Start small to go big.

Dog training and behavior modification is a big job with a ton of smaller moving parts, and often comes with a big expectations. There's usually a deep sense of urgency in play (due to the fact most wait until behaviors get so bad, so risky, and so intolerable before they invest in help), as well as a mindset that throwing money at a problem will make it go away and dog trainers are "fairy dog-mothers" (or fathers) with magic wands. There's an expectation for big results...without taking the smaller, necessary steps to reach them or any level of involvement.

Lasting behavioral change requires both involvement and starting small. Anything big is the direct result of a number of smaller choices and action steps. When we start small, we ...

: give both ends of the leash time to replace old habits with new ones,

: build confidence and momentum (and increase faith and motivation) with each small success... which also directly influences consistency,

: develops that ever-important patience muscle,

: learn and deepen understanding without overwhelm,

: have the space and opportunity to make mistakes along the way (which are also valuable!), and

: "stack progress" incrementally.

Whatever your "big" is, break it down into smaller, incremental, bite-sized steps, and - eventually- both you and your dog will be enjoying the ultimate fruits of your labor.