10,000 hours and why it’s so hard to own a dog

A few years ago, I discovered that there is a theory that when you have spent 10,000 hours doing something, you might become absolutely brilliant at it. As if you are ‘naturally gifted’. The theory is just a theory, but I think the key is that becoming good at something takes a long time. So how long does it take to do 10,000 hours? And what does that mean for someone owning a dog? Let’s break it down:

• 40 hours a week for 5 years = 10,000 hours
• 10 hours a week for 20 years = 10,000 hours
• 2 hours a week for 100 years = 10,000 hours

Learning a new skill or hobby

When you take up a new hobby, the learning process can be really painful. It feels as though you will never get to grips with it. Slowly though, you improve. And the more you practice, the quicker you improve. Until you can do it without thinking!

When you get your first dog, you have to go through the painful learning process, just as with any new activity. You might have grown up around dogs, so have some awareness of what is involved, but you will rarely have had responsibility for the dog. Owning a dog is another whole experience, isn’t it? It takes a loooooong time to really understand your dog and what makes them tick. Around 10,000 hours in fact!

Of course it should be easy to accumlate that experience, shouldn’t it? After all, a dog is alive for 10-15 years, on average. You own them all the time, so that’s 16 hours a day, 7 days a week, around 5,840 hours a year. Expert in 3-4 years, surely?

Actually ‘owning’ your dog

Unfortunately, it’s not that easy. Owning a dog is not just about them belonging to you. You have to be engaging with the dog in some way. This includes:

• Feeding your dog
• Walking your dog
• Grooming your dog
• Training your dog
• Playing with your dog

These are the kinds of activities that will help you really understand your dog. Try completing the questionnaires I wrote as part of my book – A Year with Your Puppy. This reviews where you have got to after 6 months and again at the end of the first year with your puppy. How well do you really know them?

I have done 10,000 hours with my dogs

I grew up with dogs, but I don’t count that – it was background experience, nothing more. The first dog I had was already 8 years old when I took her on from my mum. I didn’t do that much with her, if I’m honest. My first puppy was Buzz and I did take him to classes for a bit, but he was mainly a family pet.

The first dog I really owned was Sunny, in 2006. She was my ‘dog of a lifetime’ and changed everything for me. I owned her positively, making sure I trained her and did things with her. After that, I began breeding and that’s when my experiences really began. I reckon I am now an expert.

Each dog is different

I have owned 10 Border Collies, each with different personalities and challenges. So each dog counts towards my total, quite apart from the fact that I’ve owned dogs for over 30 years. I currently take three different dogs to training classes, and I spend time with each dog playing and training them throughout the week. I would say my weekly total of ‘owning’ a dog is therefore around 15-20 hours a week. That makes me an expert.

Being an ‘expert dog owner’ means that I understand my dogs. I can sense their moods. I know when something is bothering them. It means that when someone is coming up behind me on a walk, one glance at my dogs is enough to tell me the person is there.

What does it all mean for you?

Owning a dog is difficult. What do they need? What do they want? How do you become a ‘Brilliant Dog Owner‘? My advice is to start by understanding that you don’t know much. See my post about ‘Getting the Perfect Dog‘.

Read my book – A Year With Your Puppy, either free on this website or in the handbook you can buy online. Track your progress.

Make sure you find a good dog trainer. Ask around for recommendations. I am very fortunate to have two brilliant trainers now – Emma Conlisk teaches us scentwork and Kate Lamcraft teaches us agility. They are both ex school teachers and I can promise you they have done their 10,000 hours of teaching, owning dogs and teaching owners of dogs!

Good luck!

Buy the Workbook

The Workbook – A Year With Your Puppy is available to buy. This book is a hands-on, interactive book for you. It will help you survive the first year with your puppy, but also act as a memento of that time and the journey you have been on. You can write notes and stick in pictures of your puppy throughout the year. Lovely! Find out lots more by looking at the Contents page.

Remember..

 Please CONTACT ME if you want to know more about me and my dogs?  And feel free to COMMENT if you want to tell me what you think. 

If you are looking for a Border Collie puppy, please visit the Champdogs website? Don’t ask me for help, I can’t do anything more.

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