Split it don’t lump it!

We, as people spend a minimum of 10 years at school learning a range of topics - our trainign is broken up into skill levels and subjects. Yet whe we are training animals - many people just expect the animal to "get it" - quickly and consistantly regardless of their skill level, past experiences or the subject being taught. Animals generally (and like the rest of us) have their own agenda. It is our job as a trainer of the animal to convince the animal that finding mutual agendas is going to benefit them.

We can do this by spliting behaviours into small sections and not trying to lump them together - causing frustration when the animal just doesn't "get it". As Bob Bailey says - Be a splitter not a lumper - and you will get communication running with your pet.