Adjust Your Training to Suit Your Dog – Not Your Criteria to Suit Their Behaviour
Adjust Your Training to Suit Your Dog – Not Your Criteria to Suit Their Behaviour
In the world of dog agility, progress doesn’t come from cutting corners. It comes from clarity, consistency, and commitment. One of the biggest mistakes even seasoned handlers make is shifting their criteria every time their dog gets it “wrong.” But here’s the hard truth:
If your dog is struggling, it’s not a sign to lower your standards. It’s a sign to improve your teaching.
Why Criteria Matters
Criteria is simply the standard or expectation you set in training—whether it's a solid stopped contact, a reliable start line stay, or a tight turn on cue. These aren't suggestions. They're non-negotiables that guide your dog to success.
Every time you reward behaviour that doesn’t meet your criteria—or let it slide—you teach your dog a new rule: “Sometimes, good enough is good enough.”
That’s not just confusing… it’s damaging to your long-term goals.
But All Dogs Are Different…
Absolutely. Your training approach must flex to suit your individual dog. Maybe you have a speed demon who needs impulse control work. Maybe your sensitive soul needs more confidence-building reps. Your dog’s learning style, drive, and emotional state do matter—and they should shape how you teach.
What should change is how you get to the goal—not the goal itself.
Think:
Does your dog need more reps at a lower level of distraction?
Is the reinforcement you're using powerful enough?
Are you splitting the skill down clearly enough?
If your criteria is “wait until released on the start line,” but your dog breaks, the solution is not to let them run anyway. It’s to:
Revisit your reinforcement strategy
Make the setup more manageable
Reward the behaviour you do want with precision and passion
Real-World Example:
Let’s say you’re training running contacts. Your dog starts leaping the last third of the A-frame. You’re tempted to ignore it because “they’re close enough.”
Pause.
Ask yourself:
Have I trained this skill thoroughly enough at lower speeds?
Do they understand the exact behaviour I want?
Am I rewarding consistently only for correct performance?
Lowering your criteria doesn’t solve the problem—it cements it.
The Mindset Shift
This is about stepping into the role of teacher, not just handler. Your job is to make your dog successful by preparing them with the right training setup. Not to excuse mistakes because they “almost got it.” Your dog deserves clarity.
Train smarter. Set standards. Stay consistent.
Because your dog is capable. They just need you to be a strong, patient, intentional leader.
Want help identifying where your training standards are slipping?
Send me a video or book a session—I’ll help you pinpoint the gap and show you how to close it.
