You Don’t Need 30 Minutes—You Need 3 Good Ones

People ask me all the time,

“How long should I be training my dog each day?”

And I get it. It feels like there’s this pressure to set aside a big chunk of time, plan out a session, gather all your supplies, and make it a thing.

But here’s the truth: you don’t need a 30-minute session. You don’t even need 10.

What you need is a few intentional minutes—and a dog who’s actually able to focus and enjoy it.

Short Sessions Work Better (And Bagheera Agrees)

When I first started training my dog Bagheera—who, if you don’t know, is this intense Dutch Shepherd / English Lab mix—I had to learn this lesson the hard way.

Bags is smart. Like, really smart. And she learns fast—but she also burns out quick. If I try to push her through a long session, she gets bored, frustrated, or just starts throwing every behavior she knows at me like she’s spinning a slot machine.

So I learned to keep it short. Three minutes, maybe five, max. If we get a couple of clean reps, I call it. And you know what? She learns better that way. Faster, too.

You’re Always Training

Once you start thinking this way, it changes how you see your day.

You don’t have to set aside “training time” to work with your dog. You’re already interacting with them constantly—on walks, around the house, before meals, when you grab the leash.

Use those little moments.

With Bagheera, I’ll ask for a check-in before I unclip the leash. Or we’ll work on leash pressure while walking to the car. Or I’ll reinforce calm while she waits by the front door instead of spinning in circles.

That stuff adds up way more than one long formal session ever could.

Quality Over Quantity

One clean rep, with good timing and a solid reward, is worth ten messy, distracted ones.

So don’t think, “I need to train more.”
Think, “I want a couple solid reps.”

Your dog’s attention span is limited—especially if they’re young, new to training, or working around distractions. And pushing past that point doesn’t build better behavior. It just builds frustration.

Know When to Stop

Here’s my rule: if Bagheera stops taking food, gets a little too wild-eyed, or starts guessing wildly instead of thinking... we’re done.

That’s not failure. That’s feedback. She’s telling me her brain’s full—and it’s my job to listen.

I’d rather end a session after 90 seconds than push for 10 minutes and lose the progress we made.

Final Thoughts

So, how long should you train your dog each day?

As long as they’re engaged and having fun. And honestly? Sometimes all it takes is 3 good minutes.

It’s not about grinding out reps. It’s about creating little moments where you and your dog connect, communicate, and grow together.

That’s where the real learning happens.

And if Bagheera has taught me anything, it’s that training isn’t a marathon. It’s a conversation—one good moment at a time.