Last year, Sit Pretty set a goal to publish 12 blogs, one each month. It mostly went well, but it was hard because writing regularly wasn’t yet part of our routine. We took turns writing, and I think we all genuinely enjoyed the process, but it was just hard to remember to do consistently. You might call this a work resolution we made together, and for the most part, we stuck to it. I won’t tell you what our blog plan is for this year, but I’m hoping this post reaches you in January.

Why Daily Dog Training Resolutions Are Hard

When it comes to personal dog training resolutions, I have, on occasion, resolved to train my dogs every day. I’ve participated in video review groups and accountability groups. I’ve even created training challenges in some of Sit Pretty’s Facebook groups to help clients commit to daily training.

When I give private clients homework, I often tell them I understand when daily training doesn’t happen. Life is busy. Instead, I encourage people to train when they’re already thinking about their dog. Grab a few treats right before feeding time. Your dog is hungry, engaged, and you’re already doing dog-related tasks. Short, daily training sessions are often far more realistic than long ones.

Supporting Consistency Through Structure

To support these ideas, I’ve sent clients home with training calendars where they can check off completed skills. In our online reactivity training group, we assign weekly homework to go along with lessons, helping people stay accountable. I often give a range, either a target number of repetitions or a minimum and maximum amount of time to train a skill. Our goal is consistency, not perfection.

How Habits Actually Stick

So how do I commit to personal goals? I make New Year’s resolutions for myself. Last year, I resolved to read 25 books. I ended up reading 112. The year before, I made a similar resolution and flew through it.

The difference? Reading is already a habit. I read on my Kindle every night before bed, sometimes for hours. I don’t have to think about it. The behavior is already built into my routine.

This brings me to Atomic Habits by James Clear. When it was published, it was everywhere, and I read it shortly after it came out. One of Clear’s key strategies for building habits is tying a new behavior to something you already do daily. He also emphasizes clearly defining when and where the new habit will happen.

Microdosing Training: A Realistic Approach

In mid-January, I caught myself thinking, I should resolve to train Gideon every day. But it was already mid-January, not exactly ideal timing for a brand-new resolution. Instead of abandoning the idea, I tried something different. I decided to “microdose” training.

What is microdosing training? The name started as a joke, but the concept stuck. Gideon responds best to just a few repetitions of any behavior. I tend to be a marathon trainer, working dogs for 30 or more minutes at a time. Gideon is not that learner. After a few rewards, he’s ready to move on, and if I push too long, he starts to think he’s doing something wrong.

So I limited myself to two treats, broken into small pieces.

Here is the habit I wanted to build:

I will microdose training immediately after Jojo and Gideon’s final potty break before bed.

Why This Works

This habit was easy to attach to my routine. On the way back inside, I already pass our training space, and I typically give the dogs a pre-bedtime treat at the door. Instead, I bring two treats into the training space and break them up while training.

That gives me about 10-15 repetitions of one skill. It takes an extra one to two minutes. For my adolescent dog, this is perfect. He stays engaged, builds skills over time, and I stay consistent.

It’s only been about two weeks, but I’ve remembered every night and started teaching Gideon a new behavior. I even suggested this approach to a client recently, and I’m curious to see how it works for them.

Forget the Resolution, Build the Habit

There’s no need to create a New Year’s resolution, especially now that it’s almost February. But can you build a small, realistic training habit with your dog?

I promise, even in micro doses, it will enrich both of your lives.