Can You Fix Your Dog’s Behaviour in 2 Sessions?

It’s one of the questions I get asked most. Can you sort my dog out in a couple of sessions?

The honest answer: two sessions can change a lot. But usually not in the way people expect.

What two sessions can do

In two sessions I can usually show you exactly why the problem is happening. And very often, that’s the moment things start to shift.

Most behaviour problems aren’t the dog being difficult. They come down to three things:

• Distance. Working a few metres too close to whatever sets your dog off.
• Timing. Rewarding a second too late, or only paying attention when things go wrong.
• Rehearsal. Whatever your dog practises every day is what he gets good at, good or bad.

Once an owner sees that, I’ve watched people change what they do the very next day. Some dogs improve noticeably within a week because the owner has stopped accidentally feeding the problem.

What two sessions can’t do

What two sessions can’t do is replace practice.

Your dog has had months, sometimes years, of rehearsing the behaviour you want to change. Lunging at dogs, pulling on the lead, jumping up at visitors. Every repetition made it stronger. A new habit has to be practised enough times to win.

That’s not a training failure. That’s how all learning works, for dogs and for people.

The trap of the quick fix

There are ways to stop a behaviour quickly. Most of them involve fear or pain: a sharp correction, a collar that hurts. The behaviour goes quiet, the owner thinks it’s fixed, and the underlying fear or frustration is still there. Often it comes back worse, or comes out somewhere else.

I don’t train that way. Flat collar, lead, and reward. It isn’t the slow option. It’s the option that lasts.

So how long does it actually take?

It depends on the dog, the problem, and how much practice happens between sessions. A simple manners problem with a committed owner can turn around quickly. A dog who has been reactive for three years needs longer, and that’s fine.

What matters more than the number of sessions is what happens in between them. That’s where the training really happens.

Where to start

If you want an honest view of what your dog needs, rather than a promise, book a consultation. I’ll tell you what I think is going on and what it will realistically take.