We have all done it, something we know so well all of a sudden is gone!!!! Where does it go? When will it come back? Names, pin numbers, phone numbers, addresses, honestly I have forgotten them all. Thank goodness it is usually very short term and eventually pops back into my brain.

Have you ever asked your dog to perform a task that you are sure they know and they look at you like they have absolutely no idea what you were asking. Well they probably don’t. I notice that my dogs always go through times when they are learning new behaviors that they seem to completely forget what we have been working so hard on. There is a shift from short term to long term memory during which they go blank.

Knowing something in the kitchen is not the same as knowing it in the living room. Dogs do not compartmentalize. In other words, what they know in the kitchen does not mean they will know it in the living room. Which is why I always tell people to train in as many places as possible.

When I get that blank look from my dogs, I will help them as much as I need to and as soon as I get what I want, I make a big fuss over them, release them and wait a day or so before trying again. Always try to be patient and help your dog work through these times, you will be rewarded with a happy dog that loves to interact with you and enjoys your training sessions.