I'm generally pretty quiet with my dogs, other than chatting with them about my day or maybe what I had for lunch.  I’ll praise them when they do something I like and direct them in some way if I need to alter their behavior.  If we're on an off-leash hike, there are days that they might never hear a word from me, yet I’m still constantly asking them for behaviors and responses. 

My silence gives me leverage.  I want the sound and tone of my voice to mean something... I couldn't give two craps whether they understand my words.  If I'm walking one way and they go the other, I'm not going to yell "COME!” at the top of my lungs.  What leverage would that give me when it's actually important for them to respond?  How is the dog supposed to know that "This time he really means it!" if my tone is always one of urgency?

My first visit to Morris' home was not out of the ordinary.  When I entered the home, his mom was clinging onto this very big wiggly 2 year old Black Lab mix's choke collar for dear life, attempting to prevent him from leaping at me. Clearly friendly, I instructed Mom to let Morris loose, and he predictably jumped all over me, mouthing my arms hard, grabbing at my clothes. I ignored him the best I could, but he was very persistent. For the next hour, I observed Morris repeatedly pushing boundaries... jumping on counters, jumping right on top of a coffee table, snatching at my treat pouch... he was a nightmare of obnoxious adolescent dog behavior.

However, it didn't take long to figure out that Morris wasn't a bad dude. In fact, he was pretty amazing. Playful, engaged, and smart as a whip, Morris picked up on everything I threw at him within seconds. He learned with excitement and vigor, always seeming to ask “What's next???!”

We've all been there. You find yourself saying the same things over and over again. Working through the same old problems. The dogs start to annoy you. The clients really start to annoy you. You feel like your skills are not improving and maybe even worsening. You feel like you've “lost it”.

You're in a rut.

Sometimes you attend a seminar, or read a new book, or simply allow the passage of time to get you past these frustrating points. Other times, you need something else.

I recently went through one such rut. I didn't feel like I was getting any better at what I do. I wasn't communicating to my clients efficiently. It was like there was no real energy behind my words... no conviction. I was speaking like someone who had said the same things over and over again. I felt like a robot programmed to explain the concept of “house training”.