Train Smarter, Not Harder: Sometimes the Smartest Training Is Taking a Break

There are times when training smarter means training more intentionally and then there are times when training smarter means training less. That has been my lesson this month.

August was supposed to be all about Train Smarter, Not Harder. And as it turns out, life decided to give me plenty of opportunities to practice what I preach; life with a new puppy, an unexpected but appreciated 4 day weekend vacations, weather related migraines, more fatigue than usual...work, life, all the things.

And somewhere along the way, I had to make a choice. I could keep pushing myself to maintain the training schedule, social media schedule, blog schedule, email schedule, and everything else I had planned...Or I could recognize that I was the one who needed a break.

So I chose the second option. And you may have noticed my social media has been a little quieter, there have been fewer blog posts, my emails have been a little slower.

That wasn't me giving up. That was me training smarter, not harder.

Sometimes the smartest training plan is "What do we actually need today?"

When Lucius came into our family, there were plenty of things I wanted to teach him. But there were also plenty of things he simply needed to learn by living life with us. So instead of filling our days with formal training sessions, I've been focusing on the skills that actually matter in our everyday life.

Creating calm around other dogs.

Learning how to share space with Belle; sharing a dog bed, water bowl, the car while we were camping, taking turns with toys...This ball goes to Belle, now it's Lucius' turn, back to Belle, back to Lucius. And then there are all those little life skills; "Wait." "Get back." "Leave it." Come with me.

These aren't always formal training sessions. They're simply opportunities to learn while we're already living our lives together. And right now, that's enough.

Lucius hasn't needed more training. He's needed more life.

Lucius has attended his puppy classes but outside of those classes, I'd estimate he's had only about three actual, planned training sessions. That's it! Everything else has happened in the moment; at home, at work, in the car, while camping and during our summer adventures.

And honestly, he's learning a lot.

He's learning how our household works.

He's learning how to share space.

He's learning that there are times to play and times to settle.

He's learning how to navigate new environments.

He's learning how to be part of our team.

And I'm learning, too. I'm learning that I don't have to turn every opportunity into a training session. Sometimes I can simply let him be a puppy. Sometimes we can play, explore. and sometimes we can rest. And sometimes something happens in everyday life that gives us the perfect opportunity to practice one tiny skill. That's still training!

This is what "train smarter" really means to me.

Training smarter doesn't mean squeezing more training into your day or finding one more exercise to practice. It doesn't mean constantly working toward the next milestone.

Sometimes training smarter means asking: What is actually necessary right now?

What does my dog need today?

What does our family need today?

What do I have the energy to do well?

What skills will make our lives easier?

And perhaps most importantly...Would taking a break help us come back stronger?

Because dogs aren't the only ones who need recovery time. The human at the other end of the leash needs it, too.

Your dog doesn't need you to be "on" all the time.

There will be weeks when you have plenty of energy, when life feels wonderfully predictable and when everything seems to happen at once.

Maybe you're traveling.

Maybe the weather has changed your routine.

Maybe work is overwhelming.

Maybe you're caring for family.

Maybe you're exhausted.

Maybe you simply need a little breathing room.

That's okay. You don't have to maintain the same training schedule every week. You can adjust, simplify and focus on the skills that matter most right now. And you can take a break. A break isn't lost progress, sometimes a break is part of the plan!

So here's my Train Smarter, Not Harder lesson for you this week: Know when to take a break.

Choose the things that truly matter. Practice them when the opportunity naturally appears. Let the rest wait.

And when you have the energy and space to do more, you can pick it back up.

For me, this month has been a reminder that some of the most meaningful training I've done with Lucius hasn't looked like training at all. It has looked like sharing a water bowl, taking turns, settling beside Belle, exploring a new environment and learning how to be part of our everyday life. And sometimes...It has looked like doing absolutely nothing and simply letting everyone rest.

That's not falling behind.

That's creating success together in a way that works for the life we're actually living.

So if life has been a little chaotic for you lately, consider this your permission slip:

🗝️Take the break.

🗝️Simplify the plan.

🗝️Focus on what matters.

And when you're ready... Start again.

Train smarter, not harder!

And remember, sometimes the smartest thing you can do for your dog is take care of the person at the other end of the leash, too.