Training doesn't always go how we think

Our girl RuhRoh has a bad hip and to help slow degeneration we are adding a joint support medication that is given by injections at home.  To help make these shots go easier we are adding them to our cooperative care training. I am videoing to share.  

Our first session was going quite well, introducing the syringe and giving her an "opt in" (chin in hand) behavior.  She actually appeared to be "getting it" fairly quickly.  Then a few minutes into our session, this happened.

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RuhRoh was very clearly telling me she wanted to "opt out" of our session.  First, she looked away, an avoidance signal.  Then she yawned, which told me she was starting to stress over the training.  Then came appeasement, to tell me she was overwhelmed.  And finally a shake off, which allows a dog to 'reset'.  I respected her wishes and we ended the session.  

Why was she opting out?  Dogs, like people, sometimes need time to process.  She had absorbed a lot of information and needed time to process it.  When we went back to our training later she was all in.  

Training must go on the dog's schedule, not ours.  If frustration is too high, learning doesn't happen.  Sometimes ending a session early can help your dog learn faster. It's not a race.  And by listening to her, I reinforced her trust in me.