Why People Stop Training Their Dogs and How to Get Back on Track

Michael Baugh CDBC

I’ve been thinking a lot about why people don’t train their dogs. It’s one of those Holy Grail questions for professional trainers and dog behavior consultants. Why won’t clients follow the plan we laid out together?

The excuses are predictable. I didn’t have time. I’ve been busy. I’m not coordinated enough. I don’t have the right tone of voice. I’m not good enough. Then there are the dog-focused ones. He’s stubborn. My dog is dominant. He’s too old, too young, too dumb, too distracted. Trainers hear these all the time, and it’s tempting to argue with every single point. In our heads, though, the response is usually much shorter. “No, none of that is true.”

So what’s really going on? Those of us who love training do it because it’s fun. Dogs learn when they see their actions affect the world around them. Seeing that in action is thrilling. We learn the same way. Our actions cue the dog’s response. The dog’s actions cue our reinforcement. We are communicating!

The problem is that new trainers give up before they get that first taste of success. It’s like the first episode of a series. If it falls flat, you stop watching. Humans have narrow spans of attention, sometimes. Sound familiar? We crave reinforcement. If we don’t get hooked early, many of us find it hard to keep going. What you need is a spark, something that starts a real conversation between you and your dog. A little back and forth of shared success.

And no, I’m not blaming your dog for failing to reinforce you. He’s probably just as bored and confused as you are.

Here’s the fix: Start simple. I teach hand targeting to all my clients first. It’s the appetizer, the ice breaker, the first clear win for both dog and human. You do this and I do that. Now we’re talking.

But don’t rush. Build gradually and set both of you up to succeed.  Grab another easy win. Work on something simple, maybe a trick that makes you laugh. Enjoy the success. Show a friend. Reinforce generously.  Once you’re feeling the rhythm, try a more challenging task. You’re getting it, little by little, both of you.

Here’s the bottom line. You can train your dog. And you can learn to love training, too. Drop the labels and get out of your own head. Go for that early win, that “wow” moment. Your dog will feel it, too. Ahh, this is how we have a conversation!  Smile. Laugh. Have some fun. And get ready to learn. Your dog has a lot to teach you.

Michael Baugh teaches online dog training and in-person training in Houston, TX. He specializes in aggressive dog training.

What Fish Tanks Taught me About Dog Training

Michael Baugh CDBC

When I was a kid, I had fish tanks, two in my room and three more in other rooms in the house. Freshwater tropical fish. My dad taught me how to care for them, even to breed them. Sometimes a fish would get sick; it was usually bacteria or a parasite. My dad’s lesson: we treat the water. It’s not the fish; the tank is sick.

I think about my dad’s wisdom a lot when I’m working with dogs. Behavior problems can be unique to an individual dog. Some relate to prior trauma we know nothing about. Pain or illness causes some problems, certainly. A few issues are neurological. But mostly the tank is sick.

Our dogs’ behavior is a constant conversation with their environment, shaped by prompts and feedback from the world around them. And yes, that includes the people in their lives. Our dogs live in community with us, with our visitors, with the other animals in our home and on our property. We may not have caused our dogs’ behavior problems. Still, we are key players in the game. Changes we make in our own behavior, and changes we make in our dogs’ environment matter a lot. Even small changes in our dogs’ world can have a big impact.

You see? It’s not all the dog. Everything connects and interacts. Our dog barks at strangers; but not if we introduce the stranger outside. A dog might snap at children; but we can teach him to remain calm watching kids from his bed. Some dogs lunge at other dogs on walks; but not when we give them a little more breathing room when they pass. The cues remain the same. Their meaning for our dogs is what changes. The feedback from their world changes and, sure enough, our dogs’ behavior changes.

Treat the tank, not just the fish.

We can do this for ourselves too. When I feel anxious or sad, I can practice being calm and watch the world from a distance. Set the phone down. Slow the scroll. Let the doom fade. Meet outside and feel the sun. Give each other a little breathing room. We can set things differently, interact with each other a little differently. Even a slight change can have a big impact.

My dad and I would talk late into the evening while we watched the fish. He still lives in that memory, rent-free. There is a natural cycle to life, he taught me. It’s rough sometimes. The tank gets sick, sure enough. We do our best. Things get better. It’s all connected. And, you know what that means? None of us is ever really alone.

Michael Baugh CDBC teaches dog training in Houston TX. He specializes in aggressive dog training. Jack Baugh was a world-class salesman and, hobby fish breeder and wise old dude. He died in 2014 at the age of 89.

Myth Busting Clicker Training

Michael Baugh CDBC

I’ve clicker trained for a long time, and I can honestly say it remains one of the most impactful tools I teach my clients. If you have used it yourself, you know what I mean. If you haven’t tried it yet, I can’t wait for you to experience how fast dogs learn with it.

Clicker training works because it gives the dog an immediate, consistent signal that marks exactly the behavior you want them to repeat. The click is not a command, it’s not the treat itself, and it certainly does not make the dog behave on its own. It simply tells the dog, Yes. That was the right behavior and then you follow it with food reinforcement. Dogs learn because that click reliably predicts something great is coming. This kind of immediate feedback dramatically accelerates their understanding of what you’re asking for.

One of the first things clients notice when they pick up a clicker is that it changes their timing and focus. When you are concentrating on clicking at that exact moment you see the correct behavior, it naturally hones your observation skills. Many people find themselves less likely to dive into the treat bag too early. They are watching, clicking, and then treating.

There are some common myths about clicker training that I want to clear up because they often keep people from giving it a real shot. One of the biggest misconceptions is that you have to have the clicker with you all the time, or else your dog will forget everything they learned. That could not be further from the truth. Clickers are tools for the learning phase of a behavior. Once a task becomes fluent and reliable, you can set the clicker aside. Your dog will still perform the behavior; they just don’t need the marker anymore. You might still reinforce with treats or praise periodically, but the clicker itself is retired for that command.

Another myth is that the clicker makes the dog perform. Some people think the sound of the clicker somehow causes the dog to behave. That misinterpretation leads to confusion, especially when a dog doesn’t respond without the clicker in hand. In reality, the clicker teaches the dog to understand exactly what behavior earned reinforcement. It’s a marker. A bridge. A communication shortcut. Nothing more, nothing less.

Some trainers worry that dogs will be dependent on constant clickers and treats forever, but that is also incorrect. Once the behavior is strong, predictable, and reliable, you can begin to thin the rewards. The power of clicker training is that once the learning has happened, the dog remembers the behavior without holding you hostage to the tool.

The bottom line is that clicker training is  science-based, positive reinforcement dog training that fosters fast learning, clear communication, and a strong bond between dog and handler. It’s not magic, but it sure feels like it when an “aha” moment clicks for both you and your dog.

Michael Baugh is a dog trainer in Houston, TX. He specializes in aggressive dog training.