Need some help with your New Year dog training goals? [+ FREE goal setting guide]

Life’s been pretty crazy lately – moving countries and completely changing careers followed by a different routine and life overall. With everything new happening, I didn't notice how December came and the new year started knocking on everyone's door. As any busy dog mum would agree, one thing that keeps you sane is HAVING AN ACTION PLAN. You can be sure that I will be setting some dog training goals for myself and do it in a real old fashioned freaky pen and paper planner way.

Anyways, throughout the years of running a full-time dog training business I've seen first row how setting goals and expectations can go both ways - help you get the s**t done if done right or help you fail. This helped me to create a simple few step plan that I'd normally go through at the beginning of every new client's case. For the start of this blog and the new year I created a little dog training goals tracker and guide which I already shared with my newsletter fam, so if you'd like to receive useful content like that first too - come join us!

I explained everything in the document but here's the key things to remember:

• just like with other goals you will be setting for yourself, try to be as precise and detailed as you can. Avoid vague or very broad goals like "I want my dog to behave better". It's not clear and gives you no direction.

• start small! See whether you can break down any goal you come up in smaller steps as it will make it more achievable for you and your dog.

• be realistic. I know it's easier said than done but avoid setting up a goal of "teach my dachshund not to bark" if this is something that completely goes against their breed.

• think of what you want our dog to do instead. This is key in any dog training, especially with unwanted behaviours. We need to learn to stop saying "don't want my dog to" and swap it to "in this situation I want my dog to". You'll be surprised how much more clarity it bring into your plan.

That's it for now! Have a go, let me know if I can help and good luck!