When Training Feels Hard… An Update One Week On

A week on with Griff—progress, setbacks, and small wins as we continue working through heelwork, stop whistle, and self-control.

When Training Feels Hard… An Update One Week On

I thought it might be helpful to give a bit of an update following last week’s blog about Griff and when training feels hard.

I’m writing this on Tuesday afternoon, so almost exactly a week on from putting those thoughts down. And in true training fashion, things haven’t stood still.

A Different Week… But Still Training

This week has looked a little different to our normal routine—I can’t access the training field.

But training doesn’t stop just because the plan changes.

So far, Griff and I have attended two training sessions (which is fairly typical of how I spend my days off!). One was a shared session with a friend and her dog on ground that Griff finds particularly exciting, and the other was a group session today.

Heelwork: Signs of Progress

Let’s start with heelwork—one of our main challenges.

Yesterday’s session was a real step forward.

Griff’s heelwork was much improved, and more importantly, he was able to maintain it for the majority of the session. There is still work to do with regards to exact positioning, but his ability to manage himself bore no comparison to where we were previously.

He also managed to sit or lie quietly while waiting for his turn—something that hasn’t always come easily to him.

Today, we built on that further, incorporating heelwork into a walk-up with another dog. Again, his position wasn’t perfect, but the overall picture was much improved.

All in all, I would say that the work I’ve been putting into Griff’s everyday life—walking at heel from room to room, to and from the car, in and out of spaces—is beginning to pay off.

We haven’t quite established that heel is the position in which we navigate the world… but we are definitely moving in that direction.

And that matters.

The Stop: Building Trust and Value

The stop has been our other sticking point.

Last week, I talked about how Griff understands the stop but doesn’t necessarily see the value in it. That’s still something we are working through—but this week, we’ve seen progress.

Across both sessions, we achieved several stops at varying distances and with different levels of distraction.

Yesterday, something shifted for me.

I realised that I needed to trust Griff—to trust that he would do as asked.

I carried that mindset into today’s session, and he did stop when and where I asked.

Now, this isn’t the moment to sit back and think the job is done. Far from it.

This is the time to recognise progress, take confidence from it, and continue to consolidate before asking for more.

The Bits That Still Need Work

It would be lovely to say that everything is now falling into place.

But that wouldn’t be an honest reflection.

Over both sessions, Griff decided that annoying another dog on his return with a dummy was a good idea. This is not new, and it’s something we are actively working on.

Aside from being frustrating, it’s unnecessary—and left unchecked, it’s the sort of behaviour that could get him into trouble in the future.

So it needs addressing.

We will also continue to build on his ability to sit or lie quietly while waiting his turn. This is improving, but it’s not yet consistent, and not always at heel.

And Then There’s the Good Stuff

It’s important not to lose sight of what is going well.

Hunting was a focus in both sessions—and here, Griff really delivered. Confident, capable, and working as you would hope.

It’s a good reminder that while some areas feel hard, others are falling into place.

Training is never all one thing.

Plateaus and Progress

What this past week has shown me is that progress doesn’t always come in big, obvious leaps.

Sometimes it shows up quietly:

A dog managing themselves just a little bit better
Holding a position for longer
Making a better choice in a moment that used to unravel

We are not “there.”

But we are not where we were either.

We will enjoy moving off this particular plateau—but I’m under no illusion that there won’t be another one waiting for us further down the line.

That’s the nature of training.

Onwards and Upwards

Griff is still the same enthusiastic, driven dog I wrote about last week.

We are still working through challenges.

But we are also making progress—real, meaningful progress.

And that’s enough.

For now, it’s onwards and upwards on this training journey.

Because this is what it looks like.