Episode 018 - Dog Training - The Thomas Edison Approach to Solving Training Problems

Season #1 September 30, 2025

Show Notes

Dog Training: The Thomas Edison Approach to Solving Training Problems

In this episode of the Maximum Fun Agility podcast, Lorrie Reynolds shares how the mindset of inventor Thomas Edison can help you become a more effective and confident dog trainer.

Thomas Edison famously said, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” That philosophy applies surprisingly well to dog training.

When a dog struggles to learn a behavior, it doesn’t necessarily mean the dog can’t learn it. Often it simply means the training approach needs to change.

This episode explores why experimentation and creativity are valuable tools when teaching new behaviors in dog agility and everyday training.

Topics Covered

dog training mindset, solving dog training problems, agility dog training methods, positive reinforcement dog training, experimenting with dog training techniques

In This Episode You’ll Learn

• Why failure in training is often just valuable feedback
• How experimentation can help dogs learn difficult skills
• Why balancing planning and flexibility improves training success
• How creative problem-solving can unlock progress in dog training
• Why maintaining a positive training environment builds confidence for both dog and handler

Episode Overview

Dog training rarely follows a perfectly predictable path. Even with careful planning, sometimes a dog struggles to understand a behavior using the method you originally chose.

In this episode, Lorrie explains how adopting the mindset of Thomas Edison can help trainers stay curious and flexible instead of frustrated when training doesn’t go as expected.

Edison believed that every unsuccessful attempt provided useful information. Instead of viewing setbacks as failures, he treated them as steps toward discovering what would eventually work.

The same philosophy can apply to dog training. If a dog isn’t responding well to a particular approach, experimenting with a different method may help unlock understanding.

Lorrie shares an example from her own agility training when she adjusted the way she practiced weave poles to improve her dog’s footwork. By slightly modifying the setup and encouraging speed, she helped her dog develop a more efficient movement pattern without creating confusion.

The key is to approach training thoughtfully, testing new ideas while maintaining your dog’s confidence and enjoyment of the game.

Key Training Concepts Mentioned

• problem-solving in dog training
• balancing training plans with experimentation
• encouraging creativity in training methods
• maintaining confidence and motivation during learning
• adapting training techniques for individual dogs

Key Takeaway

When a training method doesn’t work, it doesn’t mean you or your dog have failed. It simply means you’ve learned something new about what doesn’t work for that particular dog. By experimenting thoughtfully and keeping training fun, you can discover the approach that helps your dog succeed.

Resources Mentioned

Maximum Fun Dog Sports
https://www.maximumfundogs.com

The Agility Playground membership

Start your free 7-day trial here:
https://courses.maximumfundogs.com/2025-bb-tap1-7D

Improve Your Agility Training Skills

If you want structured training exercises that help build communication, confidence, and independence in your agility dog, check out The Agility Playground.

The membership includes lessons, coaching calls, and training strategies designed to help agility teams improve their teamwork and performance on course.

Start your free 7-day trial here:
https://courses.maximumfundogs.com/2025-bb-tap1-7D

Related Episodes

Episode 011 – Lower Your Training Criteria When Teaching New Skills
Episode 014 – Your Dog Determines the Reward
Episode 015 – Why Reward Placement Matters to Your Agility Dog

Additional Resources:

Website: https://www.maximumfundogs.com
Shop: https://courses.maximumfundogs.com/shop
Email: [email protected]
Articles: https://www.maximumfundogs.com/articles
The Agility Playground: https://courses.maximumfundogs.com/2025-bb-tap1-7D

Episode Transcript

Lorrie [00:00:08]:
What does Thomas Edison have to do with dog training? Approach dog training like the inventor Thomas Edison approached his life and have fun experimenting with new training methods when your dog is stuck. Welcome to the Maximum Fun Agility podcast. I'm Lorrie Reynolds, owner of Maximum Fun Dog Sports. We help both halves of an agility team build their relationships, communication, confidence, and fun in training so that they can joyfully succeed on any course. In this episode, I'll share why Thomas Edison's principles for innovation should be applied to dog training. Thomas Edison holds over a 1000 US patents for products that use electricity. People consider him one of the pioneers of modern research and development. According to the Edison Innovation Foundation, he operated on 4 simple principles.

Lorrie [00:01:03]:
1, never get discouraged if you fail. Learn from it. Keep trying. 2, learn with both your head and hands. 3, not everything of value in life comes from books. Experience the world. And 4, never stop learning. Read the entire panorama of literature.

Lorrie [00:01:25]:
One of his quotes in particular always makes me smile. It is related to the first principle and perfectly describes my philosophy about dog training. "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." While I hope that I don't have to try a full 10,000 methods to teach my dog something, that mindset can be liberating when it comes to looking at failure as information and experimenting with new training methods. There's a balance between planning and experimentation. I talk a lot about balance in dog training, not balanced methods. I believe in positive reinforcement for efficient learning.

Lorrie [00:02:07]:
However, you'll hear me discuss the balance between working at a distance on the agility course and working up close. The balance between a dog's obstacle focus versus handler focus, and finding a balance between training and allowing your dog to just be a dog when you're spending time together. There is also value in balancing your training approach between planning with methods that are known to be successful and experimenting when things aren't working the way you expect. Many of the training methods I use have come from trying something new with a dog who just wasn't getting it when taught the traditional way. It's evident by the weekly training planners and tracking spreadsheets I offer that I believe in planning before you train. A successful training session relies on knowing what you wanna teach, what the final behavior looks like, and how you are going to approach the training. Unfortunately, you know what happens to the best laid plans sometimes. They go awry, and we find one of the 10,000 ways that didn't work for a particular dog.

Lorrie [00:03:16]:
It's important to experiment while you're training. The most successful dog trainers can think outside the box for dogs who are not understanding the task with traditional methods. It's important not to let tradition stand in the way of progress. This is not a case of throwing spaghetti at the wall and seeing what sticks, but rather a considered approach that identifies new possibilities and their likelihood of success. That being said, messy action is better than no action at all. So don't be afraid of trying things even though they may not work as long as you are not causing your dog to lose confidence or become stressed. Your decision to try something new doesn't have to be a life changing, set in stone decision. You can try something, give it a short period of time to see if it is working, and abandon it if it doesn't, as long as you are keeping training fun for your dog.

Lorrie [00:04:15]:
Here's a real life example. I taught Onyx weaves using the 2-3-4 method. However, I wasn't happy with her footwork. She was either double stepping or crossing over, and she is big enough to single step. It's difficult for a dog to cross over if they are moving quickly. So rather than focusing specifically on footwork, I grabbed the channel weaves, opened them up a few inches, and encouraged speed. That helped her stop crossing over and start single stepping. Would I say the 2-3-4 method failed? Absolutely not.

Lorrie [00:04:50]:
She learned the weaves, had good entries, and was pretty consistent before I decided not to continue agility with her. Onyx does not have a lot of drive, so I had to think outside of that specific training method to solve the footwork problem. She didn't appear to be confused at all about weaving or to lose confidence in what she was doing. Adopt a dog training experimentation mindset within reason. Being willing to experiment with dog training relieves pressure on both the dog and yourself. Valuing progress over perfection means that you don't have to come up with the exact right thing to do every time you go play with your dog on a new skill. You can try something, and if it doesn't work, you know you have ruled out one of the 10,000 things that didn't work. Only 9,999 more to go before success!

Lorrie [00:05:44]:
The bottom line is that if your dog is struggling to learn something the traditional way, there is value in approaching a task in a new and different way. Experiment and try to think of a solution that will keep the game fun for both you and your dog. This week, think about a behavior you are struggling to teach or perfect and brainstorm about new ways to approach the problem, then write them down and try them out. Thanks for listening to this episode of the Maximum Fun Agility podcast. If you want to build a successful agility team where runs with your partner feel flowing and in sync, join us in The Agility Playground. The Agility Playground is a low cost membership that meets you where you are on your dog agility journey and helps you propel your team to new heights. You can check out The Agility Playground and join our community at www.maximumfundogs.com. See you next time.