There are some typical problems or frustrations that occur when cooking (and when dog training):

1. You never stop believing that the first recipe was ideal even if the results you get are not great or what you hoped for

2. You fail to practice sufficiently so that you can differentiate between a bad recipe and bad technique on your part (or lousy ingredients!)

3. Having decided your technique is at fault, you still fail to learn new ways of using the recipe

4. Having decided the recipe is at fault, you fail to actively seek out and practice new recipes

5. You blame the ingredients.

I deeply appreciate how clickers can teach a client to focus on watching for the good instead of waiting to correct or punish the bad.

I deeply appreciate the value of a clicker in improving observation skills as well as timing. And I'm well aware that the physical movement to click can be organized more quickly than a verbal marker, and that's great when trying to improve training skills.

The paradigm shift that clicker training can make possible can be profound. It's an important step towards a new understanding and a new approach to dogs.

At 50, I've put in 30 years now as a professional, and in every one of those years, I've managed to make unique mistakes that I hadn't made before. I'm working hard on natural horsemanship trainer Pat Parelli's theory that to be a real trainer, you have to make at least 3000 mistakes. Each one of them different. And then, maybe, just maybe, you know enough to call yourself a trainer.

A sadly reliable part of my work are the scared ones, dogs brought to me because they were afraid, sometimes of specifics like tall men or loud noises, and sometimes just afraid in general. They are afraid for many reasons. Some are traumatized, some have limited capacity to cope, some simply do not understand the world. My goal is to find a way to help these dogs as best I can. Being afraid is not a good way to live.

A woman showed up at one of my seminars and literally spent most of the first day arguing with me on nearly every point. Or, more accurately, she argued her points. I stated my case and repeatedly let the dogs do the arguing for the validity of my points. She was so dreadful to have in the audience that I actually prayed on Saturday night that she would not return on Sunday. But she did.

The door slams, over and over as John rushes in and out, trying to make our world a better place. In each slam, I hear the energy he pours - seemingly without end - into this farm. He makes lists, tries to meet the needs of so many creatures (both two and four legged), and sighs when I add something else to his never ending list of chores and tasks.