It’s Not Magic: You Have to Train for That
Note: This post originally appeared on my previous website. I have updated the formatting slightly, but the core message remains the same.
“But he knows sit!”
In the beginning, training can happen amazingly quickly, which can look like magic, but it is not, and it is only half the story. Teaching new behaviors at home, when not much else is going on, is often easy. Teaching dogs to respond consistently and reliably across environments takes thoughtfulness, patience, and time.
If only there were a dollar for every time someone said, “But he knows sit!”
The solution to building reliable behavior across environments is usually straightforward, but it is not always easy. It requires consistency, planning, and an understanding that trust and communication — especially across species — take time to build.
When “He Knows It” Is Only True at Home
We often train behaviors in a single context:
the living room
the backyard
a quiet class environment
Then we make a big leap and ask for the same behavior in a much more challenging setting — the park, a trail with dogs and people, or a busy household during a gathering.
When the dog struggles, it is easy to think:
“But he knows sit”
“She knows how to walk nicely on leash”
“He does it at home when I have treats”
Instead of recognizing that we have made an unprepared jump in difficulty, we may try to control the dog rather than adjusting the environment, expectations, or training plan.
For example:
A dog who can sit reliably at home may not be able to sit calmly on a trail while another dog passes. When the dog does not respond, people may repeat the cue, raise their voice, pull the leash, or physically position the dog.
This response is understandable, but it is not ideal.
The Problem Is Not Disobedience
In most cases, the dog is not being “bad” or willfully ignoring the handler. The dog simply has not been taught how to perform that behavior in that environment.
When we treat this as a compliance problem instead of a training gap, we miss important information about what the dog actually needs.
A helpful analogy:
Imagine a child who reads well at home. Now place them at Disneyland, in front of their favorite ride, hand them a book, and ask them to read aloud into a microphone. The skill to read the book in one context exists, but the environment demands an entirely different set of abilities.
The same is true for dogs.
Treat Timing
Treats are valuable tools, and I always recommend having them on hand in the same way always have a leash or collar around. Ideally, treats reinforce behaviors after they happen.
However, when a dog cannot respond and we pull out treats to persuade them: “Look, I have a treat, now will you sit?”, that is often a sign the training context is too difficult.
At that point, the issue is not motivation. It is that the dog is not in the right learning zone.
When We Accidentally Train the Wrong Thing
Forcing a behavior or repeatedly interrupting an unwanted behavior can create unintended learning patterns.
Consider a dog who walks nicely at home but pulls heavily at the park:
Dog pulls → human pulls dog back and makes them stop
Walking resumes → dog pulls again
Human pulls dog back again
In this sequence:
The human’s behavior of pulling the leash is reinforced when it works
The dog’s behavior of pulling is reinforced by forward movement
Both parties are practicing behaviors that get stronger over time.
If practice makes perfect, what are we perfecting here?
Slow and Steady Wins the Race
Reliable behavior comes from systematically layering complexity, not jumping straight to the hardest version.
Using leash walking as an example, a progression might look like:
Practice indoors with no equipment
Add harness indoors
Add leash indoors
Move to a fenced yard
Practice in an empty parking lot
Gradually add people, movement, and distractions
Each step is added only when the dog is successful at the current level. If success drops, complexity is reduced again.
There is no single recipe; each team needs a plan that fits their dog, environment, and goals.
The Role of Management
Sometimes we need to be in situations we have not trained for yet. In those moments, management helps prevent rehearsal of unwanted behaviors.
Examples include:
Using gates or leashes to prevent jumping
Avoiding environments that trigger barking or fence fighting
Setting up the space to reduce conflict
Management is not a failure. It is a necessary part of thoughtful training — especially with behavior challenges.
Training Is Not Magic — and That Is Okay
Some people can build and implement these plans on their own. Others benefit from working with a qualified training or behavior professional.
Either way, it is important to remember:
You are teaching another species how to communicate with you and navigate a world that often makes little sense to them.
Dogs are incredible learners. When they struggle, it is not a moral failure or stubbornness. Give them — and yourself — the benefit of the doubt.
Training is not magic. It takes time, patience, and consistency.
And it is worth it.
