Setting Your Dog up for Success

How is your dog training going? It your dog succeeding in whatever you are teaching him? If not, perhaps you are doing too much too fast or using the wrong treats.

Setting Your Dog up for Success

REMEMBER, starting small and setting your dog up for success is the key to training. Start inside, where your dog will be completely focused on you. Once your dog has mastered the task, start adding in distractions. If you move up a step and your dog stops paying attention to you, either move back a step, try a different treat, or take a break. Five 3-5 minute sessions will be much more productive than one long session.

1. Start inside with no distractions. This way, your dog will only focus on you.
2. Move outside to the back yard, or the driveway.
3. Add it in during your walks.
4. Add it in at the dog park while off leash, or other highly populated areas.

Here is a chart with the varying places of training and what treats should be used at each time.

This is just a general chart. These can obviously adjust depending on your dog’s tastes.

Four Keys to Successful Training

1. Patience – Be patient with your dog. If you become frustrated, your dog will sense that and not understand your expectations. It’s best to train frequently for short periods of time and always end on a good note.
2. Set them up for success – You have to let your dog succeed in order for them to move ahead successfully. If you move your dog forward too quickly, you will never get to where you would like.
3. You are always training – Just because your training “session” has ended, keep rewarding your dog for offering you good behavior!
4. Consistency – Just like kids, it is important for dogs to have rules and boundaries. It is also important that ALL family members follow the rules and participate in the exercises. Consistency is the key to a well-mannered dog.

Some soft bought treats that are my favorite are Zukes. They come in 2 different sized packages, a variety of flavors, are made in North America, and are only 3 calories a treat! REMEMBER, you will be using A LOT of treats during training time so make sure to adjust your dog’s regular food intake so they don’t gain any unwanted weight.

What is your dog’s favorite treat? Let me know in the comments below!