Recognizing Training Plateaus and How to Overcome Them

By: The Charlee Bear Staff

When training a pet, it’s common to experience periods where little to no new progress is being made. Just as humans sometimes become burned out or grow tired of their usual routine, pets can hit a wall during training sessions and show signs of disinterest in learning new tricks or practicing ones they already know. But with patience and knowledge on how to tackle training plateaus, this issue can be resolved quickly and serve as a learning experience for both a client and their pet!

Signs of a Training Plateau

The first step to overcoming standstills in training is to recognize the warning signs early on within the pet’s behavior. If the pet is expressing frustration, lack of motivation, and seems easily distracted, then it might be time to reassess how the client goes about training their pup. Other telltale signs of stagnation in training is when a dog can’t perform commands that they had previously mastered, or is re-exhibiting unwanted behaviors that were corrected already during prior training sessions. Roadblocks like these can be frustrating, but it’s better to catch them earlier rather than later so that they can be tackled head-on!

Ways to Overcome Training Plateaus

The positive thing about training plateaus is that they serve as an opportunity to refine and improve ways in which clients can go about training their dogs. And luckily for pet parents, there are several effective ways to combat regression and stagnation in training. The three techniques we’ll outline in this article are to simplify complicated commands, provide immediate and consistent positive reinforcement, and remove any distractions that could be hindering the pet’s training progress.

Simplifying Complex Commands

Sometimes a pet will exhibit frustration during training not because they’re unable to perform the command that they’re tasked with, but because they need it to be broken down into smaller steps in order to get a better understanding of what is wanted from them! For example, if a client wishes to teach their pup to hold and carry an object in its mouth, they should first reward their dog whenever its mouth makes contact with the object, no matter how big or small. Then, clients can move on to reward the dog when it opens its mouth around the object or near the object, signaling that this is a wanted behavior. If a pet isn’t rewarded at all until the wanted behavior is exhibited for the first time, in this case holding an object in their mouth, they can become easily irritated and confused. This only hinders their training progress further, so it’s important for clients to take a step back and reassess how they can be simplifying their training commands to better suit the needs of their pet.

Providing Immediate and Consistent Positive Reinforcement

There’s nothing that dogs love more than feeling good about the hard work they’re putting into training! Positive reinforcement can look different for every dog, but one common way to positively reinforce pets during training is with a delicious treat that will keep them motivated to perform. A popular training treat we recommend is Charlee Bear’s Original Crunch treats as each treat is less than three calories, meaning clients can reward their dogs as many times as needed without worry. Each treat is also sized with treating and training in mind and doesn’t leave any stains, smells or crumbs in clients’ pockets or treat bags. 

Once a client has settled on a treat their pet will love, it’s important that the pet is rewarded consistently and immediately after they perform the desired behavior. If there is a delay in rewarding a pet, they may become confused since they won’t know exactly which action they’re being rewarded for. This will only delay the pet’s learning progress further and cause them to become frustrated. But, if a pet is rewarded consistently and clearly after displaying wanted behaviors, they will quickly learn that the action they’re performing will be rewarded with a yummy treat and stay motivated to continue!

Removing Distractions During Training

Similar to how humans go to libraries to study in order to concentrate, pets should be in a controlled environment with as little distractions as possible during their training. If a pet is learning a new command, taking them outside to train may slow down the learning process since there are too many visual and auditory distractions. Clients should find a quiet room inside their house away from other pets or family members and begin training there instead. This way, even if a dog were to become distracted, it will be much easier for a client to regain their pet’s focus. Once the dog has grasped an understanding of the new command they’re learning, a client can then gradually introduce their training in other environments, such as a backyard.

Although training plateaus can be equally frustrating for a client and their pet, implementing the above strategies can help lead clients toward more success with their training efforts! Every dog learns at their own pace, so it’s important that clients remain patient and try to find ways to improve their training. Practice makes perfect!