Priorities and Commitments

Priorities: A thing that is regarded as more important than the other.

Commitments: a pledge or undertaking

In our business, when we are contacted by clients, there is a great lack of Priorities and Commitments, although people want the achieved goal without follow through on your Priorities and Commitments.

You are invited to a friends house for a birthday party and you really should go, but you would rather stay home and binge watch Netflix. You make an excuse and settle in for the night. You feel bad you stood up you friends birthday party, yet you CHOSE to stay home and that was your PRIORITY. It comes down to choices...but don't blame the outcome if your choice because it was YOUR choice.

Your son wants to play football and be a super star. Yet he doesn't want to take the time to learn the plays. He, then, becomes unsuccessful...that is a priority and committment. The priority is to make the day to day choices to take the time to learn the plays, to practice the plays, and to ask questions. The priority is not that important if it was, he would have made the time to learn the plays.

So we learn from this Priorities change. Understandable. Yet, consequence is to accept your goal is less obtainable without making it a priorty.

You want to compete with your dog in Agility or Obedience, yet, you decide to skip classes because of other things going on. The trial approaches and you lack the rules, or were not prepared in some way. It was your priority and commitment that put you in the unsuccessful category.

Someone signs up for puppy class. They attend 3 out of 6 classes because they had other priorities ( it was too cold out, my husband usually drives and he's not home yet, I got home from work late, I don't like the parking, I forgot class was tonight) . The priority to have your dog "not jump, walk on a leash, sit, stay, heel or any of the above) is no longer is achievable because YOU didn't make it a priority. Therefore, don't blame the Trainers, the Facility (any facility), the prior trainer you had, the collar, the weather, family obligations. It was your choice to not put the time into training, therefore, you will have a half trained dog.

It's simple, if you want something bad enough, you rearrange your schedule, you take a part time job, you seek out help, you ask for more help, you research your goal, you adapt and improvise to achieve your goal. If you choose another priority, don't expect the results you were looking for.

Lori Minardi

Director of Training