Training
Troubleshooting: what to do when training stalls
8 min read
TL;DR
When training stalls, the cause is almost always one of five things: the environment is too hard, the reward is not worth enough, you have raised the bar too fast, your dog is not in a state to learn (tired, stressed, over-excited, or in pain), or the cue is unclear. Work through them in that order before deciding your dog is stubborn. If a behavior suddenly gets worse, or your dog seems uncomfortable, check with your vet.
- Environment: go back to an easier place and rebuild.
- Reward: try a higher-value treat or a game.
- Criteria: make the task smaller so your dog succeeds at least 8 times out of 10.
- Dog's state: tired, stressed, over-excited, or sore dogs cannot learn well.
- Cue clarity: say it once, keep it consistent, and make sure everyone in the house uses the same cue.
"Stubborn" usually describes a dog that doesn't understand the task, isn't motivated enough to do it right now, or can't do it in this setting. All three are fixable. Treat a stall as information about the setup, not about your dog's character.