Stay to play

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Here’s a fun game to play with your dog that will help teach her impulse control, develop a more solid stay and an enthusiastic release.

This exercise will help teach your dog what a release cue is and will build in anticipation for that cue. So be sure you know what word you’re using as a release, and stick with it!

Tug-N-Treat toy, available from Clean Run (see our Links page), helps teach your non-toy-motivated dog to lust after toys.

You can use a special toy, but if your dog isn’t crazy about toys, you can use a Tug-N-Treat toy, or even her favorite treats.

Tease the dog with the toy (or food) and ask her to sit.  Immediately release, CLICK, and then run with the toy. When the dog catches up, play (or feed). If you’re feeding, add plenty of praise; feeding should be more than merely dropping a piece of food into the dog’s always ready maw. Continue reading →

Motivating Your Dog

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There can be a large discrepancy between what you think is motivating for your dog and what your dog actually finds motivating. Sometimes, depending on circumstances or surroundings, motivators that have been top in the dog’s opinion become mundane and uninteresting. Thus, it’s very important that you know what drives your dog and that you have a variety of these things available when you train.

Use the list below to help make your own list of what your dog loves; you’ll probably have items that are not included in the list (tell us about them!). On the other hand, you may find some new ideas here! Think like your dog, and rank them in importance. Be sure to include at least 10 items in your list. Continue reading →

Agility Equipment for Home Use

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Weave Poles

… by Averill Ring

If your goal is to be successful in agility competition, it’s almost imperative to have the ability to train at home. Training once a week at the training center is definitely not enough for your dog to become proficient in weaves, for example – at least not within a reasonable length of time (reasonable for most people, that is).

I believe that all serious agility addicts need the following equipment, at a minimum:

Absolute:

“Yard training” your pup

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… by Cathy Hughes

There is a lot of confusion surrounding the house training process for our dogs. This is amazing to us since humans have been faced with this task for centuries…you’d think we’d get it right by now. Perhaps the confusion starts with the name–“house training.” From the numerous calls we get it seems that owners house train dogs quite well! That is to say, many dogs wait until they are safe inside the house before relieving themselves! This is not what the owner intended… what they were shooting for is a dog that is “yard trained.” Let’s look at a few simple rules that would apply to yard training an adult dog as well as a puppy. Continue reading →