Train The Canine

1. Start in a Sterile Environment

If your dog is not listening to you in your house or yard where you can control the environment, expecting better behavior in a public place with distractions is setting yourself up for disappointment. Start with a few noises and distractions as possible and with simple commands, and work up to more challenging commands and slowly add in distractions.

2. Train in Short Bursts of 10 minutes

Much like kids, your dog wants training to be a combination of fun and challenge. The easiest way to keep your dog engaged is to keep training short--cut the party shortly before he is ready to leave so that he wants to come back! You can do several short sessions a day if you have time.

3. End on a Positive Note

If any of y'all have attempted a task--sports, baking, cooking, home repair, gardening-- y'all know how much better it is to stop while you are ahead--dogs are the same way. If you are practicing a command, and your dog is making progress, stop while it is going well, instead of both you and the dog getting frustrated and that is the memory he leaves the training session with.

I wish you good luck on your journey. May you and your pet thrive!