Maintenance

By Minou Tpain

Maintenance

In my previous post, we discovered myelin and how it wraps or insulates the neurons in our brains. In summary, the more insulation the neurons have, the faster and more precise your dog’s actions will be. But what I didn’t mention is that myelin is living tissue that is in a constant cycle of break down and repair, which means your dog’s behaviors and actions are in a constant cycle of breakdown, so how can we make sure that the neurons stay fully insulated so that our dog’s developed skills remain?

Through repetitions of course!

This is why it is so important that after your dog has perfected a skill you must go into maintenance mode. Training is never complete. When we stop practicing a skill, the myelin begins to break down and with each passing day your dog will get a little rustier on those skills. They will not be able to hold onto those skills with the precision you desire unless you practice often.

To sum it up, training is for the life of your dog, even as they age. So remember to continue having your dogs practice everything they’ve learned so their movements will stay fluid, rapid and precise.

See tomorrow’s post on how myelination affects reactivity training.

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