We often think of our dog's training as a phase with a beginning and an end. In reality, training never ends. Our dog is learning constantly, from everything that happens to them.
What training really is
It isn't a series of exercises that finishes once they're mastered. It's the way we communicate with our dog every day. It's how we respond when they're happy, when they're scared, when they're tired, when something is difficult for them.
Everything we do in our daily life gives them information about the world and about us.
Our dog isn't the same at two, at five, at ten years old. Their body changes, their energy, their needs, their fears, their tolerance for stimuli.
And the world around them changes too. A move, a new family member, a loss, a different chapter in our own life. All of these ask for adaptation, from both of us.
Training is the way we support them through those changes.
Every day is training. A walk is training. A quiet moment on the sofa, an encounter with another dog, a knock at the door, a change in the routine.
Every moment gives information.
Why this is good news
If training were something with an end, it would also be something that could "fail". But if it's an ongoing process, then there's no such thing as "a missed chance". There's always a next step.
A dog who has lived through hard years can learn again to feel safe. An adult dog can learn new behaviours. A senior dog can keep discovering.
It's a relationship in progress.