Imperfect - just like us.

When I chat with dog owners about their training progress, I often hear the same phrase:

“They’re doing well, but... they’re not 100% yet.”

And I get it—many of us strive for perfect loose lead walking or flawless recall. We imagine a dog that never pulls, never fails to come back, never misses a cue. But here’s the truth:

🐾 Dogs aren’t robots. They’re sentient, emotional beings—just like us.

Let’s Talk About Progress

We’re often so focused on what’s not working that we miss all the great steps forward our dogs are already making.

Maybe your dog used to bolt toward every dog in sight, and now they can recall back to you while on a long line.Maybe you struggled just to leave the house for a walk without being dragged, and now you can enjoy a short loop around the block together.

💡 That’s real progress. That’s success.

But when we constantly chase perfection, it can steal the joy from what we’ve already achieved.

What If Dogs Were Held to Human Standards?

Let’s reflect on our own daily lives for a moment...

• Do we eat healthily 100% of the time?

• Do we go to the gym every single week without skipping?

• Do we make perfect decisions at work every single day?

• Do we resist every biscuit or chocolate offered to us?

  
  

No! We’re human. We’re flawed. And we’re allowed to be.

So why do we expect 100% perfection from our dogs?

Why Perfect Isn’t Always Possible

Expecting your dog to walk perfectly on a lead all the time means asking them to ignore:

• Every exciting smell

• Every dropped snack

• Every dog or person they’d like to greet

  
  

That’s hard—especially when they’re built to explore the world with their noses and curiosity. And think about it: our walking pace is much slower than a dog’s natural trot. No wonder they get frustrated!

And recall? We’re often asking our dogs to come away from:

• A squirrel

• A picnic sandwich in the bushes

• Their favourite dog friend

• A person calling them over

  
  

That’s a massive request. Even with great training, every dog has a threshold—a point where something is just too tempting. And that’s okay. That’s where observation, body language reading, and smart decision-making as an owner come in.

Training Isn’t a Straight Line

Some days your dog will smash it. Other days… not so much. Just like us, their focus, motivation, and energy can vary from day to day. That doesn’t mean you’re failing—it just means you’re working with a living, breathing learner.

So if your dog isn’t “100% yet,” give yourself (and them) a break.

🎯 Keep heading in the right direction. Be consistent. Celebrate the wins—big or small. And remember: it’s okay to be imperfect. Just like us.