June 3, 2020

Adapting To Coronavirus | Dog Training

How To Homeschool Your Dog When Stuck In The House

How has COVID-19 affected me and my dog?

Kennels For Pets Dog Houses Wooden - Free photo on Pixabay

I think we can all agree that the sudden onset of Coronavirus has completely changed our schedules, routine, and life is kind of feeling like it’s turned upside down. Adapting to a new routine, especially with extreme change, is difficult and very frustrating.

A lot of you can probably relate to homeschooling your children now due to COVID-19 and it was a good reminder that we didn’t feel very prepared. Feeling unprepared while in the midst of trying to wrap our mind around a lot of things that were changing and figure out what the upcoming weeks were going to look like, makes a perfect recipe for a crazy road ahead.

We are very fortunate that in our business, we already work from home. But even with the sudden change of having kids home all day and having to homeschool them on top of doing our jobs, it significantly changes the way our daily routines are.

Just like how our schedules are impacted, your dog’s routine is changing too. For those of us who weren’t working from home prior to the pandemic, we are now in the house all day with our dog. They’re getting more attention, they’re seeing more of their humans all being home at one time, and they’re thrown into the chaos of it all right along with you. A multitude of things are now affecting their daily routine.

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A question you’re going to find yourself come to eventually is, “What do we do here?”

Personally, I’m not ready for questions I don’t have answers for. So many things need answers all at once and although things get a little smoother day by day, how long will it take to fall into a new routine? When we are working with our dogs and changing things with our dogs, those first couple of consistent days may feel like you’re doing it all wrong. You may even start to second guess yourself.

Clear Light Bulb Placed on Chalkboard

“Should I be doing something different?”

“Should I have prepared in a different way?”

“Do I need to ask a bunch of questions?”

“Do I need to just stop?”

“Is this going to work?”

“Should I just throw it all out?”

But when you follow that course and consistency, even just for a few days, you start to answer your own questions. You’ll begin to make little modifications and become more comfortable with adapting to the situation that you’re in or the thing that you’re trying to apply. It starts to feel a lot more natural as the days go on.

Adapting To A New Routine

When you’re trying something new with your dog, consistency is key.

Isn’t it like that in our normal lives too even before the Coronavirus? If we want to start dieting and working out more, we won’t see any results without remaining consistent, will we? If we want to learn to play the guitar but only practice once a month, we won’t progress quickly and will likely set ourselves back, right?

Maybe you’re a client that just finished a board and train and you’re going home to work on applying what you’ve learned during training, or you’re just using information that’s on the internet such as watching YouTube how-to videos. Regardless of the situation you’re in, getting the results you want will require consistency.

In some cases you may actually be better off doing the “wrong” thing consistently than doing the right thing inconsistently.

2 women walking on road with brown dog during daytime

Sticking To It

In relation to the Coronavirus, a lot of us are taking up projects around the house, old hobbies, or maybe you’re even ready to finally tackle that one thing on your “to-do” list that never seems to get crossed off. Not only have our daily routines dramatically changed but it has allowed many of us to finally do things we may have not had a chance to otherwise.

When it comes to our pups, here are the most common things we find our clients wanting to tackle:

Changing a routine
Modifying a behavior
Teaching your dog something new
Implementing new house rules

Sometimes when you’re trying something new with your dog, it may feel like it’s not even worth it. Maybe you get the feeling that you should just give up after trying for just a few days. You may have even felt this way while trying to tackle that home project or trying out that old hobby. But as the days drag on and we all get a little more used to what our “COVID normal” is, they feel a little less like they’re “dragging” and a little more hopeful.

Bookends Dog Books - Free photo on Pixabay

Homeschooling Your Dog During Coronavirus

I cannot say this enough, consistency is key! When you’re adapting to change, always remain consistent through doubts, bad days, and tough times. Sticking to it will get you through it.

We hope this gives you a little bit of encouragement, not only for dog training, but in life during the Coronavirus and after. We can do this. YOU can do this.