05/21/2026
So if you’ve done any kind of training with me, you’ve probably heard me talk about criteria, or at least about making some things easier when you make another element of your training plan harder. You’ve probably also heard me talk about how small changes in the environment (concrete vs. grass, one distraction vs. multiple distractions, presence of new people or objects) can have a big impact on how your dog perceives a cue or an exercise. I generally recommend building distractions into the picture by lowering your criteria for performance until your dog shows fluency in their presence. In Nose Work, for example, the first time we take a green dog to train in an unfamiliar place, I’ll set hides that are easy first, assess the dog’s performance, and build gradually increasing challenges accordingly. Same with obedience or other things we work on together.
Well, here’s me showing you what it looks like when I fail to take my own advice. Like a lot of us, I get excited about progress and sometimes I get ahead of my own training plan. When that happens, the results are … well, you’ll see in the video below.
Miss Honeybee has been doing a nice job learning to retrieve a dumbbell, bring to front and hold it until I ask for an out. This morning I was visited by what I saw another trainer (hat tip to you, Integrity Nose Worx) call the “good idea fairy.” I decided that it might be a “good idea” to take the retrieve exercise out into the backyard because she had a great session yesterday, and it was a beautiful morning. First time working on it outside, and I didn’t have a real plan. Just an idea. Well, the dogs next door started barking because it’s early and everyone is just starting the day, and Honeybee uses spots around the yard to hide her precious items. I didn’t think of the boring dumbbell as a precious, despite the fact that I’ve been steadily building value in it by playing retrieve games with her.
So, I got the response from her that I deserved. She ran out to take the dumbbell, froze and was suddenly in conflict about what to do — respond to the dogs next door? Guard her item from them? Hide it? Flee so nobody could take it from her? Poor girl. Bad training choice!
No matter what you’re training (Nose Work, obedience, whatever), your choices as a handler impact your session, and you need to be realistic about training with intention. If your dog is struggling with a task, think about whether your plan helps or hinders your dog. Have you taught the dog in the right environments? Exposed the dog to the right kinds of distractions in a way that supports learning? Broken the task down into manageable pieces? It’s not fair to blame your dog for a performance issue that you have choreographed. But if you do make a mistake (and we all do!), don’t panic — just go back to the last successful point in your training plan, restart there and promise your dog you’ll be more intentional next time.
What is your goal for the session? What are you working on? What steps will you take to get there? What will you do if things go south?
After this video blooper session, I took Honeybee back inside and brought the retrieve exercise to a new room in the house where we rarely train, rather than asking her to do it under so much pressure and distraction. Much better. Next time we take it outside, we will work on the patio rather than grass. We will work away from the fence. I will start with holds before I add motion. The initial throws will be very short. I’ll only do a few reps. I’ll probably have her on a leash. Much more thoughtful training.
