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Fun Dog Training Ideas

 

During tough times, it's always best to spend them with our loved ones. In many cases this may be our best friend aka our dog. So why not spend this extra time training your dog? Here are a couple quick training ideas that may make your time-off a little easier to bear. 

 

dog handshake

How to teach your dog to shake hands or high-five:

Maybe you would like to teach your dog to do something fun, like shaking hands.  Below you will find some tips for how to train that behavior:

  1. Assuming your dog can sit, the first step is to get him into that position.
  2. Hold a treat in your hand and show him the treat.  
  3. Hold the treat in your hand next to the foot that you want him to raise. Try a few inches off the ground.
  4. If for some reason your dog stands up at any time during this procedure, place them back into a sit position and start over.
  5. If your dog lifts his paw even a little bit, reward him with the treat. Make sure he understands that you're happy with this behavior.  
  6. Most dogs will quickly start to bat at your hand to get the treat. This is great! Reward them for this behavior. Use words as "good" and give them their treat.
  7. Now that we have your dog lifting their paw, it's time to switch hands. Use your empty hand to place it near the leg you want them to raise and have the treat in your other hand. The minute your dog lifts their paw, reward them with your key word and give them a treat. 
  8. When he/she is reliably lifting his paw for the treat, add the word shake.  
  9. Over time you can phase out the treats so he/she only gets a treat intermittently once he/she is consistently doing the trick. 

husky puppy

Obedience Tip:
How to teach your dog not to jump on people

Please keep in mind everything a dog does is for attention. Attention, whether positive or negative, is their reward. So your dog likes to jump up on you or anyone that walks into the house. Here are a few tips to teach him/her to stop this behavior. Remember patience is the key to dog training. It takes repetition and consistency from everyone in your household to teach dogs new behaviors.

To teach your dog to stop jumping on people will take a bit of practice.

- Walk into your house calmly and greet your dog.

- The moment your dog jumps, walk away, close the door and repeat this process until he/she greets you without jumping.

- Once your dog reacts appropriately by resisting to jump, reward him/her by not leaving.