It's all in the application...

After having logged who knows how many hours reading puppy-for-dummies books and watching how to whisper, levitate, and be one with your dog shows, I refuse to denounce such training applications as futile. But after a look around my carpeting on any given day, deducing I have failed as a dog trainer wouldn't take a genius. I feel like I got the important things down. Here are my steadfast rules:

1. No bathroom on my bed. Ever. Except when we first moved. Thank goodness for waterproof mattress covers.

2. No eating expensive shoes, although we have both come to terms with donating a rogue flip- flop from time to time.

3. No yapping in the house. Growling quietly to yourself when questionable sounds come from outside is more than fine. Also, occasional yapping to other dogs while on a walk is okay.

Now, so as to put my other good learnings to use, I have decided to apply all gained knowledge to my cleaning techniques when they have not worked with my dogs. And they are:

1. Practice Makes Perfect. 

What I tend to do is complete a fraction of a task, however small, and then break from it. For instance, if I am doing dishes, I will do three pieces. Let them air dry while doing something more interesting, and then I return. The logic here is that if I repeat tasks enough, I will learn how to do them on my own.

2. Reward Good Behavior.

Positive reinforcement is so often spouted as the key to success. Taking such guidelines into consideration, I constantly reward myself for tasks inching closer to completion.  For instance, when I am scrubbing down the bathroom, I will work hard for five minutes and then immediately reward myself for the task. It is important to reward very quickly, so that the subject does not forget what they are being rewarded for.  As opposed to chopped up hot dog pieces, dog bones, and praise, I tend to favor reading a chapter in a good book, watching a show I need to catch up on, or calling a friend.  All methods work.

3. Ignore Bad Behavior.

This, I have to admit, is a practice I had perfected long before I even owned a dog. I will not use this extreme training tool outside of my home, but indoors, this has always been a favorite. When a task is being neglected, ie. bad behavior, I ignore myself. It may take practice for some, but when the voice inside your head urges you to stop what you are doing and forge ahead with chores, you must quickly and entirely ignore yourself. What this does is alleviate the cycle of guilt and frustration, and allows a movie to be enjoyed without distraction. Except of course from the growling dog by the window.

I hope that everyone can use dog training techniques in their lives as well. If professionals can do it, you may not be able to. But instead of cutting your losses, re-work the rules to be something you can master.