I don’t stop living my life so I can train my dog.

Breakfast is training.

Walking out the door is training.

Getting into the car is training.

Walking around the neighborhood is training.

Working from home while absolutely nothing interesting happens is training.

Another dog showing up is training.

Going somewhere new is training.

Dinner is training.

Even relaxing on the couch can be training.

Because every one of those moments gives us another chance to communicate.

THE COMMAND IS VOCABULARY.

THE LIFESTYLE IS WHAT THE VOCABULARY IS FOR.

COME. WAIT. HEEL. DOWN. LEAVE IT. OVER HERE. KENNEL. OK.

Eventually they stop being isolated commands your dog performs during a training session.

They become a language you use while you're living together.

AND YOU KEEP USING IT.

Mabel still gets rusty.

I notice. We go back to the fundamentals. We put the reps back in.

There isn't a day when I declare her officially trained and we're done.

Training isn't something you finish.

Fluency is something you maintain.