reward-based training Archives

How to Stop Accidentally Rewarding Dog Jumping | 2-Minute Trainer

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Do you push your dog off when they jump on you?

Congratulations! You just taught your dog to play a fun new game called “Throw Your Dog Away!”

You didn’t mean to start a rough-and-tumble wrestling match? Then we need to stop rewarding the wrong stuff.

You’re Not Alone

Everybody does it. Everybody inadvertently rewards the wrong behavior at some point. Perfect timing, flawless mechanics, and constant attention are hurdles that every dog owner stumbles over.

Fortunately, dogs are incredibly forgiving. Messing up is inevitable—after all, we’re only human. But the first step in fixing a training problem is recognizing that it exists.

Watch Your Hands

One of the most common things we see is people swinging their hands up and away when a dog gets a little too excited or jumpy. It’s a natural, human reaction.

The problem? Dogs are hard-wired to track motion. If your arms go swinging up, your dog is going to follow them. If you don’t want your dog jumping at you, keep your hands down and still.

The same rule applies if your dog is a bit too grabby when taking treats. If you jerk your hand away, they will just lunge forward to follow it. It can get painful, which is why children shouldn’t play grabby games. But rather than jerking away, try keeping your hand still, or making it “bigger” by closing it into a fist until they back off.

In fact, learning to control those teeth is a huge part of teaching a dog boundary control. If you want a structured way to teach your dog to back off instead of grabbing, check out our favorite impulse-control game, “Whatcha Gonna Do?”

Flip the Script: Teach What to Do

Many of the things we want our dogs to learn are “don’ts.” Don’t jump. Don’t grab. Don’t pull. Don’t counter-surf.

But teaching a negative to a dog is like trying to explain baseball to an alien. After a while, you just wind up with total confusion. (Have you seen Who’s On First?) Dogs don’t understand the absence of a behavior; they need an active job to do.

By consistently rewarding the behaviors you do want—like when your dog chooses to keep four paws on the floor or sit politely in front of you—you build a habit of good decision-making. Whenever your dog chooses the right thing, acknowledge and reward it immediately.

It’s always a revelation when handlers see their dogs explicitly “choose” the right behavior. You can actually see the lightbulb go on! Celebrate those moments—that’s where a strong foundation is built.

Is Your Dog Ignoring You? The 2-Minute Name Reset

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Hope is horrible at remembering names. Especially the names of the humans in her dog training classes. But the dogs’? She has them down by week two. Most of them, she knows by the end of class one.

Want to know why? The nice answer is that Hope loves dogs, is fascinated by dogs, and wants to get to know every dog on the planet.

The real answer is that the dogs’ owners are constantly saying the dog’s name and won’t shut the heck up. “Sparky, Sparky, Sparky.”

The dog didn’t listen the first 12 times. What are you doing differently that will get you a jackpot at 13?

He’s Not Deaf. He’s Ignoring You.

Do you know any toddlers? Human children, that is. If you do, you know exactly how your dog feels when you constantly say their name with no other information. There’s no difference between a kid yelling “Mommy, Mommy, Mommy” and you chanting “Fido, Fido, Fido.” After a while, it just becomes background noise.

Stop nagging your dog. Give them clear cues on what to do, and give them a reason to do it.

And please, don’t even start chanting if your dog’s focus is completely riveted on a bunny that just crossed your path, another dog, or the garbage truck going down the alley. Standing there saying “Spot. Spot. Spot.” isn’t going to win against those distractions.

Try this instead: Dash up to your dog, gently blow on the back of their head, and run in the opposite direction while calling their name. Chances are excellent they’ll turn and fly after you.

Because I Said So

But, you argue, “I want my dog to do what I say when I say it!”

Good luck with that. Unless your dog comes with rechargeable batteries, that isn’t going to happen.

Dogs are perfectly happy to do what we ask—as long as they understand how to do it and what they’ll get for doing it.

That reward doesn’t always have to be a treat. It can be praise, a scratch in the right spot, or just a smile. But those only work once you’ve established your bona fides with your dog. Just like any training, you have to build a history of reinforcement before a cue actually means something.

Remember: What gets rewarded gets repeated.

The 2-Minute Challenge

Want to reset your dog’s name recognition? Try this today:

Get five treats that your dog would run through fire to get.
Say your dog’s name once, and immediately stick one of those treats in their mouth.
Repeat five times in a row.

Your dog doesn’t have to come, or look, or sit, or do anything at all. You say the name, they get the jackpot.

Do this just once a day for a week, and we promise you’ll see your dog snap to attention the next time you say their name.

The Most Powerful Force in the Universe (Use It To Train Your Dog)

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When we start a new dog training class, one of the first questions we ask is, “What’s the most powerful force in the universe?”

About half of the class gets all gushy and says, “Love.” The other half usually goes with “Gravity.”

They’re all wrong. The most powerful force in the universe is habit. Which you already know if you’ve ever tried to break one.

Dogs are creatures of habit, just like we are. And just like it is for people, a dog’s habits can be good, or… not-so-much.

Use Your Power

New, good habits can be built in as little as 50 repetitions, according to neuroscience. That means a new behavior, practiced for just two minutes a couple of times a day, can be established in less than two weeks.

Let’s say you want your dog to pay attention when you say their name. If you play the “Name Game” for a couple of weeks, your dog’s default habit will be to snap their eyes to yours the moment they hear it.

You may think your dog already does this. We’d lay a wager you’re wrong. Try it right now if your dog is nearby.

Say their name. If they look, you have our humble apologies. If they don’t, you’re not alone. People over-use dogs’ names constantly. Most of the time, the dog has zero reason to pay attention because they know, from experience, that nothing interesting is happening.

You can change that in just two weeks.

Building Value with “Touch!”

Even more useful than the Name Game is “Touch!” If your dog is excitable or ill-mannered in public, making “Touch!” the most valuable game in the world is worth your while. It’s the game you play when another dog is down the street barking behind a fence, or when a bunny darts across your path.

But you have to establish the habit of “Touch!” in the house before it can be used in the wild. You have to build that muscle memory until it’s a pure reflex.

How to Play “Touch!”

It’s an easy game to play, yet most people get it wrong. Here is how to do it right:

Position your hand: Plaster your hand, palm out, against your leg at your dog’s nose level. (By your ankle for a Dachshund; by your hip for a Golden Retriever).
Invite them over: Wiggle your fingers.
The “Bop”: The moment your dog checks it out and touches your palm with their nose, say “Yes!”
Deliver the reward: Give them a treat with your other hand directly into your dog’s mouth on your palm.

⚠️ Critical Step: Always use your opposite hand to deliver the treat. If you pre-load your “Touch!” hand with food, your dog is just following a bribe. That’s luring, not rewarding. If you don’t have treats on you later, you’re stuck—the dog’s nose will tell them you’re lying.

Reward Every Single Time

When you’re building the “Touch!” habit, reward every single time your dog bops your palm. Every. Single. Time. That’s how you’re building that habit – the most powerful force in the universe.

Think of this desired behavior like a savings account in your dog’s brain. Every time you practice, the balance grows. Each reward deposits a little more interest. Pretty soon, you are flush with success.

Eventually, you’ll be in an emergency where you don’t have treats—like if a stray cat hisses at your dog on a walk. You call “Touch!” and your dog’s habit compels them to do it.

You’ve just made a huge withdrawal from that savings account. That’s okay! That is exactly what the account is there for. But remember: afterward, you have to go back to basic training and make a few deposits to keep the account in the black.

Your 2-Minute Homework

Ever heard the old joke? Tourist to New Yorker: “How do you get to Carnegie Hall?” New Yorker: “Practice, practice, practice.”

You don’t need to be a virtuoso to have a well-behaved dog. You just need two minutes. Start practicing now. Set a timer on your phone, grab a handful of treats, and go get your first 5 repetitions of “Touch!” out of the way. Your future self will thank you.

How to Train Your Dog to Love Their Harness: The “Gear Up!” Game

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The “Gear Up!” Game: A 2-Minute Solution for Dogs Who Hate Their Harness

Dogs aren’t stupid. If you put on your shoes and grab your keys, your dog knows you’re leaving. If you grab the dog’s collar or harness and leash, they know they’re coming with you. That doesn’t necessarily mean they’re going to make it easy for you. Does your dog wiggle around, skitter away, or back up out of reach? It doesn’t mean they don’t want to go. It means they need to play the “Gear Up!” dog training game. Like all 2-Minute Training Games, this is a 120-second spurt of training. You don’t want to overwhelm your dog.

Multi-use game

You can use the “Gear Up!” game for anything your dog needs to wear; collar, harness, sweater, coat, boots, cone of shame, even a muzzle. The steps are the same, just the gear changes.

Where you start depends on how your dog feels about the gear.

Step 1: For dogs who avoid the gear entirely.
Step 2: For dogs seeing the gear for the first time.
Step 3: For dogs who are okay with the gear but “wiggle” during the process.

Step 1: The “Vibe” Check (Changing Minds)

It’s really difficult to change anyone’s mind about anything. You can come up with all the logical arguments in the world, but their opinion won’t change. Not unless you prove it, convincingly. And without making them feel foolish.

It works the same way with dogs. Once they’ve decided the harness is evil, the burden of proof is on you.

That means you have to arm yourself with the highest-possible-value reward. If your dog is toy-obsessed, only play with their favorite toy when the harness is in the vicinity. You don’t try to put it on. Don’t wave it in their face. Just have it clearly visible whenever you take out that favorite toy, or treat. They only get to play with that particular toy if they can see (or hear) the harness. That pup cup is only lickable when the harness is around.

You should start to see the dog relax around the harness after only a couple of sessions. The sight of the harness is now associated with something the dog likes, although they may not be happy about it yet. Move on to Step 2 of the “Gear Up” dog training game.

Step 2: The “Drape and Treat” (Building Neutrality)

Say you’re introducing your dog to a muzzle. They’ve never seen it before, don’t know what it is, but are somewhat suspicious.

The easiest way to get the dog to not care about it is to just drape it over your arm while you feed them, or play with them. Get them used to the sight, smell and sound of it before you ever try to put it on. It becomes part of the environment, but no big deal. For noise sensitive dogs, try to have someone else click the buckle or rip the Velcro while you deliver treats. It changes the sound from a stressor to a treat bell.

Be sure to use the arm with the muzzle (harness, collar, coat) to reward the dog. If it happens to slide down your arm and touch them, that’s fine. Be sure there’s nothing sharp toward the dog, any buckle or loose strap should be facing you, not the dog. Also be aware of your body position. Many dogs get freaked out by a person leaning over them. If that’s your dog, either kneel, sit on the floor, or let the dog sit or stand on a higher surface, a grooming table, a couch, or a chair. Notice that Tango is sitting on a table to get the harness on.

Step 3: The “Big Ask” (The Invitation)

When the dog is really comfortable with the collar getting close to them, it’s time to put it on. Have a bowl of your dog’s walk-through-fire-to-get treats close at hand. Open the collar and invite your dog to come close and offer their neck. You’re giving them the opportunity to get the treat.

If you’ve laid the groundwork, the dog will stretch out their neck and hold still while you fasten it. (We play the “Put On Your Collar” game several times every day.) Reward heavily, one morsel at a time! (Side note: a fistful of treats offered to a dog is “One.” The same number of treats given one-at-a-time is “Many.”)

If the dog isn’t ready to offer the behavior yet, just go back a step and try again. Every dog can get there. Patience and consistency are the keys to unlock training games.

Pro tip:

If you need to put on whatever gear you’re training for before the dog is happy about it, don’t ask. Get the dog and put it on. Don’t fuss, don’t yell, and don’t feel guilty. It may result in a step back, but sometimes we just need to get stuff done.

“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.

Master Loose-Leash Walking | The 2-Minute Trainer

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Is Your Leash a Lifeline or a Crutch?

The people in our impulse control classes all start out clutching their leashes as if they were lifelines. They’re desperate to stop leash pulling fast.

It’s a “fast fixes” class – only four meetings. To achieve loose-leash walking in just a month’s time requires commitment, determination, and a leap of faith.

You have to believe that your dog can, in fact, make good decisions. That they are capable of learning manners and using them in public. You also have to believe that you are the perfect person to teach your dog how to achieve all that.

How’s That Working For You?

There’s a saying: If you always do what you’ve always done, you always get what you’ve always gotten.

So, how is hanging onto that leash for dear life working for you? Is your dog still acting like a jerk on lead? If you’re ready to move on, the first step is to tighten your focus. If you are training, only train. This isn’t the time for texting or running errands. If your dog’s behavior is frustrating, give them just two minutes of your undivided attention. Two minutes a day for two weeks—less than half an hour total—can change everything.

Make a Commitment

You’re not afraid of commitment. You acquired a dog, a decade-plus responsibility. We know you can handle two minutes.

In essence, it’s actually pretty simple. For your dog, you have to be more interesting than anything else on the planet. That battle’s already mostly won. They already follow you around everywhere. Dogs always keep you in sight. When was the last time you went to the bathroom by yourself? If you’re a dog owner, you may not remember.

The next level is if the dog will find you fascinating with distractions. Will your dog stay with you when someone else is in the kitchen preparing food? If not, try talking to your dog while you bend over to meet their eyes. Getting your dog’s eyes on you is the first step in training. If they still won’t look at you, blow on the top of their head.

Once you have your dog’s eyes on you, REWARD! If paying attention to you is the same as not, the dog has no reason to pay attention. There has to be a distinct difference between doing what you want them to do and ignoring you. Make it worth their while.

Sometimes it’s frustrating. We get it. You leaned over, you blew, you waved fingers, you even made funny sounds. Finally something clicks and they look at you. If it were a person, you could say “It’s about damn time!”

But it’s not a person. It’s a dog you’re trying to motivate to focus. So even if it takes forever, you still have to celebrate the win and not let the dog see your frustration. It doesn’t have to be a food reward. Have a toy and play tug. Give them a little shove and run away. Rub their tummy. Whatever floats your dog’s boat is a good reward.

Trust The Process

If loose-leash walking is your goal, practice someplace safe, even if that’s inside. For the ultimate challenge? Drape the leash across your neck and keep your hands off it. Keep your dog’s focus with words and actions, not with lures and leashes.

Stay engaged for the length of the hall, or the living room, or the yard. Give your dog a reason to stay with you. Have a one-sided conversation. Your dog doesn’t care what you say. Talk to them!

If your dog stays with you for 10 steps, stop and celebrate! “Yay! What a good dog!” “You’re awesome!” “I knew you could do it!” You’re on your way to stopping leash pulling fast.

You can do it, too. We believe in you.

We Don’t Train Dogs. We Train People.

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5 Common Training Mistakes & How to Fix Them

We don’t physically train any dogs but our own. Instead, we teach you how to train yours. There is nothing more satisfying than witnessing the “AHA!” moment when a human and dog finally coalesce into a team.

However, almost every handler we meet falls into at least one of these five common traps. Which one is your bad habit?

1. Being the “Boss” instead of the “Coach”

Merriam-Webster defines a Boss as one who directs or supervises workers. A Coach, however, is one who instructs or trains. You can shout “Heel!” until the cows come home, but if you haven’t taught your dog what that word means, you’re just making noise. Dog training is about bridging the language gap. All dogs are born knowing how to sit—they just don’t know the English word for it. Your job is to connect those dots.

2. “Helping” (Otherwise known as Nagging)

Your dog heard you the first time. Repeating a cue doesn’t help; it just teaches your dog they can ignore the first three versions of the command. The cue is “Down,” not “Down, Down… Down!”

Similarly, physically pushing a dog’s butt down often triggers the “opposition reflex.” Just like humans, when dogs feel a push, they instinctively push back. Give your dog the “processing time” they need to think through the request.

3. Being Stingy with Rewards

Dogs learn through the timing and placement of rewards. While you won’t always need a treat in your hand, the learning phase is not the time to be frugal.

The Rule: Ignore the “wrong” stuff and simply ask again. But when they get it right—especially something difficult—give them an immediate jackpot.

We often see students resist rewarding because they fear “spoiling” the dog. But without a reward, doing it right looks exactly like doing it wrong to a dog. Why would they bother?

4. Disengaging from the Team

This usually happens when a handler gets distracted or assumes the dog “just knows” what’s happening.

Even a simple move, like turning around to retrace your steps, can cause a disconnect. Catching your dog’s eye and saying, “We’re going this way!” keeps them in the loop. In practicing the “Recall,” people often hand us the leash and walk away without a word. Next time, try catching your dog’s eye before you leave. They might actually be watching when you finally call them.

5. Quitting on Your Dog

We have one student who is a perfectionist. If she gives the wrong hand signal, she gets frustrated and gives up. Her dog doesn’t know she’s mad at herself—he thinks he failed. That’s when he runs off to find something more fun to do.

Your dog thinks you’re perfect. Don’t convince them otherwise. We have a rule: if the human screws up, the dog gets an “Oops Cookie.” It keeps the mood light, rewards the dog for staying engaged with a confused human, and lets you both try again with a smile.

Enjoy the Journey

Great coaches are there for the whole season, through the wins and the muddy practices. Training is a lifetime journey of deepening your bond. Stay present, stay positive, and keep those cookies ready.

Which of these training mistakes do you find yourself making most often? Drop a comment below and let’s troubleshoot!

Stop Dead! The Simple Game to End Leash Pulling

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When you were a little kid, your parents had to tie your shoes for you. Once you learned how to do it yourself, the grown-ups left you to it.

Your dog can’t tie shoes. But they can learn to walk politely on a loose leash. The hitch here is that you have to teach it in a way your dog will get the message and understand.

Breaking the Habit

If you’re just starting out with a puppy, the best way to teach loose-leash walking is to never let them start pulling. 3-Step Pattern Walking from day one works.

Teaching Pattern Walking to an older dog takes longer. Adult dogs have habits to overcome. If your dog already has a pulling habit, you may need a more immediate solution. That’s where the “Stop Dead!” game comes into play.

🛑 Before you start

The first time you play “Stop Dead!” you’re probably not going to get very far. It’s going to be tedious for you and frustrating for your dog. But it graphically demonstrates to your dog how they’re supposed to behave.

Keep it short and fun: Like all training games, brevity is key.
Gear up: Hook your dog up to their harness and head out.
High-Value Rewards: Prepare with plenty of delicious treats.

⏱️ Timing is crucial

As soon as the leash is taut – stop. That may be right when you go out the door. It could be when you hit the sidewalk. Or turn the corner. Or your dog sees a SQUIRREL. You have to be prepared to stop in your tracks whenever that leash gets tight.

The “Subway-Rider’s” Stance

Around here, everybody recognizes the “El” posture: legs slightly apart, knees bent and bouncy, ready to absorb the impact. Especially if you have a big dog, assume this position when you “Stop Dead!”

The Next Hard Part: Silence

Don’t cajole your dog. Don’t say “here, Fido” or wiggle a treat at them. This is the crucial point where your dog has to figure out what to do to get you moving again.

Stand firm as long as there’s tension in the leash.
Wait for the slack. As soon as the leash goes loose (because they turned to look at you or backed up), tell them they’re good.
Reward at your side. Offer the treat right next to your leg.
Resume walking. You can walk, praise, and offer treats all at the same time.

Dogs can chew while they’re walking. Both dogs and people can multi-task. This is the time.

Case Study: Katie & Oscar

Most dogs figure out quickly that they control forward motion. We have a student, Katie, with a five-year-old Rottweiler named Oscar who would pull like a tugboat.

The first time Katie “Stopped Dead,” Oscar was so surprised he came back to see what was wrong. He got a treat, and they walked… for about two steps. Then he pulled again.

The second time, Oscar strained forward for 30 seconds. It felt like an eternity to Katie, but she stayed silent. When Oscar finally turned his head to look at her, the leash went slack. That was the “Aha!” moment. Oscar got his treat, and the next stretch lasted six steps instead of two.

For the lesson to be effective, you can’t help your dog figure out what to do. They have to puzzle it out for themselves.

💡 Be Patient

There’s a lot of stop-and-go in this game. You aren’t going to be running any errands the first time you play. However, each successive time you play, you’ll get a bit farther. Eventually, your dog will figure out that pulling doesn’t work.

Hopefully, your dog will be rewarding you with a loose leash and a happy trot in no time!

The Doggy Paycheck: Why Your Pup Won’t Work for Free

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Positive reinforcement training is based on one single premise: dogs will always, without exception, do what is most rewarding to them.

The focus of your training has to be making what you want the most rewarding option. Your choice has to be, in the dog’s opinion, the best thing available.

To convince your dog, you have to build a history. If your dog always gets rewarded for doing what you want, they’re more likely to continue doing it. They get their doggy paycheck every time they do what you want.

If, however, your rewards are inconsistent or absent, the dog has no reason to do what you want. There’s always something interesting to do. It may or may not be what you want them to do. The environment is your biggest competitor. If a squirrel is a $100 bill and your treat is a nickel, the squirrel wins every time.

Hierarchy of rewards

One of the first lessons of reward-based training is figuring out what’s valuable to your dog. You may want your dog to love the expensive, organic, healthy treats you bought. But you can’t make that love connection happen. In our classes we always have extra treats available for our students. The treats we provide aren’t healthy, good-for-dogs, or expensive. They’re the junk food french fries of dog treats. Because they work. Dogs love them.

We’re not saying you have to buy junk dog treats. We’re saying you have to find the rewards that your dog would (virtually) run through fire to get. Don’t be surprised if it’s something weird. One of our dogs would kill for celery. Another thinks celery is poisonous. It’s not our choice, it’s the dog’s.

Transfer of value

Let’s use Torque, the celery fiend, as our example. If he always gets celery when he does Puppy Push-ups, before long he’s going to get all excited to do them. In his little doggy brain, that incredibly yummy treat is paired with Puppy Push-ups. The value of the treat is associated with playing that awesome game. And he loves doing it.

Once your dog has made that pairing, your reward delivery can become more random. But it can’t go away forever. If it does, the behavior will, too.

Think of it this way: You love every single aspect of your job. Your work is fascinating. Your colleagues are awesome. You even get a catered lunch every day. Are you still going if you don’t get paid? Of course not. Your bargain with your employer is to complete assigned tasks in exchange for compensation.

Your dog gets the benefit of the same deal. Their task is to be a good dog. Their compensation (doggy paycheck) is the rewards you provide.

Just for the fun of it

You don’t have to reward your dog constantly for just being good. If they’re doing something you didn’t ask them to do, just a pat or a “good dog!” is fine, if you notice it.

But if you’ve told your dog to do something and they do it, that good behavior should be acknowledged. That’s good training and living up to your side of the deal.

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.