I made a BIG dog training mistake

I Made a BIG Dog Training Mistake 😬

So… I thought I was being clever. Thought I had it all figured out. My dog, Cooper, is a high-energy Labrador who never—never—stops moving. I decided it was time for some serious training. You know, structure, discipline, all that “good dog” stuff. What could go wrong?

Plenty, apparently.

I watched a few videos online about using a clicker and treats to reinforce good behavior. Easy enough, right? I got the clicker, stocked up on treats, and declared Day One of “Operation Perfect Pup.” My goal? Teach Cooper to sit, stay, and come when called. Simple commands.

Except… I may have overdone it with the clicker.

See, Cooper caught on fast. I’d say “sit,” he’d sit, I’d click, treat. “Good boy!” Then it became a game. He started sitting before I gave the command—then looking at me like, “Where’s my snack?” Cute at first. Until he realized that any trick—whether I asked for it or not—might earn him a treat. Within hours, I had a dog spinning, pawing, and sitting repeatedly like he was auditioning for a talent show.

Still manageable… until I dropped the clicker.

I bent down to pick it up and accidentally clicked it again. Cooper thought this was his cue to go next level. He bolted into the living room, jumped on the couch, spun in a circle, rang the bell we use for potty breaks, and then came sprinting back to me, expecting a treat. I stood there stunned. This dog had trained me.

That’s when it hit me—I’d taught Cooper that any sound from that clicker meant a reward, not just correct responses. Worse, I’d been handing out treats like Halloween candy. I had created a snack-fueled performance machine, not a well-trained dog.

I had to reset everything. I hid the clicker, switched to verbal cues, and took a week off from trick training. It was rough. Cooper stared at me like I had betrayed him. But we got through it.

Lesson learned: Training is about consistency, timing, and not letting your dog outsmart you. Cooper may not be perfect, but now we both know who’s actually leading the sessions.

Well… most of the time.