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Tired Dog? Why Training Games Beat Long Walks | 2-Minute Trainer

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The Cardio-Monster Trap: Why Your Dog Isn’t Tired

We’ve all heard the old saw: “A tired dog is a good dog.” But you may be surprised to find that the fastest way to achieve “tired” isn’t long walks or endless games of fetch—it’s training games.

When you think about it, it’s perfectly logical. If you always take your dog for jumbo walks to tire them out, you aren’t actually calming them; you’re building an incredibly fit canine athlete. While you’re ready to crash on the couch after three miles, your dog is riding a wave of fresh endorphins and peak conditioning. To tire them out tomorrow, you’ll have to go four miles. Then five. Unless your goal is to raise a cardio-monster that can outrun a marathoner, it’s time to get off the hamster wheel.

If you want a calm, contented companion, it’s time to work the brain as well as the body.

Train Smarter, Not Harder

Remember how exhausted you felt after final exams in school? You weren’t running laps, but your brain was “fried.”

Think of dog training games as the canine equivalent of a daily pop quiz. Playing a single training game for just two to five minutes is the mental equivalent of a half-hour of fetch. Because these games are so intense, dogs actually need “down time” afterward to process what they’ve learned and recuperate.

Know the “I’m Done” Signals

Especially when teaching a new game, you can almost see the steam rising from your dog’s head. It’s an intense experience! It is vital to notice the body language signals your dog gives when a session becomes “too much.”

Watch for these signs of mental fatigue or stress:

Disengaging: Walking away or sniffing the ground.
Displacement Scratching: Scratching that isn’t an itch; it’s a “brain break.”
Panting: Heavy breathing when it’s not actually hot.
Yawning: Even if they aren’t bored or sleepy.

If you see these, your dog might be confused or worried about getting things “wrong.” Don’t give up! Try a quick “reset” by moving a few steps away and offering some encouragement: “You can do it! Let’s try it again!” If they still aren’t having it, end the session. There’s always another opportunity to play.

The 2-Minute Drill: “Sniff It Out”

You can test the impact of mental work right now with a quick version of Sniff It Out:

Prep: Put a tiny dab of peanut butter on a plastic lid (prepare 3 or 4 lids).
The Hook: Give your dog a quick whiff of the scent so they know the target.
The Hunt: Hide the lids around the room and let them loose. (In the photo, you see Booker sniffing for those peanut butter lids.)
The Assist: Walk slowly around the perimeter to encourage your dog to check every nook and cranny.

Being an ace scent-finder is hard work! After finding those few treats, don’t be surprised if your dog heads straight for a nap. You’ve achieved tired with a fun training game.

The Best of Both Worlds

Physical fitness is important for a long, healthy life. But when you work their brains as well as their bodies, you get the best of all worlds: a fit dog who actually knows how to relax.

“Carry It!” — Turning a Cute Trick Into a Dog Life Skill

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Is there anything cuter than a little dog carrying a little bag? How about a little dog named “Doc” with a signature doctor’s bag? This little guy belongs to a friend of ours who started the dog training game “carry it” as soon as they step foot in her house. Her long-term goal isn’t going viral—it’s Obedience competition. If they achieve a bit of notoriety before they’re ready to earn those titles, it’s a little bit of serendipity. Not to mention bringing a smile to everyone who sees it.

Breaking Down “Carry It!”

There are lots of parts to this game, and all of them deserve attention. If you try to skip steps, you’re building on a slippery foundation. If the dog “loses his place” in the middle but knows all the parts, they can pick up where they left off.

The 5 parts of “Carry It!”:

Pick It Up
Hold It
Move With It
Go To A Target
Drop It

None of these parts is alien to your dog; they do them all the time. The difference is doing it when asked, with the object you choose, and taking it to the target you select. You can think of it as turning “Fetch!” into “Put Your Toys Away.”

Part 1: The “Secret Weapon” (Pick It Up)

You can use whatever object you like, as long as your dog is physically able to pick it up. In our classes, we actually use a clean, empty tuna fish can.

While it’s easier to get a dog to pick up a toy, the point of the game is for them to pick up the object you ask them to, even if they don’t care about it. As far as we know, no dog cares about an empty can. Using a low-value object also makes it much easier to get the dog to let go of it later.

The Method: Put your tuna can on the floor and stare at it.
The Reward: Reward any interaction your dog displays—looking at it, sniffing it, or pawing it.
Pro Tip: Reward three or four times near the object, but don’t drop treats in the can.

Note: This step may take more than one two-minute session. That’s okay. Once they catch on, you’ll be able to get them to pick up anything, anywhere.

Parts 2 & 3: Hold It and Move With It

Motion on your part will trigger motion from your dog. As soon as the dog picks up the object, start moving in the direction of your target container.

The “Oopsy” Factor: Most dogs will drop the object as they follow you. If they do, stop and stare at the object again.
Encouragement: If they don’t seem to understand, use your voice: “You forgot something!” or “Oopsy, you dropped it!”
The Win: You’ll know they have this down when they keep hold of the object while taking a step or two toward you.

Parts 4 & 5: The Target and The Drop

Keep the target container very close when you’re introducing the game. You can increase the distance as your dog gains confidence.

The “Smelly Treat” Trick: If you have trouble getting the dog to let go, have an especially delicious, smelly treat handy.
The Delivery: Hold the treat directly over the container. When your dog reaches for the treat, their mouth will open, and the object should fall right into the box.

Use All Your Tools

This game uses lots of different aspects of training: persistence, initiative, and modeling. If you’re ever stuck, try to “rephrase” the question. If your dog isn’t being creative, show them how to do it. Let them mimic your actions.

When Hope was teaching her dog Teddy the Ring Stacking game, he just wasn’t catching on. Until, out of a bit of frustration, she picked up a ring, told him “Do it like this!”, and put the ring on the cone herself. Darned if he didn’t do just that on the next try.

Don’t give up on your dog, ever. Just come at the issue from a different angle. You never know what will click into place until it does just that.

The “Sight Seeing” Game: Quieting Your Barking Dog

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We recently lost a student because we couldn’t solve his number one dog issue, barking, within two lessons.

Guess what? We can’t do that for you and your dog either.

Barking is a behavior that’s hard-wired into dogs. If your dog’s a vocalist, changing that is going to take time, effort, patience, and consistency. It can be done. But it’s a long-term goal, not an instant fix.

There are fast fixes. All of them are cruel. You can have your dog surgically “de-barked.” That involves removal of their vocal cords. They still have all the behavior. The sound is just muffled. The other “fix” usually uses a shock collar. Every time the dog barks, they get an electrical shock. If you’re willing to do that to someone you love, we don’t need you here.

The Instinct Behind the Noise

You already know how hard it is to break a habit. Barking isn’t just a habit, it’s an instinct.

Humans have instincts, too. In a mild scenario, think of someone tapping you on your right shoulder when they come up behind you to your left. You immediately turned to your right, where you felt the touch. You both laughed about it, realizing it’s a mild tease. You can control which way you look, but your first instinct is toward the touch. You’d have to actively think about turning the other way. If you’re expecting the same person, you’ll probably override your instinct. But it’s not automatic.

Barking isn’t a choice; it’s an instinct. Think of it as a low-level alert system that translates to:

“I see you!”
“Stranger Danger!”
“I’m scared!”

If you yell, you’re just barking back. If you ignore it, they’ll bark louder to make sure you heard the “threat.”

Dogs who startle easily, or who are more shy, tend to bark more. They’re telling the world to keep its distance until they know everything’s okay. The more dogs know, the bolder they become. Playing any training game goes a long way to instilling that confidence.

How to play “Sight Seeing”

Playing the “Sight Seeing” training game requires a little preparation and a little more time commitment than usual. You don’t put in much time in a solid chunk. But you have to be available for a few moments at a time for a longer period. Think about a time when you’re home, but not committed to meetings, calls, or household chores.

If you’re like most barky-dog owners, you restrict access to the areas where your dog can see outside and start barking. While you’re playing “Sight Seeing,” you restore access and be ready to move. You don’t need any treats or training tools for the game. Just some time you can afford to be constantly interrupted.

So open the drapes, or pull up the blinds, or, as in one student’s case, take the cardboard off the windows. Then go about your business. You can leave the room, but you must be able to hear your dog, so don’t go far.

As soon as your dog barks at something, come back into the room quickly but calmly and get next to your dog. Ask something like “What? What is it? Is the bogeyman coming?”

Look carefully in all directions out the window. If you see something, say dismissively, “Oh, it’s just the neighbor taking out the trash (or whatever you see).” And go back to what you were doing. If you don’t see anything, look around again and say something like “What? I don’t see anything.” And go back to what you were doing.

Sharing the Attitude

By exhibiting excitement when your dog barks, you’re letting them know you trust them and believe their excitement has a reason. When you let them know there’s nothing to be excited about, they’ll take their cue from your indifference and calm down.

You’re modeling the attitude you want your dog to adopt. If you yell at them for barking you’re telling them that excitement is okay. Dogs don’t understand that stream of words you’re yelling. They just know you’re participating in a mutually loud conversation.

If you ignore the barking, your dog will think you don’t appreciate the urgency of the situation and they’ll probably escalate.

Your goal is to show your dog, in a way they’ll understand, that being the neighborhood watch can be a quiet activity.

Set Limits You Can Live With

Most people can endure about five or ten minutes of this game. Like all training games, it’s best when it’s short and intense. When you’ve had your fill of rushing back and forth, just close the blinds and try again another day.

This behavior modeling takes some time for dogs to absorb. If you want to let the sunshine in, you have a couple of choices. Play Sight Seeing until your dog gets the lesson. Or get blinds that open from the top instead of the bottom of the window.

⏱️ The 2-Minute Recap: The “Sight Seeing” Game

The Goal: Show your dog that you’ve heard their alert and that you’ve got the situation under control.

Preparation: Open the blinds or drapes in a high-traffic area. Go about your normal business nearby.
The Trigger: As soon as your dog barks, move quickly (but calmly) to their side.
The Investigation: Look out the window with them. Use a curious, low-energy tone: “What is it? What do you see?”
The Dismissal: Identify the “threat” and dismiss it with indifference: “Oh, it’s just the neighbor. No big deal.”
The Exit: Walk away and return to your task immediately. Do not linger or scold.
The Limit: Play for 5–10 minutes at a time. When you’ve had enough, close the blinds to “end” the game and give your dog a break.

Pro Tip: If you want the light without the barking, look into top-down/bottom-up blinds. They let the sunshine in while keeping the “neighborhood watch” triggers out of sight!

Stop Playing Detective: Why Your Dog’s “Why” Doesn’t Matter

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You can’t look in your own ear. It’s impossible to go faster than the speed of light. And you’ll never know “why” your dog acts the way they do.

Say your dog is afraid of men wearing hats. Especially if it’s a rescue dog with an unknown history, people might assume the dog was abused by a man who wore a hat. Maybe. But you’ll never know. And it doesn’t matter.

Addressing the dog issue

There are three ways to cope with whatever issue your dog may have.

You can ignore it. If it doesn’t matter to you that your dog pulls like a tugboat, it’s nobody else’s business. Your dog, your house, your rules.

If the problem is a minor annoyance, but not worth a lot of effort, you can manage it. We know someone whose dog always emptied the bathroom wastebasket. She managed the issue by keeping that wastebasket empty. It was a little disconcerting the first time she dashed in to empty it as soon as we vacated the room. That was how she handled the situation. We stopped using that wastebasket, too.

The third, best, most long-lasting, and most difficult way to cope with dog issues is by training them away. If it’s important to you, it’s worth it. If, like us, you live where everyone wears hats all winter, you don’t want your dog freaking out every time you go out all season long.

Familiarity breeds disinterest

Since we don’t know why the dog does what they do, you have to treat the symptom without looking for the cause. That doesn’t mean it can’t be cured. It just means the process may involve some trial and error.

If our friend had wanted to fix her dog’s basket-emptying obsession, the first step is to figure out if it’s the “what” or the “where.” If the dog ignores the wastebasket when it’s in another room, it’s the where. If the basket is equally interesting in the living room, it’s the “what.”

For the where, you take your dog in the bathroom and play “Get it / Leave it.” For the what, play the game in the living room with the basket nearby. You can add on to the game by dropping something in the basket when you say “Leave It!”

Once your dog knows the game and how to “Leave it!,” the problem will dissipate. It won’t be interesting any more.

Cultivate boredom

Your reaction to your dog’s naughty behavior is a major factor in whether it happens again. If you, like our friend, react immediately, the dog figures it’s a fun game that gets your attention. If you ignore the tissue on the floor and leave the vicinity, the dog fails in the bid for attention.

It may result, in the short term, with your dog eating some tissue. Unless it’s an excessive amount, figure “this, too, shall pass.” (Empty the basket when the dog isn’t around.)
You’ll never know the “why.” It’s very human to look for cause when there’s an effect. It’s why puzzles are big business and mysteries are popular. But your dog will never be able to tell you “why.”

Save Your Dog (and Your Nose): Why the Recall is the Only Command That Truly Matters

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“Come!” is absolutely crucial

When you call your dog to “Come!” on cue, it isn’t just a good idea. It can save your dog’s life. It can also save your nose.

From the memory files:

Case #1: A friend unexpectedly knocked on our door. We corralled most of the dogs, but Booker (who’s special in a not-so-good way) slipped out and was headed for the street. As he was bouncing back and forth, clearly in play mode, a car was approaching. We couldn’t panic, but we had to get him back to safety. Against every human instinct, Hope ran, fast as she could, away from Booker, calling his name. As dogs reliably will, he chased her right into our fenced yard.

Case #2: Hope had Razzmatazz out for last-outing-before-bedtime. As they reached the backyard, Hope spotted a skunk in the yard. First instinct? Panic! Thinking mode: Yelled “Come!” and started running back to the door. Snagged Razzy as soon as he got close enough and the tomato-juice supply went untapped.

Rule of the Recall

In dog training, the “Come!” command is called the Recall, so that’s what we’ll use. There are two kinds of Recall; the Chase Recall and the Stationary Recall.

The one absolute rule, regardless of which you’re using, is Never Call Your Dog To You For Anything They Don’t Like.

If your dog hates getting a bath, never call them into the bathroom for a bath. Go get them. Lead them in.

It’s a trust thing. If you only ever call your dog for happy, fun things (training games, meals, walks), they’ll know good things await. If they can’t rely on that being true, they have no reason to do what you want.

Start With the Chase

Dogs are hard-wired to notice and pursue motion. It’s why a bunny in motion attracts their attention. A bunny frozen in place (instinct on display) will probably not be noticed. It’s why Hope ran away from Booker when he slipped out of the house.

To play the Chase Recall game, put your dog in a Sit/Stay. If your dog doesn’t have a reliable Stay!, have someone hold the dog. (Check out this article for getting an unbreakable Stay!) Turn your back and walk away. When you’re about half-way to the other side of the room or yard, break into a run and yell your dog’s name. When they catch up to you, celebrate and reward heavily. This is a great opportunity to use a tug toy as a reward. It reinforces the fun of coming to you.

For an extra measure of security, when your dog reaches you, grab onto their collar or harness and immediately release it. (Simon is playing the Collar Grab game with Fran in the photo.) This teaches the dog that it’s not a big deal. And lays the foundation of getting hold of them when you really need to. Like when there’s a skunk loose in your yard.

Stationary Recall

When your dog is reliably coming at speed, try the Stationary Recall. Put your dog in a Sit / Stay and confidently walk away. With your back to the dog. If you’re hesitant, walking backwards, or keep repeating, it tells your dog you don’t really mean it.

When you get a few feet away, turn around and call your dog. The more enthusiastic you sound, the faster your dog will run to you. When they get close, tell them to “Sit!” This builds the habit of politely greeting people. When they do, celebrate with treat rewards or a game of tug.

Always Be Happy They “Come!”

Just like you’ll never call your dog for unpleasant things, always be happy when they arrive. If you call your dog 99 times and they don’t come, but they do on the 100th attempt, you still celebrate. It’s a complete command-killer to greet them with “Where were you?” Even if you’re a bit frustrated, put it aside and celebrate the little win. You’ll know the cue needs more practice. Make a mental note and put it aside. Play with your good dog.

Dog Training Game: Sniff It Out

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There are lots of dog sports that encourage dogs to use their superior sniffing abilities: Tracking, Barn Hunt, Scent Work, etc. Dogs’ amazing noses are also used for law enforcement, customs, even disease detection.

Whether or not you have any ambitions to try your luck with any of these dog sports, you and your dog can still have fun with at-home versions of sniffing games. It’s also a great way to expend some doggy energy when the weather isn’t cooperating outside.

The “Sniff It Out!” game feels like cheating. There’s almost no training involved. Most dogs catch on quickly. Then the challenge becomes resisting your dog’s begging to play it again.

How it works

The first step for “Sniff It Out!” is deciding what scent your dog will be searching for. Any stinky thing is fine, as long as it’s not a normal part of your dog’s environment. For the Scent Work dog sport, the essential oils they use are Anise, Birch, Clove, and Cypress. You can use whatever you have around the house, as long as you know it’s not toxic for dogs. Don’t use artificial scents of any kind. You don’t know what chemicals are used in their manufacture, and you don’t know how your dog will react if they get a snootful.

When we first started playing this with our dogs, we had some nutmeg, lemon, and cinnamon essential oils around. We used an ordinary cotton round, put a couple of drops of scent on it, let the dog sniff it, asked someone else to hide it, and let the dog “Go Sniff!”

At first, confine the “hunt” to a single room, with limited distractions. When introducing the game, leave the scent object out in plain sight. As soon as the dog goes over to sniff it, praise (or click) and reward. Do it again, each time moving the scent object a bit farther away and less visible.

You’ll be able to tell when your dog connects the dots and starts using their nose. They may pick their head up, look around while sniffing, and move back and forth across the area to zero in on the scent. Try not to look at the scent object or stand right next to it. Let the dog “find it!”

Variations on a theme

We have a particular area of the basement where we play training games. To challenge the dogs in this limited space, we scatter all kinds of objects around – bins, bowls, cones, broad jump boards. You can place the scent object inside things, under things, higher than the dog’s nose. Dogs’ scenting ability is up to the task, wherever you hide it.

If you’re concerned that your dog may grab the cotton round and eat it, you can use real food and put it in a bowl or dish for your dog to find. It’s a simpler version of the game that Booker, Fran’s 13-year-old Boston Terrier loves. Fran puts a dab of peanut butter on a target (a plastic lid) and uses that as his scent object. (In the photo, Booker’s target is under the cone that he’s pawing.) He’s so enthusiastic about playing “Sniff It Out!” that Fran has to take him someplace where he can’t see Hope hide the target. Booker would “cheat” if we let him.

Keep it fresh

Booker loves “Sniff It Out!” and would play it all day, every day if he could. As your dog grows more confident in the rules of the game, expand the search area to different rooms, levels, and scents. When you start the game, be sure to introduce your dog to the odor you’re using so they know what they’re looking for.

Letting your dog use their instincts, ability, and brain for “Sniff It Out!” is a triple win. It’s also a game you can play with your dog when winter weather keeps you trapped indoors.

Saboteurs Can’t Ruin Your Dog

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A post this week on one of our obedience/rally groups had someone ranting that their family was undermining their dog training. She constantly told her family members how she wanted to train her dog, showed them what to do, explained how to do it. And yet they refuse to comply with her wishes. Are you afraid that your family will undermine your dog training?

It’s actually pretty common. Playing training games with your dog is important to you, but may not have the same value for other people around you.

That may frustrate you no end. But, in the words of a song, you have to let it go.

It doesn’t matter

That’s easier than you might think for one important reason. Every person in your household has a different relationship with your dog. And there is nothing they can say, do, or try that can change that.

Dogs always have the closest relationship with the person who trains them. We’ve even heard from long-time dog owners who marvel at the difference between their previous pets and their current training partner. Training changes everything.

Stay ahead of sabotage

It is possible for other people to “poison” the cues you’ve used for your dog. “Stay!” is one of the most difficult behaviors. If other people don’t stick to your “Stay!” criteria, it may become compromised.

Fortunately, It’s easy to fix with a work-around. Let the other people continue to use “Stay!” and get sloppy performance. You switch cues and never say “Stay!” again.

If you’ve used “Stay!” forever, it will take a conscious effort on your part to switch it to something like “Park it!” The other people certainly won’t make the attempt, so leave the word “Stay!” for them.

You start back at the beginning, using the cue “Park it!” (or whatever word you like). Stick to your criteria. And don’t tell the other people your new cue. They may hear it but we’re pretty sure they won’t give it much thought or bother switching.

Between You and Your Dog

No one can sabotage your training. One notable example for us was a couple with a challenging Chow Chow mix. The woman was on board with training and really enjoyed playing the games with her dog. The man was resistant and did not.

Since the dog adored the man, her behavior deteriorated when he was around. He doesn’t expect much from her and that’s what he gets. Not much.

The woman, on the other hand, saw how her dog loved playing training games and how she blossomed with training. Next week they’ll be attempting to qualify for their first Novice Rally leg.

Secret Language

You may have heard that twins often develop a secret language only the two of them know. You can do the same thing with your dog, your training partner. No one can undermine your dog training or your relationship with your dog. You don’t have to worry about the saboteurs.

Dog Training Game- 4 On The Floor

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Dogs always do what’s most rewarding for them. Our “job” as dog owners is to make what we want the most rewarding option.

One of the most common rude dog behaviors is jumping on people. For dogs, it gets them exactly what they want: attention. Dogs don’t really care if that attention is yelling at them, or batting at their feet, or even shoving their chest. For your dog, who loves you, any attention you pay to them is wonderful. That’s unconditional love.

Change is hard

To get your dog to stop the behavior, you have to make something else more gratifying than jumping. It’s time to play “4 On The Floor.”

With a bunch of really yummy treats in hand, walk into the room where your dog is hanging out. Get your dog all excited, by whatever means necessary. Talk excitedly, jump around, pretend to throw a ball, whatever gets your dog to perk up and pay attention.

When the dog is standing, lean over very close to your dog and start feeding high-value treats. One after another. Be sure you don’t stand up, you don’t want your vertical motion to trigger your dog’s jumping. Let your dog know the cue for standing there getting fed: “Good 4 On The Floor.” “Nice 4 On The Floor.” “I like your 4 On The Floor.”

Use whatever cue you want for the behavior. We use “4 On The Floor” because it describes what we want and everybody knows what it means. It is longer than most dog cues, so choose one that works for you.

Watch carefully

Your dog may get all excited and start to jump up. If they show signs of jumping, freeze in place. Stop rewarding and wait. If your dog does jump on you, try not to move. Don’t say anything. Ignore the behaviors you don’t want. It’s tough, especially if you have a big, powerful dog. But be patient.

When the rude behavior gets the dog nothing, chances are they’ll go back to what they were doing – standing there and getting treats. As soon as the dog has four feet on the floor, go back to rewarding and praising, giving your dog the cue you’ve decided on.

Dogs catch on quickly

After just a couple of times, your dog should start recognizing the cue “4 On The Floor.” When you’re pretty sure they have the idea, recruit someone the dog knows to help out. If the person is okay with it, have them do exactly the same thing, bending over and repeatedly rewarding. If the person can’t, or won’t, then you bend and reward as long as the dog has “4 On The Floor.”

You’re building a new behavior that the dog will find more rewarding than jumping. They get the attention they crave, as well as many treats, for behaving politely. It becomes the most attractive option for the dog.

Expand the experience

When your dog is pretty good about staying off of people at home, add on by having someone come in the front door. Entries and exits are the most likely times for dogs to jump on people, so it’s up to us to make it normal to greet people with all four feet on the floor.

Once your dog is proficient at entries and exits, it’s tempting to take it for granted. If you completely stop rewarding, the dog will revert to behavior that’s more fun for them. You won’t have to reward every time, or multiple treats all the time. You do have to randomly reinforce good behavior to maintain it. Dogs live in hope that something good is coming their way. If they’re good, make that wish come true. At least every once in a while.

Top 5 Dog Training Tips for 2025

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What’s your mental picture of a well-trained dog? If it’s one of those impressively heel-hugging automatons garnering views on social media, this isn’t the training site for you.

If, on the other hand, you want an awesome companion who knows how to make good decisions, this is the place. The goal here is to teach you and your dog to be a team, whether competing in dog sports or just hanging out watching screens. It may not be an equal partnership. You’re always going to be the one making important life decisions and keeping food on the table (or in the bowl). But you will have an awesome junior partner.

Whatever training games you play, how often you play them, and what behaviors are most important to you, you decide. Keeping these five top dog training tips in mind will keep you on track, whatever your dog goals may be.

Pay your dog

You wouldn’t take a job that doesn’t pay. Don’t expect your dog to “work” for free. When they do something right, a reward lets them know.

The reward doesn’t always have to be food. But you don’t get to decide what’s rewarding to your dog. If you love chocolate, someone giving you a banana isn’t going to cut it. If your dog loves Chicken Heart Treats, a piece of kibble isn’t going to be highly rewarding. Tailor the treat to the dog’s taste.

Shut up

Almost everybody does it and it never works. Saying “Sit!” 12 times instead of once isn’t helpful. By all means encourage your dog and talk to them. But give them time to think and process what you say.

Dogs naturally love patterns. If you always say “Sit!” three times, your dog will think that’s the command. If you say it once and wait for your dog to do it (look at their butt, not their face), they’ll figure it out.

Be consistent

Each word and each hand signal can have only one meaning for your dog. It doesn’t matter what word or motion you use, as long as it’s the same every time you use it.

If you’re teaching your dog “Place!” you can call the “Place!” whatever you want. Our students have used “Mat!” and “Bed!” and assorted other words. Whatever word works for you is fine. But remember what it is and keep it the same.

Be clear

Decide what you want and stick to it. If you say “Sit!” and your dog lies down, don’t accept it. That’s not a “Sit!”

This is more than just being picky. Even if you don’t care whether your dog sits or downs, you’ll confuse your dog if you accept one for the other. They won’t know what either one means.

Half measures aren’t acceptable either. In competitive Obedience and Rally, “Down!” means that the dog’s elbows are on the ground. Setting specific criteria for behaviors actually helps your dog understand.

Have fun

Training is all about having fun with your dog. Play as many training games as you like, but keep each one short and fast. Your dog will look forward to playing with you. If you’re in a lousy mood, playing with your dog will improve your outlook and your day.

You’ll find your dog anticipating training games as the best part of your day. If you play at a specific time every day, your dog will come and find you when it’s time. Those few minutes of focused interaction will be their favorite time, every time. And keeping these 5 dog training tips in mind will help you make the most of every session.

Just for the fun of it – Leg Weaving Game

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There are lots of useful things to teach your dog. The Leg Weaving Game isn’t one of them. It’s just pure, unadulterated fun!

All you need for this game is yourself, your dog, and some treats. That’s it!

What’s Leg Weaving anyway?

There are two ways of playing Leg Weaving.

The simpler version, where the dog does all the work, is stationary. You stand still, legs apart, and your dog walks, trots, or runs in a figure-eight pattern around and between your legs.

The more complex version puts you in motion and your dog going between your legs as you walk. This one takes time to get up to speed. Leg weaving builds on the body awareness exercises we talked about in the Doggy Dressage 2-Minute Tip. There’s potential for a lot of tripping, falling, and kicking your dog if you aren’t careful.

Note: if you play Agility with your dog, you may want to name this game something other than “weaving.” The weave poles are a required obstacle in Agility and once your dog has mastered it, you don’t want to mess it up. Because we train for Agility with our dogs, we call the stationary version “Legs,” and the moving version “Twine.”

Simple Leg Weaving

Have treats in both hands. Stand in front of your dog with your legs apart. The object of the game is for your dog to go between your legs, circle one leg, then the other. It creates a “figure 8” pattern, or an infinity symbol.

Reach behind your leg and show your dog the treat between your legs. Dogs can be reluctant to go under their people, so be sure it’s a really tasty treat and your dog knows you have it. As your dog moves to get the treat, bring your hand around your leg to the front. Don’t go too fast! Move at the pace your dog is going, keeping that tempting morsel right in front of their nose.

When you reach the front, give the dog the treat in that hand, while reach behind and between to show them the treat in the other hand. Do the same thing with the other leg. Draw the dog around your leg and reward in front.

Most dogs catch on to this double-treat behavior really quickly. Some glitches can occur if you move the treat too quickly, switch hands too fast, or pull your hand back before the dog has completed the circle around your leg. Your dog will follow your hand, so be sure your motion reflects where you want your dog to go.

As your dog learns “Legs!” you can increase the speed and reward less frequently. Be sure you say the word for the game as you’re playing. In time, your dog will perform the behavior when you use the cue word.

Get Moving

Leg Weaving in motion, or “Twine” is more complicated. Have treats in both hands. With your dog sitting at your side, step forward with the leg opposite to the dog. If your dog is on the right, step out with your left leg. Show the dog the treat with your left hand between your legs. Draw the dog forward and between your legs. Again, don’t move your hand faster than your dog is moving. Make sure they’ve reached your other side before you reward.

When the dog is on the other side (left, in this scenario), step out with your right leg and, with your right hand, show the dog a treat between your legs. Get them to move between your legs and reward when they’re completely on your right side. Rinse and repeat – as many times as you like.

Here’s Simon and Fran.

Stutter step

Don’t go too fast too soon. You may lose your balance, kick your dog, or get completely tangled up. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with sticking to the simpler version – especially if you have a tall dog. This is one of the few games where smaller dogs have a distinct advantage, although all of our students have been able to do it. Even the ones with Great Danes.

Have more fun with your dog!