Power of Progress: Why You Should Measure Your Dog’s Growth?
Power of Progress: Why You Should Measure Your Dog’s Growth?
Dogs are always learning, whether you are teaching them a new trick or how to behave around someone. They even learn to understand your household routines and observe your behavior. Sometimes these things happen so slowly and naturally that you don't notice all the progress they have made so far. But, what if there was a clearer way to see how much your dog is growing day by day, improving, and changing?
Just like how people keep track of their children's school grades or track fitness for themselves, documenting your dog's progress can be helpful too. In this blog, we will discuss how you can spot progress and get a clear picture of your dog's development so you can support them better.
What Can You Do to See Your Dog’s Progress?
It is quite easy to overlook the small improvements your dog makes every day. But when you have a way to track their learning, then even small steps will become visible. This way, you can celebrate their victories and pinpoint the areas that need work. Whether your dog goes to a daycare or not, here's what you can do to spot progress and areas for growth for your dog:
Recognize: Dogs take tiny steps towards learning. For instance, if you want them to learn the command "stay," they might only hold it for a couple of seconds, then two, then five. If you don't keep notes, it is very easy to forget the times it hasn't worked. A written record will help you keep track of small and steady improvements over time. You can also celebrate small victories once you know they are making progress.
Identify: Sometimes, your dog might just be great at one command but struggle with the others. When you have a clear picture of the progress that they are making, you can easily spot these patterns. This way, you can focus your attention and work on those specific skills where your dog is lacking. Think of it as a map that shows where you have been with your dog and where you need to go from there.
Understand: If your dog goes to a daycare in Los Angeles then some of them provide a report card which can offer you a detailed summary of your dog's behavior and training progress along with social interaction. These reports are quite different from what you see at home as the environment and factors are different. You can get a bigger picture that will show you how your dog is developing skills in various areas and environments.
(Also Read: Playcare Pawcademy: Where Dog Daycare Meets Learning)
What to Do After Tracking Your Dog’s Progress?
Well, once you start tracking your dog's progress, you'll definitely be happy to see the progress. Now that you see it, you must acknowledge it to motivate your dog and yourself to keep up. Here are some ways you can celebrate those achievements:
Collect Certificates: How proud would you be of your dog to receive a certificate for completing a certain training course or earning a new skill? There are programs that offer dog daycare with certificates to recognize your dog's hard work and accomplishments. You can collect these as pretty reminders of the milestones that your dog has reached.
Motivation: Getting formal recognition for your dog's progress can be great for motivation. You can see it as a highlight of success for the efforts and investment in your dog's journey. For the dog, you can celebrate the experience and make learning a fun and rewarding activity to encourage them to take on new challenges.
Documenting: You can put together all the certificates and reports to make a wonderful history of your dog's development. This documented history is something really special, and if your dog is up for multi-stage training, then you can have the perfect timeline.
End Note
At the end of the day, understanding and documenting your dog's learning journey is more than records. You have to deeply connect with their development to support them. Pay attention to their progress, set goals, and celebrate every milestone to help them. So, if you are truly interested in your dog's development, then look for programs with clear communication and growth tracking. Enrolling them in a dog daycare will also give you insights into how to track your dog’s learning. For any queries, feel free to reach out to us at (310) 417-3649.