Episode #197 Are You Focused on The Task, or The Outcome?

What if focusing on the journey rather than the destination could transform your puppy training experience? By shifting our focus from performance-based outcomes to task-oriented approaches, we can foster a growth mindset that encourages consistent learning and builds confidence in our dogs. By concentrating on the process, we create an environment that nurtures curiosity and builds a stronger bond with our dogs. 

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

This is the Puppy Training Podcast, episode 197. Are you focused on the task or the outcome? This podcast is designed to help you on your journey of becoming best friends through love and learning, as you train your own dog from home, and I'm here to help you every step of the way. This is the Puppy Training Podcast and I'm your host, amy Jensen. Hello you guys, thank you for listening. I've had a couple of clients reach out and let me know that they are from New Zealand. I had another reach out that they are from Australia. We have clients in the UK. We have clients all over the United States. It's just so fun to hear from you guys, see your photos of your puppies and get to know you. So thank you for listening. Thank you for being part of our program. We really enjoy working with you guys.

Speaker 1: 0:51

Today I want to talk about task based outcomes versus performance based outcomes. So I love psychology, I love studying the mind, the brain, how it works, and I'm fascinated with a dog's mind and how their brain works too. But today I've been thinking about or this past week I've been thinking about tasks based versus performance outcomes, largely because I have two daughters in high school soccer right now and it's the state playoffs. So we were focused on okay, are we more worried about winning and losing, or are we more worried about how we perform, like each little task that we're going to do to get there? So this pertains to dog training, believe it or not, and I always am trying to find the parallels. So let's dive into this today, because this can really help you with your mindset when it comes to puppy training. I think that it helps us have a growth mindset and, yeah, we'll get into all of the details. So, when it comes to training a puppy, again we have options. We can approach the process through task oriented or we can choose to go more performance based. Now, a performance based mindset is focused on achieving a specific result, right, or a standard, such as my puppy is going to sit perfectly when I ask them, or they're going to listen right away. In contrast, a task oriented mindset would emphasize more of the process, so those incremental little steps to get to the final outcome. So where the focus is now on the puppy learning and engaging in a task, even if the outcome is not perfect initially. So adopting a task oriented approach, I believe, has significant benefits for both you as the trainer and your puppy, leading to deeper learning, I would say reduced frustration for sure, and a stronger bond.

Speaker 1: 2:34

Now, benefits of task oriented outcomes. Let's talk about that first. What are the benefits? Why would we be interested in using task oriented outcomes? So, number one it encourages consistent learning and it builds confidence.

Speaker 1: 2:45

So a task oriented approach emphasizes again that learning process. We're focused on the steps to get somewhere rather than perfection. So puppies are still learning, obviously, and when they're young they're like human toddlers. So I like to make that correlation because often we're really good at picturing what a toddler does in a human world. Right, we understand that. And if you can say, oh, my puppy's actually in this phase of life right now, that will help you give them some grace for where they're at. So it's normal in this stage for them to make mistakes, to not get things right on the first try, to have to try and try again.

Speaker 1: 3:19

Now, when the goal is completing the task, the pressure on perfect performance is taken away. So if we're focused on these little step-by-steps, then there's not the end-all pressure that this dog needs to be perfect. So I think that's huge when you get a new dog, because sometimes people are like I just got to be perfect at training. I've got to be perfect at getting this dog to do exactly what I want it to do. No, let's. Let's focus more on tasks versus outcome. Okay, so this allows again our puppy to learn at its own pace. It's going to build confidence and curiosity in the training process, which we love. We want all of that Now.

Speaker 1: 3:52

In contrast, performance-based training can create some anxiety. Okay, it's going to create anxiousness in both the puppy and possibly you, particularly when the puppy doesn't meet our expectations. This definitely leads to frustration and even resistance to future training. Right? If we're frustrated or if we're doing power struggles with our puppies, it's no fun and nobody wants to participate long-term. So remember that now, with task oriented outcomes, again we're focused on small improvements which we can celebrate. I'm always saying celebrate the little wins, set your puppy up for success. Right, that's what I mean by that is, focus on the task, not the overall outcome, and celebrate those little wins.

Speaker 1: 4:30

The next benefit is it promotes a positive relationship and builds a bond between you and your dog. So training should foster a strong, trusting bond. That's what we start with in our program. When you come to our program, our first step is relationship Build a bond with your puppy. When you come to our program, our first step is relationship Build a bond with your puppy. A task-oriented mindset helps build this relationship because it centers on positive reinforcement, encouragement and lots of patience. Instead of us fixing every little mistake or expecting flawless execution by our dog, we can encourage our puppy to engage with the task, rewarding effort and progress. So again, we're looking for the little wins along the way. This mindset also helps us stay calm and more compassionate. The training experience, in my opinion, becomes way more enjoyable for both parties, which leads to positive association with learning new behaviors and our dogs. You can really see it they start to love to learn. They love training time Now. Over time. This nurtures the bond between the puppy and you, as our puppy feels safe and supported rather than pressured or scolded right Now.

Speaker 1: 5:32

Another benefit would be flexibility and adaptation. So in a task oriented mindset, we can adjust the learning approach as the puppy progresses, recognize each puppy is different. They're all unique. They have their own learning curve. Some may take longer to grasp certain behaviors while others pick them up really quickly. Being flexible in training methods, perhaps by breaking down a task into smaller steps we call that free shaping, or we do a lot of that in free shaping or trying different techniques allows our puppy to find out what works best and we can decide or also see and assess what works best and how best to move forward.

Speaker 1: 6:11

So it emphasizes the journey. That's important as the destination. We're not focused necessarily on the end all goal. We're focused on how are we going to get there which allows the puppy to succeed without being rushed, to meet this rigid standard, right, a high expectation that we have, which might not be realistic, by the way. Now, in contrast, a performance-based mindset often sets a fixed goal that may not account for the puppy's individual needs or space. If the puppy's not performing to that standard, then we both me and my puppy might feel like we're failing, which leads to discouragement. We often want to give up or just stop trying, and we don't want that. We don't want our puppy to give up or stop trying right.

Speaker 1: 6:49

So flexibility in a task-oriented approach ensures continued progress, even if it's slower than expected. I usually tell clients if you feel like you're going too slowly, you're probably doing it right. Think about that one for just a second, because I am a person also that likes quick outcomes. I like to get get in, get it done. Let's move on. Training dogs has taught me to slow down, be patient and trust the process. So some examples of task oriented outcomes.

Speaker 1: 7:19

Let's talk about what this looks like. What are some examples? Let's just, for example, talk about sit. A performance-based outcome might require that your puppy sits perfectly. Still, every time we give this cue. If the puppy does not sit immediately or they start to shift around or slump into a little down right, then the performance-based approach might view this as a failure. In contrast, a task-oriented outcome is focused on teaching the puppy to understand the basic concept of sitting. So if my puppy responds to the sit cue with some hesitation, or maybe the posture is not perfect, it's still progress. I view this with a success and then I can praise my puppy's effort, build confidence and reinforce the behavior. And then we just take little steps until we get to the end. All goal, okay.

Speaker 1: 8:04

Let's look at leash walking. Leash walking is something people get a dog and they think I need to walk my dog. Yes, that's a great way to exercise your dog, but recognize a new puppy does not have the skillset necessary to successfully walk with a loose leash around your city block. It will come, but not right away. Remember we have a toddler we're working with. Our puppy needs to learn the little building blocks, to work up to leash walking. So, with a performance-based mindset, the puppy might be expected to walk perfectly by my side with no pulling or distractions from day one. Any deviation could lead to frustration or corrective behavior, which we don't really want, potentially stressing the puppy. Now.

Speaker 1: 8:41

A task oriented approach would instead focus on incremental progress. So I'm more focused on the puppy learning to pay attention to me. And maybe that is inside my home in a quiet room, maybe that's in my backyard. That's private. You know we start with these smaller steps that I know where I can get attention from my puppy successfully. I'm setting my puppy up for success. They're getting wins. They're happy to start to do those exercises. It also might look like walking calmly for short periods again in and around my home. Maybe I start indoors where there's fewer distractions and this will also reduce pulling over time. So each small success is rewarded, allowing my puppy to adapt to leash walking gradually without the fear or stress of punishment for imperfection.

Speaker 1: 9:25

This is a huge one because I think we have high expectations for our puppy to be able to walk on a leash. And it comes. But it takes a lot of building blocks to get there. Sometimes we're not able or willing to put in the time and effort that it takes to get there. Uh, sometimes we're not able or willing to put in the time and effort that it takes to get a nice loose leash walk. I think task oriented training helps immensely with that.

Speaker 1: 9:43

All right, let's take a look at come, come when called, right Recall training. In performance based training, the expectation might be for the puppy to respond as soon as I say come right to the recall. I say come, they come right away. If the puppy hesitates or maybe looks at the bush for a little longer than I wanted, they become distracted by a bird. I might be frustrated interpreting this as my puppy failed. A task oriented approach would treat recall as a step by step process. So if the puppy comes partway, or they show a tentativeness to the cue, or they come after some encouragement, this is all rewarded Like that is a little win. That is a little win, that's a partial win.

Speaker 1: 10:22

Right Now the focus is on the puppy learning to associate coming when called with positive outcomes rather than responding with robotic precision. You'll hear me say it over and over again Dogs are not robots. They are living creatures with minds of their own. We want to motivate them to work with us. Okay, so how do we practice a task oriented mindset in training? To practice this, we have to shift our focus from the final result to the learning process. So here are a few things that you can try this week. Number one is set incremental goals Instead of expecting perfect results, immediately break that end all task into smaller steps and then celebrate those small wins, like the puppy paying attention, pay them, reward them for that right, or attempting to follow the cue that I've given Praise effort and improvement rather than waiting for perfection.

Speaker 1: 11:13

Okay. Next would be to use positive reinforcement. Reward your puppy for engaging with the task, even if the result isn't perfect. Whether it's food, verbal praise or petting, the positive reinforcement helps the puppy feel good and want to keep learning. Next, practice patience and flexibility. Flexibility is a word that I, too, am working on.

Speaker 1: 11:32

I understand that puppies learn at different paces and in different ways. We need to be patient, and if one approach doesn't work, then we try another. The goal is to help the puppy learn, not meet a high expectation right away. Finally, stay calm and encouraging. If I say come to my puppy and they take seven seconds to turn, look at me and come, I'm still excited about that. Right, if they take a minute and then they decide to come to me at any point, when they decide to come to me, I'm excited about that. We are celebrating that win. Training should be fun and positive for both me and my dog. By staying calm and avoiding frustration when the puppy makes mistakes, we can create an environment where learning can really blossom.

Speaker 1: 12:16

Task-oriented outcomes you guys in puppy training encourage consistent learning, deepens our bonds with our dogs and promotes a flexible, adaptive approach to training. We're focusing on the process rather than perfection, which makes training enjoyable. It reduces stress and fosters a healthy relationship between us and our dogs. So through incremental progress, positive reinforcement and patience, task oriented training ensures that puppies develop skills confidently and naturally and builds a beautiful foundation for a lifelong bond and effective communication. I highly recommend you give it a try this week. Just start to focus and think hmm, what am I focused on? Am I focused on the step-by-step process or is it all about the end-all goal? I challenge you to focus on the step-by-step and see how it goes for you. All right, you guys. Thanks for checking in and listening to the puppy training podcast this week. Have a great rest of your week and happy training. If you have a question about anything you heard on this podcast or any other puppy training question, visit my site, baxter and Bellacom, to contact me.