The Importance of a Dog Training Vision

You might be wondering what a dog training vision is and why it is so important. Well, it’s about envisioning your lifestyle, future goals, and aspirations with your dog, analyzing how best to achieve them, and developing a plan to get the results you want.

Important factors you will want to consider include the purpose you will give your dog. Will you train for a sport or a performance or are you just hoping to have the perfect companion? Start with considering the activities and tasks you will need to train for. Are there any sports or work objectives? Are speed and synchronization important to you? 

Your dog's purpose should be aligned with your vision. For example, I have a lab that I don't use for hunting. Instead, I give my dog a different purpose, which is to achieve obedience, symmetry, and synchronicity. I want to have a great connection with my dog and do fun activities that we both enjoy.

You will also want to think about how you see your lifestyle with your dog. Will you keep your dog in the house or in a kennel? Will your dog be exposed to lots of people? Do you want your dog to protect you?

Considering all of these factors will help guide you in setting up the right training schedule and help you to start to break down the tasks and objectives you will need to focus on to meet your goals. 

The most successful trainers and handlers I have met have a very clear dog training vision. It’s what makes their training so effective and rewarding. 

While you can certainly take inspiration and help from others, your vision should never be dictated by them. It’s unique to you and your dog. Take ownership of it and it will reward you.

As both a passionate trainer and educator, I support all types of dog training visions. My ultimate goal is to equip trainers and handlers with methods and techniques that can help facilitate their vision and to foster analytics, creativity, and success.