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March 9, 2018

[VIDEO] Dog Training Mistakes, Mishaps and Failures

I like to think I do my best to show the good, bad and ugly of sharing life with dogs. Still, what ends up on the internet is inevitably more polished than real life. It’s easy to have the camera running when everything is going well, but when things go
I like to think I do my best to show the good, bad and ugly of sharing life with dogs. Still, what ends up on the internet is inevitably more polished than real life. It’s easy to have the camera running when everything is going well, but when things go south I’m the one doing all the running. (And I for one am eternally grateful there is no footage of me trying to catch puppy Penny at the beach) A full compilation of  all the mistakes I’ve made would last roughly the duration of my life, so today I thought I’d share a very small selection of mishaps I did happen to catch on video. Success looks good on camera, but I’ve found the best way to learn and grow is through failure. And boy have I done a lot of learning. Thankfully my dogs are patient – if opportunistic – teachers. So next time you’re struggling with training your dog, I hope you’ll find encouragement in the fact that I have failed in ways more spectacular than you can imagine.

Comments for [VIDEO] Dog Training Mistakes, Mishaps and Failures

  1. if I ever win the lottery jackpot I will found a museum with things dogs re-designed… hope you still have the sofa and the shoes ;O))) btw: the while dog on the beach was probably a saint… how patient he watched the wild ridgeback-missile :O)))

  2. Perfect example of how IMperfect life actually is……but we keep hope in our hearts and know that MOST of the time we’re right on target. It’s all about balance – the good, the bad, and the “normal” !!! Love the video…..

    Pam and Teddy too

  3. C. Taylor says:

    Once again you have captured all those times we’ve all gone through with our dogs! I love Penny’s look of “who me? No, I didn’t chew any shoes, sofas, tables!” She had that innocent look down pat even as a pup and still has that same look today. Thanks for another good start to the weekend!!!

  4. Mandy says:

    Hi! I recently found your blog, I think it was serendipitous to be honest. We have two ridgies and I cried as I too love my dogs as much as you clearly do and about two weeks after reading the blog about Zero my beautiful Meeka was diagnosed with bone cancer. Heartbroken I have re read it since our devastating news and sobbed some more. Today’s made me laugh and smile! Although my fails are catastrophic in comparison! At least Penny is a happy ‘come play’ with me out of control… my second girl Elli is afraid of other dogs despite all the socialisation and is aggressive toward them. Despite all the mayhem and disappointments they are the centre of my world. Meeka is a dog in a million, the bond we share is deep and to know I am going to lose her soon is utterly soul destroying. Anyway for now we are enjoying everyday as much as we can. I love your blog and share it with others. Thank you. Mandy (Dublin, Ireland)

  5. Will (MarkingOurTerritory.com) says:

    And I’ll be first in line! Penny would be a star artists for sure.

  6. Will (MarkingOurTerritory.com) says:

    Exactly! Persistence above all

  7. Will (MarkingOurTerritory.com) says:

    Haha Penny certainly shines brightly in this video on a number of fronts.

  8. T&S says:

    taste of wild life with RRs

  9. Will (MarkingOurTerritory.com) says:

    I think you’ve accurately summarized the beautiful, heartbreaking mess that life with dogs entails. The perspective to know that all our small frustrations mean nothing when compared to the time we shared with our dogs – however long or short that time may be. Hold tight to your girl as best you can for as long as you can – it’s all we can ever do. Sending lots of love.

  10. Will (MarkingOurTerritory.com) says:

    A VERY brief taste. The disasters not caught on camera make these ones look quite mild.

  11. Karen S says:

    Absolutely true. When people tell me how well behaved my boy is I respond “its only taken 11 years, and it’s still a work in progress”. And it’s one job I will always be happy at doing.

  12. Emmadog says:

    We are often told how well behaved we are, but most never see the wild side that loves to pop up. It’s alright, we all keep working on things and sometimes we improve. Mom says she would find a very obedient dog extremely boring, so she loves the challenge. We are a breed know for being independent thinkers, and that we are, but so is our mom. We all fit well together.

  13. VICTORIA COLEMAN says:

    I love that video – make me feel better about my training pursuits – thanks for sharing all your fun attempts and you are right -(sorry my words aren’t as poetic but…) the journey has some speed bumps but its well worth it – one i would and will do over and over again – wonderful friday pick me up for the weekend.

  14. Murphy's Law says:

    LOVE this video!! The expressions on their faces when they got caught with their pants down is priceless. Thanks for sharing the good, the bad, and the ugly. I feel so much better now about my mistakes. But I have to admit, SOMEONE ELSE’S mistakes are really funny. Lol.

    Between those puppies and your knock ’em out handsome son stealing the scenes, you don’t stand a chance Will.

    Have a wonderful weekend. Hope your hairy kids don’t have any new ‘tricks’ up their sleeves!
    •••Ginger•••

  15. coastingnz says:

    Brilliant – and for a lot of that all I can say given we have an 8 month old puppy – whew! lol

  16. Angela says:

    I love watching your posts! RR are the best ever and I love seeing people cherish them and that you do!

  17. Kismet says:

    I hate that “Do Not Feed the Wildlife” sign. What are you trying to do, starve me?

  18. Will (MarkingOurTerritory.com) says:

    Exactly right. It’s a constant labor of love and we’re fortunate to be able to devote ourselves to it

  19. Will (MarkingOurTerritory.com) says:

    A “perfect” dog would just be a robot. Exceptionally boring indeed!

  20. Will (MarkingOurTerritory.com) says:

    The lumps are just as important as the rest. We earn them and should be proud of them

  21. Will (MarkingOurTerritory.com) says:

    Haha yes, I do rather prefer watching myself fail on video than experiencing it in the moment. Takes a bit of the sting out of it. And, well, I never stood a chance to begin with!

  22. Will (MarkingOurTerritory.com) says:

    Haha hang in there!

  23. Will (MarkingOurTerritory.com) says:

    Thanks so much!

  24. Will (MarkingOurTerritory.com) says:

    Take it up with The Man

  25. Around here, Max trains us.

  26. Eve says:

    Thank you for sharing…true its not all rainbow & lollipops, but it makes it interesting & also nice to see their personalities shine through – even when they are mischievous!

  27. I am working on training my humans within the confines of where we live and places we are together, they can be a little distracted.

  28. Sometimes, the outtakes are better than the outcomes.There are always hills and valleys in the never ending training session called life.

  29. Niki says:

    Thank you for sharing this!!! I had an epic Dog Mom fail moment the other day when Simba got loose and started chasing another loose dog (Great Dane) through our neighborhood. Of course recall did not work! I ended up having to run on a merry chase after the dogs for over five blocks and ended up having two people with cars help me round the loose dogs including my wonderful Simba. With much thanks and quite a bit more embarrassment I took my rascal home! This post helps me realize even the best behaved have their moments and gives me hope for my own lovely pup!

  30. Oh yes.. we have all been there.

  31. Oh yes.. we have all been there.

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