Save perfection for trials. In training, look for trouble!!!
I guess that's the motto of my new DVD (yes, yes, coming out soon - hopefully Thursday!) 🙂 As I always say - online classes in my experience work better than any other form of teaching - and I've done it all, LOTS of it all - I started teaching in live classes in 1996 (and stopped in 2011), seminars in 2001 (and stopped in 2011) - and online classes in 2011. And I did LOTS of it since I'm a bit of a workaholic when it comes to things I love to do 🙂
Online classes are superior to the rest in all aspects - until you get one of those perfect students that send you perfect videos only that all you can say to is "perfect"!!! I call them a Facebook generation as everything posted there must be perfect and impressive and beautiful and wow. And even if it's not, 500 people will say it is. But in life, not everything is perfect and impressive and wow. Normal life is more interesting and colourful as that. That's why I prefer normal life over Facebook. And I prefer class videos that show problems as well. They give me way more work 🙂 - but also way more progress!!!
So I had this student who was always sending me perfection. Her threadles, pushes and serps were so perfect that I asked her to send me a mix of it all within one line as well to make sure the dog is not pattering. I met this person face-to-face soon after and she told me on her own initiative that she can't send me the video of the mix up because the dog will just do whatever is cued first... And I said "yes, that's what happens when you drill this too much and don't challenge the dog soon enough. But it can be fixed, so do send your struggles, so we can brainstorm together and help her get back on the right track". - I never got that video...
Why do people find it so hard to admit not everything is perfect? I mean, at least publically. Obviously, even Facebook generation can tell me that face-to-face - but not in a class? - That is not even open for public, but to maybe 100 others who are all in the same boat and learning as well?
Why would anybody try to hide imperfection? I find imperfections normal - as far as I know, no human and no dog is perfect. Well, o.k., there is one that is very close to it... That's why she gets to train AND trial way LESS as my less perfect dogs - sorry Le... That's also why she doesn't show up much in this new DVD - she is only starring in stays section
Imperfections are perfect to make us learn and grow and brainstorm and live. How boring would it be, living in perfection??? Why would we all need to be beautiful and smart and fast and best in everything? Isn't it normal we have different strengths and weaknesses? Isn't that what makes life interesting?
And that's why I don't like posting on Facebook that much. I mean, Facebook is great for sharing info on classes, for gathering info on pretty much any topic (artificial turf, toe's problems etc.) - I got LOTS of very useful info that would be impossible to get any other way! I also love to check courses judges publish, trial videos to see how people managed them etc.
But... I sometimes find it hard to post because I don't want to post perfect things only - and I don't want to post imperfections to which I'll get tons of comments on how perfect it is. Not everything is perfect - and that's o.k. That's how we learn. And get a bit closer to perfection.
But I got to include all the imperfections in this DVD, yay!!! 🙂 - With explanations why and how and all!
Remember: a successful training session is not the one where you didn't have a single problem. That's for me a failed session because obviously, you weren't creative enough to find how to challenge your dog further. For me, a successful training session is the one where we found a problem, cleared up confusion and learnt something new. That's why your goal for training should never be a clean run. You can have that as a goal in trials - but you don't want them in training as you don't learn that much from them. You know: sometimes you win, sometimes you learn. If you want to win in trials, you need to learn in training.
Coming soon...
Oh cool can’t wait to watch the new DVD and join the fun in the new class with Ace . I liked every seminar I followed but your online classes are really something else. Like them so much, you learn so much in those 3 to 4 months. And so much problems can be worked on with perfect feedback from you
Can’t wait for the DVD! Perfect article as always. It’s refreshing that somebody speaks also about mistakes and failures.
Ahhh that toy is so CUTE. Vi loves hers, I had never thought of putting a handle on it to use it for agility. Congrats on the new DVD, looking forward to watching it!
It’s a great toy! I thought it will be too big for her tiny mouth, but she proved me wrong and seems very proud of herself, having such a big toy 🙂
Some of us were so pressed for mistakes and imperfection that we have to fight our demons and embrace that mistakes are part of learnig and are OK and that making a mistake does not mean we are worthless idiots. So it is nice to read this article.
So many wise words! And the reason why I like to include all tries we did during a training session in a video I post in class. I just don’t want you to think the session went better or worse than it actually did, haha 🙂
I CAN’T WAIT to see the new DVD and to enter your new foundation class with Lao. We haven’t done much agility at all, I’m thinking I’ll wait for your class so I don’t mess it up, haha 😀
Yes, getting the realistic picture of how things went is essential for me to be able to give correct suggestions!
Hahahaha, I guess you taught me well! I like to post my perfect AND my imperfect runs, too. And then I enjoy when people express ways they would change things. I hardly have to post my videos to graduates any more because you taught me so well how to critique myself and my own mistakes. Not that I am too perfect to post to you my videos, but because you taught me how to critique myself. 😀 . I LOVE your online classes.
Ha ha, yes, I guess “always looking for the bad things” is much more important for the progress as looking for the good things! 🙂
Well…sometimes I made this mistake with you because I liked to show you how much me and Ceres were improving…time after time I realized it was a really stupid thing because I am lucky to follow your online classes and I need to show you our difficulties to let you help us, specially now with RC
That’s another reason for loving your articles, classes, works with our dogs…you simply force us to never give up and try and try again thanks to your support in the training with our dog….I can’t stop to learn something everyday with you Silvia…just THANK YOU for these words…LoLaBuLand as a lifestyle ❤️
Yes, it’s definitely important to include difficulties as well! It makes all those perfect hits look even better!!! 🙂
This article is so inspirational. I thought I was not a good student because I’ve made too many mistakes and so behind in training. I was afraid I would never finish the class. But now I’m encouraged and feel more confident because I am learning a lot! Thank you. I will keep learning.
Every student who is making progress is a good student! It can be fast or slow, depending on experience, the dog, where we started and all -- but as long as the trend is good, it’s all good!
Yes, Silvia- I never suffered the ‘perfect video syndrome’ because no matter my plan, no perfect session happened 😉
But I feel that over the many different classes, I learned how to learn best -- by telling you and trying to tape what is NOT going well. So maybe a pre-class assignment can be -- tape something that is not going as you wish and post it -- I also think that some cultural differences come into play, as your classes are international, so some participants tolerate being wrong better than others 😉
I can’t wait to watch the new DVD and see if I can get the Ta toy!
Yes, definitely cultural differences as well! I think it’s a very typical Slovenian thing, that’s why I feel it even more as I have so little work with Slovenians in classes, always being so perfect 🙂 -- and then in live, I can see we actually do have some more work as it seems in videos…
🙂