When does training end?

• When will my dog's training be ​​complete?
• How long do I have to do the training exercises?
• When will I stop rewarding my dog?

Several students ask me the above questions.

Many professional trainers give the wrong impression that after 12-16 lessons the dog will be ready to handle any situation. That there is no reason to continue the exercises, since the dog has learned what it needs to.

I wonder if this happens to humans.

Was the knowledge we got at school or university all we needed for the rest of our lives?

In any profession, expertise and experience constantly make you better. I don't think there is anyone who says "I know everything and I will stop learning". Even a simple skill that we did well in the past but have stopped repeating it, tends to be forgotten and becomes inactive. Who can solve third grade math equations when it's been 10-15 years since they last did such a thing? Who can speak a foreign language when he got his certificate many years ago and hasn't spoken it again in the meantime? Also, if someone changes jobs but stays in the same field, doesn't it take for granted that they will need some retraining in the new environment and tools their new job uses? Finally, when we become efficient enough at our job, would we take a pay cut? The examples are enough I think to understand the relevance and give the correct answer to the initial questions. Education never ends and there is always room for improvement. As for the reward, we can find alternative ways and not use food constantly, as we can also change the rewarding frequency. However, our goal remains that the whole process is pleasant and rewarding for our four-legged friends.

In the following video, we perform the exercise routine we have with Mira, during our walk today. If you observe, you will realize that there is a combination of play and exercises that remains pleasant for her above all.