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Dog Training Tips & Guides
Practical advice for dog owners on positive training, puppy development, behavior solutions, enrichment activities, and building a stronger bond with your dog through everyday learning.
Easy Dog Tricks to Teach Your Dog at Home
The easiest tricks to teach your dog are touch (a nose bump to your hand), spin, shake hands, high five, find it and paws up. All six are on the AKC Trick Dog Novice list, and each one can be taught with a treat lure, a marker word and a few minutes a day. This guide covers step-by-step instructions, a difficulty table, safety rules, tips for kids and how simple dog tricks add up to a title. What Makes a Dog Trick Easy? A trick is easy when your dog can do it in one simple mo
Heather Pohlman
Oct 138 min read
How to Teach a Dog to Come When Called
Short answer: To teach a dog to come when called, pick one recall cue, pair it with a great treat until your dog lights up at the word, and practice indoors first. Then add distance, a long line outdoors and harder distractions, one small step at a time. Reward every single arrival, and never punish a dog that comes to you, even slowly. This guide gives you the steps, the games, a distraction ladder, a sample week-by-week plan and the fixes for a dog that won't come when call
Heather Pohlman
Oct 138 min read
How to Keep Your Dog Out of the Litter Box
Short answer: The surest way to keep your dog out of the litter box is to block access in a way your cat can still get past: a raised gate or a gate with a cat door, a door latch, or a raised box. Scoop daily so there is less to find. Then teach "leave it" and "come away" with rewards, so the habit fades while the barrier does the work. This guide covers why dogs raid the box, the right fix for your household, a training plan, and what to do after a raid. Why Dogs Go in the L
Heather Pohlman
Oct 138 min read
Family Dog Training: Build a Stronger Bond
Short answer: To train a dog as a family, agree on one set of cue words and house rules, reward the behavior you want the same way every time, and give each person a job that fits their age. Keep sessions to a few minutes, supervise children at all times, and practice in everyday moments. Consistency across the household is what makes training stick and builds a stronger bond. Below you will find a family cue sheet you can copy, an age-by-age guide for kids, a simple daily ro
Heather Pohlman
Aug 218 min read
What Can You Expect from a Group Dog Training Class?
Short answer: In a group dog training class, a trainer shows a skill, then you practice it with your dog while the trainer coaches each team. Classes are positive and hands-on. Most dogs learn focus, sit, down, stay, coming when called and polite leash walking, and you learn how to keep practicing at home. Expect your first class to feel busy; that is normal. This guide walks you through a typical session, the skills your dog will learn, what to bring, and how to tell whether
Heather Pohlman
Jul 207 min read
7 Reasons Why Dog Training Is Essential
Short answer: Dog training is important because it keeps your dog safe, prevents the behavior problems that are the top reason dogs are given up, and makes everyday life calmer for the whole family. A trained dog comes when called, walks politely, and is welcome in more places. Reward-based training also builds trust, so your dog wants to listen. Below are seven reasons, each backed by research where it exists, and a simple way to start training at any age, including our free
Heather Pohlman
Jul 106 min read
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