19/05/2026
Violation of expectations creates learning!
https://www.facebook.com/lightenupdogtraining/posts/pfbid02eSRrDUYw196eEaS6cPGtuwSGHgVe73stYwuEgLWG1UYJNARfKSeiQHVD94EpV9oQl
WANT TO KNOW WHY DOG TRAINING OFTEN FAILS?
Because it doesn't violate what the dog expects.
I don't do much training on walks with my dog Lidy anymore. We're at a point in our lives where virtually everything there is to come across, we've come across.
The stuff that happens regularly, we're used to.
No learning required.
No new skills required.
As is usual at this point in the year, our usually peaceful walks are beset by obstacles that she's got used to last year. The birds are busy. The bees are busy. There's lambs headbutting each other in the fields and having what looks like the ovine version of the Wacky Races through the fields. Even the horses are filled with the joys of spring.
Now I always have treats on my person.
What self-respecting dog trainer doesn't have at least half a packet of soggy biscuits at least somewhere in one of their numerous pockets?
And the other day, the lambs were *exceptionally* excitable...
On a path only 2m from my dog Lidy...
Separated by a wisp of wire fence and an old gate that would blow over in a half-stiff breeze...
My dog Lidy who thinks ALL excitable, giddy, moving things need policing tout de suite...
TOUT de SUITE.
And she did an amazing job. The kind of job that I thought deserved a jackpot reward for her steady nerves.
As soon as we were past said field of lambs, I gave her half of all of the treats in my treat pouch. All in one go. And a big 'BeST ⭐️ jOb ⭐️ eVEr!' declaration.
It was very surprising.
A complete violation of expectations.
For the longest of times, there have been no treats for disregarding wayward lambs in need of supervision.
And then there were.
Ping. Brain ON.
And you know what we did after that?
Some lovely heelwork and a bit of movement play.
Truth be told, we'd got into the habit of both doing our own thing on walks.
It was a really nice moment of reconnection before we both went back to the daily constitutional.
Dog training often fails for a number of reasons.
🫣 We're greedy and we want A LOT of behaviour from our dogs for tiny rewards.
🫣 We're stingy and we don't think great wins are worth great rewards.
🫣 We don't think it's important to do the unexpected thing... to dig out the sausages or the pork chop or the tug toy or the exceptionally stinky crust of cheese.
Yet life is VERY good at creating those surprising rewards - the kind of moments we might then spend a lifetime trying to push back against.
There's no reason we shouldn't steal some of life's best lessons and do a little violation of expectations ourselves, particularly if we want the learning to pop.
What have been your favourite moments when you caught your dog on a 'HuH!?! Well, I didn't expect THAT!!'
