequent enough: If you’re finding that your dog seems to forget lessons from one session to the next, your sessions are likely too infrequent, and you’re doing your dog a disservice. Making sure that our sessions are frequent enough that our dogs remember the previous session will ensure consistent progress.

Enjoy the Process of Training Your Dog

Ultimately, you likely got a dog to bring more enjoyment, happiness, and fulfillment to your life. If every time you think of your dog you feel guilty that you aren’t giving them the training they need, it’s time to change that! Look for ways to enjoy the process rather than getting caught up in the results. If we can learn to enjoy the process, we’ll find significantly more enjoyment out of our dogs, and ultimately the results will be better as well. I’ve found that if I set small, achievable goals, it helps motivate me to train, and encourages me because the results are easy to see. Maybe that will help you too. In any case, it’s time to close the laptop or put down the phone, grab a leash and a bumper, and go enjoy your dog!