LET'S GET SPECIFIC: it's really important when we're training and developing behaviors that we are very clear and specific on where we are on the path (and your written training plan is the path). You should be able to describe what your "end goal" looks like, and it needs to include the relevant elements of distance, distraction and duration. For example, at the end of my beginning "manners" group class in the US we would describe our goal for "loose leash walking" as (after 5 weeks) being successfully able to walk in the correct position, without pulling, for an average DISTANCE of 30 steps in a highly distracting environment before needing another reward.
Do you see how we are tracking the DISTANCE and the DISTRACTION level as we progress? As well as the rate of reinforcement?
As a reminder, we work with the following aspects (also called "criteria") of behaviors, and not all behaviors have all of the aspects-- they are "the 3 D's" of distance, duration, and distraction level, and then depending on the behavior there may also be speed and intensity. For example, when training a dog to push a drawer shut, we would also look at intensity (how hard must he push for the drawer to move?). Speed is an aspect that we always shape last, once all the other elements are well ingrained.
Think of each of these criterion as a separate bar of difficulty. When we "raise the bar" on one (like, for example, distraction in the environment) we LOWER the expectation on the others. We don't ask the dog to work at the highest distance it can do in a lower-distraction area, we make the distance shorter. We shorten duration too. Once the dog is successful with those adjustments, we can slowly roll those two back up to where they were and now you've got a dog who can perform (for lack of a better work) at those higher distances and durations even in this now-higher distraction context.
Can you imagine trying to keep all THAT in your head without an explicit training plan? You need to have a plan (pssst-- I have given all of my students explicit plans). You need to keep a log (or at the very least, check off where you are on the written plan I've given you, and make notes in the margins... but I'd rather you kept a log.) If I were to ask you, about the sit-stay, where you are in your plan, the answer I don't want is "he knows this and he's usually pretty good but sometimes he doesn't listen" . What I want is "We've worked up to a 30-second duration in medium-low distraction areas with me at a distance of 15 feet, in sight." Your status report on the recall, or "come" behavior might be "We're working at a distance of 18 feet on a long line in moderately distracting environments".
If you're one of my students and you don't know where to get the training plans I mentioned above, contact me and I'll help you find them. It's a kindness to your dog to apply what we know works well to their training time with you. Your dog will thank you, and you'll be a much better trainer when you're constantly aware of these criteria and their impact on your dog's ability in each situation.