April 2020 Training Tip

"Reward Good Behavior."

If we all spent more time rewarding our dogs for their

good behavior and setting them up to do more of it, our lives with dogs would be a 'piece of cake.' Similar to raising kids, it's an effective method to molding appropriate behavior.

You may be wondering what the most pleasurable reward is for a dog...it all depends on the dog. Most dogs love treats, particularly high value treats. Some dogs are more toy-focused and get a lot of pleasure out of a round of tug with a tug toy or fetch with a ball. Just touching and petting your dog is a reward. Even a simple warm word such as "Good Dog" is a reward, especially said with a smile (try this exercise...say "Good Dog" with a smile and then a frown...it truly sounds different)!! What is the tell tell sign that you've effectively rewarded your dog? Yep, usually the tail will tell it all!