Reactive Dog Lesson Structure | Tyler Muto Performance Coaching
I often get asked by trainers about how to structure private lessons, particularly for behavior problems. I find that many trainers either feel like they are winging it, or that they are following a system they were taught by a mentor, but they aren’t confident that the system is providing their clients with the best results possible.
The thing is, lesson structure is crucial to being an exceptional dog trainer. Focusing your energy and instruction where it matters most will give you more commitment from your clients, which means more focus, better compliance and follow through, and ultimately a happier customer.
A good practice is to reverse engineer the training process, starting with the exercises you will want to use to address the behavior directly. Then break those exercises down into the component pre-requisite skills that the client and dog will need in order to perform those final exercises. Prioritize your early lessons around teaching those skills, ignoring anything that does not directly apply. Only after you have made significant headway into resolving the behavior, will you then spend some time on other “satellite” skills which may still have some indirect benefit, just not as potent. This will prevent you from overwhelming your clients with information early on, by providing them only with the knowledge and skills that they need right now, at this moment. By narrowing their focus, they will gain a better understanding, have better compliance, and achieve faster results.
Imagine having absolute clarity going into each lesson, and the confidence of knowing that you are delivering the highest level of service to your clients.
The great thing is that you don’t have to figure this out alone.
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Performance coaching for Canine Professionals