"All Work and No Play Makes Jack a Dull Boy"
Labrador Retriever Dog Training
I remember when I was in my late teenage years into my early twenties. I worked a lot. I still work a lot. Back then, I would work in the morning from 6am to 8:30am at one job, head to the next to work from 9am to 3pm, and finish at the next job from 4pm to 11pm. That was a typical day for me. I was lucky back then if I got a day off from all three jobs on the same day.
That didn't last long. Six months into running that crazy schedule I had to switch it up or face the burnout that was coming my way. I was able to arrange the same day off from all three jobs. That gave me enough time to recover and take care of necessities before having to start the grind all over again the following week.
I tell this story because it is the same with dogs. If they are engaged in a rigorous training routine they need days off too.
Giving dogs a chance to recover and sometimes just a break from running the same drills or training routine day in and day out can really help to get them reengaged.
Give Them a Break!
Sometimes I'll notice a dog starting to lose enthusiasm during their training sessions. That could be because the dog is not understanding what is being asked of them and getting slightly frustrated. It could also be that the dog is bored with doing the same drill for the nine hundredth time. Or, maybe they are just burnt out of training every day for the last however many days in a row.
Whatever the case, they probably need a break.
I have noticed that when I take a day off of training, the dogs will come back with new energy. I have even seen that time off help them to grasp a skill even better than trying to push through the training. There are two sure times that I believe there need to be some off days given.
One is during the teenage years. That can be a frustrating time for both the handler and the dog. Giving the dog room to come into their own helps them become a confident dog. That time off will also help build the bond between the owner/handler in the dog as well.
The second is during hold conditioning or force fetch. I have found this to be an intimate process between the dog and trainer. This is also one of the skills that I have seen be grasped more throughly after a day off with the dog coming back with rigor.
In short, I believe dogs should get days off when needed. Especially if they are losing interest in the training, not as sharp as they have been, or if they have just been training day in and day out for the last month. It's important for everyone to get a break to recharge every once in awhile.
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