Trainers and other dog behavior experts urge people to enroll their dogs in group training classes, and with good reason. Group classes are a fine way to teach most dogs basic manners they need to thrive in human society and homes. Puppy classes that include plenty of off-leash playtime are essential for teaching pups bite inhibition, polite play skills, dog-dog communication skills as well as manners. Specialty classes like doggy dancing/canine freestyle, agility, and nose work ramp up the fun factor, and provide additional energy outlets for dogs. And all group classes are excellent opportunities to give dogs much-needed mental workouts, as well as practice in responding to their humans amidst abundant distractions.

How do you and your dog get the most out of dog training classes? Read on for some tips.

• Arrive on time. Better yet, try to get there a few minutes early to give your dog a chance to sniff around and settle into the class environment.
• Bring necessary paperwork on the first day. Classes usually have policies regarding required vaccinations a dog needs to participate. This is for all the student dogs’ safety. If you haven’t submitted vaccination records ahead of time, bring copies to the first class so your dog can join right in the fun.
• Be prepared. Potty your dog before class. Exercise him ahead of time if he tends to bounce off the wall with energy. Bring him to class hungry. If you usually feed him a meal around class time, skip it. Hungry dogs are more motivated to pay attention and train, and class will be full of distractions – other dogs and people with treats (aka human pez dispensers to dogs!). You’ll be glad for the extra bit of motivation.



• Bring plenty of training treats. You’ll need ‘em! Small soft treats work best. Dogs can eat them more quickly than hard dog biscuits, which means you can get in more repetitions of an exercise during class practice time. Small pieces ensure your dog won’t fill up before class is over. Make sure they’re treats your dog really likes, not those you think he “should” like.
• When not to bring your dog. If your dog is in estrus, it’s probably best to leave her at home. Please don’t bring your dog to class when he’s sick. That won’t be any fun for him, and he might get the other dogs sick. Find out about attending a make up class together, or just come to class anyway without Fido. You’ll still get a lot out of class and be able to practice and keep up your dog up to speed.
• Supervise kids. I love it when kids in the family help to train the dog. I don’t love it though when people bring kids to class expecting the instructor to supervise them. If you bring kids to class, please keep an eye on them for their own safety, your own peace of mind, and to minimize disruptions.
• No retractable leashes. They’re bulky, cumbersome and difficult to manage while training your dog, especially for heeling and loose leash walking practice. Instead, use a  flat leash and collar.
• Speaking of collars, a regular flat collar is best for a positive training class. That means, no choke chains, prong, pinch or shock collars. Those devices rely on pain to control dogs, don’t teach dogs what you’d like them to do, and frequently lead to growling, lunging and barking when the poor dog’s on leash. I don’t know about you, but if someone put one of those things on me and started jerking and popping the leash while I was in it (a la Cesar Milan), I’d get growly in no time.
• Banish the cell phone. You’d be surprised how many times students have answered calls and then proceeded to have a full-on conversation in the middle of class. Please, silence cell phones before class. If you must take a call, step outside of class with your dog.
• Smart footwear. Here’s one I bet most folks don’t think about, but you should. Training classes include exercises that require movement and walking around, sometimes at a fast pace. Humans in training class find that their hands are very full during class time. They’re holding a leash, possibly a clicker, dispensing training treats, paying attention to what they’re doing and what their dogs are doing. Flip flops or high heels will make doing training exercises all the more challenging for humans. Your best bet for footwear is a pair that are comfy, with a flat stable no skid sole.
• Pay attention & listen. Need I say more?
• Be responsible for & monitor your dog at all times, especially if you’re in an off-leash class or puppy playgroup.
• Communicate. Does your dog have food allergies or dietary intolerances? Are you having trouble doing an exercise? Did you find the instructions confusing? Instructors try to have 360-degree vision in class, but we can’t notice everything all the time. So please, talk to your instructor. Ask questions.
• Practice, practice, practice. Dog training classes give you the tools to go home and practice you’re your dog. Dogs don’t generalize well, so if you want to really learn something, you’ll need to train him a lot outside of class. Typically, each class sessions builds on the things learned in the previous meeting. Practice between class sessions so you and your dog are ready to move on to whatever’s coming in the next meeting. Practice in as many settings as you can and at different times of day. Practice in short intervals; three to five minutes a few times a day is much more effective and fun for dogs (and humans) than long marathon sessions.

HAVE FUN!

“A rose is a rose is a rose,” wrote Gertrude Stein, but the same isn’t true for dog training classes.

There are classes just for pups, adolescents, or adults; in basic and advanced manners; to improve a particular skill like coming when called or loose leash walking; for shy or fearful dogs; for leash reactive dogs; specialty classes such as tricks, freestyle, agility, rally, nose work and treibball; and more!

With so many classes to choose from, how do you make sure a group training class is the right fit for your dog? Read on for some tips and important considerations.

• Is it a positive training class or an old-school punishment based class? Positive reinforcement training is the only humane effective way to train dogs. It includes reward-based training and clicker training. Punishment-based training relies on force, pain and intimidation to control behavior and may include leash pops, yelling, choke chains, prong and shock collars. Between the two there’s no contest. Positive training is the only way to go if you want your dog to learn most effectively, to enjoy training and to trust you. If you’re not sure what methods will be used, get in touch with the training school or instructor and ask. Better yet, ask to sit in on a class so you can see for yourself.


Off-Leash Puppy Class

• What’s the maximum class size? If you’re new to training, you may want to opt for a smaller class so you and your dog get more individualized attention. (One caveat: No one taking a group dog training class should expect exclusive attention from the instructor – heck, they’re called “group” classes for a reason.)
• What do you want Rover to get out of the class & what does the curriculum cover? This may seem obvious, but surprisingly often, people come to classes with inaccurate expectations about what their dogs will be learning. Class content varies a lot. Basic manners classes typically cover at least sit, down, stand, leash walking, recall (come when called) and stays. Advanced manners classes take these behaviors and more to the next level. Some puppy classes like those offered by Sirius, are held off-leash and include lots of puppy play, which is essential to teaching pups bite inhibition. Other puppy classes are held on-leash and may or may not include off-leash puppy play. Some classes build their curricula around what students most want to learn. Others have set curricula.
• What does Rover need to know before he can take the class? The answer is usually “nothing” for puppy classes, basic manners classes and nose work. Specialty classes like agility, freestyle (doggy dancing), and rally obedience typically require student-dogs to know some basics. Some advanced classes require that dogs have graduated from a particular class at a particular facility, e.g., Sirius Puppy 2 classes are typically open only to graduates of Sirius Puppy 1. If it’s been a long time since Rover practiced behaviors necessary to take the class, bone up with him well before the class starts so he can hit the ground running on Day 1 of class, rather than spend time reviewing and catching up.
• Is Rover fearful or shy? Some dogs are so anxious/fearful that group training classes aren’t for them. Depending on the severity of the dog’s fear, expecting her to train in a group setting is unrealistic and may be downright unfair and unkind. These poor critters are far too upset to eat or learn in a class setting. If your dog is very fearful, private positive training is your best option to help conquer her fears. Classes designed especially for fearful dogs are another option, provided the methods are positive reinforcement-based, and the dog’s fear is not too severe for the class.
• Is Rover leash reactive? Most group classes are conducted with dogs leashed most of the time. If your dog reacts poorly to the sight of other dogs or strangers when he’s on leash, a garden variety group training class isn’t right for him. Instead, enroll him in a special class designed to address this behavior. I’ve seen these classes listed as “Growly Dog”, “Reactive Rover,” and “Control Unleashed.”
• Does Rover display aggression? Dogs that behave aggressively towards strangers, other dogs, or who guard food, toys or owners from dogs or humans may not be suitable for a group class. A dog that barks and lunges at mail carriers but is otherwise comfortable with strangers may be fine in class. A dog that barks and lunges at all male strangers may not be OK in class. When in doubt, check with the instructor to see if the class can accommodate your dog’s behavioral issues.
• What are the general policies regarding student dogs? Most classes have specific policies about dogs that will be accepted. Policies typically address the dog’s age, required vaccinations, whether or not the dog has bitten and injured a human or another dog, and whether student dogs must be spayed or neutered. Informing yourself about these policies ahead of time is the best way to avoid surprises on the first day of class.

Next up, how to get the most out of your dog’s group training class.

January is National Train Your Dog month – a grand kick-off to another year with your best furry friend. If you haven’t heard, positive reinforcement training is one of the best ways to enhance your relationship with Rover.

Relationship: the way in which two or more concepts, objects or people are connected, or the state of being connected.

Some may think true relationships exist only between humans, but we do indeed have relationships with our dogs. Humans provide the things dogs need and want in life, and they depend on us to provide those things. Humans depend on dogs for all kinds of help: as flock guardians and herders on farms and ranches; as protectors of the home and family; as trackers and retrievers in the field; as our eyes, ears, and sometimes, our hands. We look to dogs for much of what we share with other humans – companionship, affection, friendship and a good laugh.

Positive training fosters relationships with dogs on a foundation of clear consistent communication, mutual respect and trust. Thankfully, that’s the kind of relationship I enjoy with my dog; I wouldn’t want it any other way.

When Vinnie first came into my life he was a sweet cuddly pup. Now, nearly 5 years later, he is sweeter, deeply bonded to me (and I to him) and even more affectionate. He trusts me completely. I see it in his eyes when he looks to me in new or uncertain situations. I know it when he leans his body into mine, when he passes by and licks my hand, when he nuzzles his face into my chest or shoulder and waits for me to pet him. Between us there’s a constant dialogue, mostly devoid of words but full of body language. I understand some of his body language, he understands a great deal more of mine, and we communicate very well most of the time. I’m still moved by all of this because his trust and our ability to communicate are things I earned in large part through positive training.

But aside from these warm fuzzies, why train/keep training your dog?

• Because they get rusty, just like we do.
• Because all dogs need mental stimulation every day, and training – practicing known stuff or learning new behaviors or tricks – is an easy way to provide mini mental workouts.
• Because it’s fun for you and your dog – if you’re using positive training that is!
• Because solid training spells more freedom in life for you and your dog, together.
• Because training prevents unwanted behavior and strengthens desirable behavior, which make for a happier more harmonious relationships between humans and dogs.
• Because too many dogs end up in shelters (or worse) every day for behaviors that could easily have been prevented or solved through positive training.
• Because positive training is the only way to fairly and effectively teach your dog how you’d like him to behave.
• Because, as expert trainer Ken Ramirez says, “Training is not a luxury, but a key component to good animal care….Training is about teaching a dog (or any animal) to live in our world safely.”

Need inspiration? Go to APDT’s National Train Your Dog Month website for training tips and links to free webinars and Facebook chats with dog training experts on a wide range of training and behavior issues, from how to teach kids to interact safely with dogs to housetraining issues to introducing dogs and cats safely. Check out the full schedule here and spread the word to anyone you know with a dog, or anyone thinking of adopting one.

Happy 2012 & Happy Training!

When Vinnie was an adolescent dog he began to counter surf in earnest. As soon as no one was looking, he’d rear up on his hind legs, put his front paws on the kitchen counter and start sniffing. Somehow he managed to jump and stretch his muzzle farther than we could imagine and in the blink of an eye, he’d help himself to food on the counter. He scored quite a few yummies in this way including a third of a freshly baked pan of cornbread, a handful of cookies, a few hunks of cheese, a piece of chicken, and a burger.

This has got to stop, I thought. But the first order of business wasn’t training. It was management.

Early attempts at counter surfing

Management, a cornerstone of just about every training or behavior modification plan I can think of, means taking steps to prevent the dog from doing the undesirable behavior while training is under way.

When dogs are rewarded for behavior, the behavior becomes stronger in intensity and frequency. In Vinnie’s case, counter surfing had paid off big time in the way of uber-delectable food rewards. The more he scored food from counters, the more likely he would be to raid them in the future. The best laid training plan would have been ineffective as long as he was still able to nab food from counters, even if only occasionally. Preventing him from getting food on counters went a long way to stopping the behavior because it ceased to be rewarding for him.

Here are some common examples of management as compared to training:

Cody loves to rush the front door when guest arrive and jump and slobber all over them.

• Management: Strategic placement of baby gates to prevent Cody from rushing the front door until his greeting manners improve.
• Training: Teach Cody to stay on a mat while guests arrive and enter the home, then to hand target guests to greet them.

Sylvie growls and snarls whenever Rex, the other family dog, approaches her when she’s gnawing on rawhides, bully sticks and bones.

• Management: Separate Sylvie from Rex in another room behind a closed door whenever it’s chewie time.
• Training: Desensitize & countercondition Sylvie to have a positive response to Rex’ approaches when she’s eating chewies or bones.

Fergus pulls nonstop whenever he goes for a leash walk.

• Management: Prevent Fergus from pulling on leash by walking him on a front-clip anti-pull harness.
• Training: Teach Fergus to heel and/or walk on a loose leash.

Vinnie counter surfs in the kitchen every chance he gets.

• Management: Never ever leave food on kitchen counters.
• Training: Teach him to stay on a mat when food’s being prepared and to get down from the counter when asked to do so.

Like good training, effective management requires consistency on the part of dog guardians. Lapses in management enable dogs to engage (again) in undesirable behavior and to self-reward for doing the behavior, which in turn makes the dog more likely to repeat it.

If your dog is doing something you don’t like, think first about how to change the environment to prevent him from engaging in the behavior. Once a solid management plan is in place, train him to do another acceptable behavior instead. When his manners have improved through training, it’s time to relax management.

Many people find that effective management works so well, they don’t do training to address the undesirable behavior. If that works for you and your dog, wonderful.

I see it every day, far more often than I care to remember. Someone walks down the street with a dog on leash, yanking and jerking the leash as they go. The dog pulls ahead of the human, the human responds with a swift sharp jerk on the leash. The dog doesn’t sit when asked to, the human pops the leash. The dog stops to sniff a hydrant, the human yanks the leash.

What’s wrong with this picture? Plenty. Leash popping hurts the dog by tightening collar pressure on the dog’s neck. Over time, leash popping can injure the dog’s trachea. Add a choke chain or prong collar into the mix, and the short term pain is worse, and risk of tracheal damage even higher.

There’s more. Leash pops and other painful/forceful tactics don’t teach your dog want you want him to do. Assuming the timing of the leash pop is spot on – and that’s a big “if” as I’ll explain later – the pop might teach the dog that you don’t want him to pull ahead, but doesn’t teach the dog what you want him to do instead.

Imagine learning to ballroom dance for the very first time. Though the instructor hasn’t spent time teaching you the correct moves, she tells you to go ahead and dance. Every time you make a misstep, she yells, “Wrong,” or worse, slaps you.

Would you learn how to do the foxtrot with that kind of training? Unlikely.

Would you feel confident about dancing? Hard to imagine.

Would you have any desire to dance at all with that sort of “instruction?” Probably not.

What exactly would you like Rover to do when you take him on a leash walk? To maintain a strict heel position, walking glued to your left side? Is it OK if he pulls ahead at all? Is it OK if he lags behind? Is it OK if he walks at your side but 2 -3 feet away from you? Is it OK if he stops and sniffs a tree? It must be incredibly difficult if not impossible for Rover to figure out exactly how and where someone wants him to walk on leash when all he gets is leash pops as feedback.

Let’s talk about timing. Consequences must occur within 1-2 seconds of a dog doing a behavior in order for the dog to connect the two. This basic training principle is true for the timing of rewards and punishments. But humans are notorious for sloppy timing and inconsistency when delivering consequences. Rarely are humans skilled at popping the leash at just right the moment and in time for the dog to understand what behavior is being punished. Given humans’ inconsistency and poor timing, as far as Rover is concerned, sometimes he’s punished for pulling on leash, sometimes he isn’t punished for that, and sometimes he’s punished for walking quite nicely on leash. Confusing and unfair, don’t you think?

Leash pops are good way to build frustration, fear and anxiety in a dog. Wearing the leash becomes a predictor of nasty things for the dog. Depending on when the leash pops occur, the pain may become associated with whatever’s in the vicinity at that moment.

Let’s say Fred jerks the leash whenever Fluffy pulls towards others dogs. The sight of other dogs when Fluffy’s on leash would easily become a predictor of pain for her. Soon Fred may find himself walking a dog who turns into a snarling, lunging, barking mess whenever she sees another dog.

Thankfully, there is a humane effective alternative. Instead of leash popping or giving Rover other forceful, painful and unkind corrections, your time is far better spent training him to do what you want him to do using positive reward-based methods. If you want Rover to maintain a heel position on leash walks, train him to do that and reward him for doing so. If you want Rover to sit at every street corner, train him to do that and reward him for doing so. Behaviors trained in this way become stronger and more frequent, and a lovely side effect of positive training will result. Rover will want to do the things you’ve rewarded him for! I suspect if he could talk, he’d thank you for taking the time to teach him those things.

If your dog’s an ardent leash puller, enroll him in a positive training basic manners class, a leash manners workshop or consult with a qualified positive trainer. No doubt, training leash manners takes lots of time, practice and patience, but in this trainer’s humble opinion, that’s infinitely better than inflicting pain and confusing a dog every time he goes for a walk. To reduce/prevent pulling on leash while your dog is learning better leash manners, read my post, A Better Way to Walk Your Dog.

There’s a pet store in my neighborhood where the kind staff gives all doggy visitors free treats. Naturally it’s one of Vin’s favorite destinations. If he’s within a half-block of the store in any direction he tries to pull towards it. If we walk by the storefront he always wants to go in. I usually give in.

For a long time Vinnie would pull furiously towards the pet store on night time walks especially when his papa stopped at the convenience store a few doors down from the pet place. I worked on training stays with Vin while we waited outside the convenience store but he always had pet store fever and wouldn’t give up on pulling in that direction.

A few months ago I decided to give up that battle. If Vin wanted to go the pet store at night, I let him. I’d stand there silently as he pawed and nosed the door, waiting for him to turn away and leave.

Last week we had a first. During a night time stroll, hubby stopped at the convenience store but Vin did something different. Instead of pulling to the pet store he stayed right next to me waiting for his papa without so much as a glance in the pet store’s direction.

What changed?

Extinction! Extinction means withholding reinforcers for a behavior that’s previously been maintained by reinforcement. The behavior goes away because it no longer works – it’s no longer rewarding to the dog.

Going to the pet store at night had ceased to be rewarding for Vinnie. Every time he’d visited at night the store was closed and the human treat dispensers were away.

Dressing Vin in costumer - a behavior he'd love to extinguish!

Extinction is one method positive trainers use to get rid of unwanted behavior. When used correctly, extinction is a powerful tool. The key is 100% consistency – never rewarding the unwanted behavior.

Vin made a total of 8-12 night visits to the pet store over a period of 4-5 months before his breakthrough. During that time he continued visiting the store during the day and scoring treats. If that hadn’t happened night time trips to the store would have stopped sooner.

Extinction can be used to get rid of behaviors like attention barking, counter surfing, jumping up and mouthing. If you decide to use extinction, make a plan and try to be as specific as possible:

• What behavior do you want to extinguish?
• How is the dog currently being rewarded for the behavior? How has the dog been rewarded in the past for the behavior?
• What’s your plan to remove all reinforcers for that behavior?
• Can you and everyone else in the family realistically commit and follow through with the plan? Is your plan workable for you?

Follow through is crucial. In fact, if you can’t realistically follow through 100% of the time, an extinction plan is a waste of time. Why? If the dog is rewarded even just occasionally for the behavior, it will become more resilient instead of going away!

Follow through needs to continue as long as the dog is doing the behavior, particularly if there’s an extinction burst – a sudden temporary increase in the behavior that sometimes occurs after the start of an extinction plan. Remember, the flare up is normal and temporary, so just dig in and stick to your plan, or you’ll end up with an even stronger more resilient behavior.

Extinction is useful for stopping a variety of behaviors such as attention barking, counter surfing, mouthing and jumping up. My strong preference for getting rid of unwanted behavior is a two-fold strategy: removing all rewards for the undesirable behavior, and training the dog to do another acceptable behavior. (Read more about that here.)

Whether you’ve just adopted a puppy or an adult dog, or you’ve had a dog in your family for years, here are 10 great reasons to train your pooch now:

1. Get your dog started (or keep him going) on the right paw. Training will teach him good manners from the get-go, maintain good manners and prevent the development of bad habits and behavior problems.
2. Training provides your dog with one form of mental stimulation, which is vital to his behavioral health. Without sufficient daily mental and physical exercise, dogs get bored. Boredom usually leads to behavior humans don’t like, like boredom barking, and destructive chewing and digging.


Training means more fun & off-leash freedom

3. Training helps your dog control his impulses in everyday life. Dogs are highly impulsive, opportunistic scavengers. Learning and maintaining impulse control makes for a better behaved pet.
4. Training teaches dogs how to learn. This makes future training easier for you and for your dog.
5. The Fun starts now! Positive reinforcement training is reward-based, not punishment-based. Of course rewards are fun (otherwise they wouldn’t be rewards)! When you use reward-based training, in no time your dog will LOVE training. A dog who loves to train and do what you ask…how fab is that?
6. Training may save your dog’s life. In our busy urban environment, you could easily find yourself and your pooch in a situation where you need him to come to you immediately or stay exactly where he is to avoid oncoming traffic or some other hazard. Training snappy recalls, lightning speed sits, and rock solid stays sets you and your dog up for safety and success in emergencies.
7. Training behaviors like stays, settle down, and coming when called means more off-leash freedom for your dog, more peace of mind for you, and more — here’s that word again — fun for you both.
8. Training makes travel and other outings with your dog hassle-free. You and your dog’s quality of life improves when you can take him on vacation or into any dog-friendly café or other establishment.
9. Positive training deepens the bond between you and your dog. You’ll have a relationship built on mutual respect, clear communication and trust, rather than pain, force and intimidation.
10. Positive training builds a more confident dog. Positive training is especially wonderful at building confidence in shy and fearful dogs. Fearful dogs are more likely to bite, so decreasing fear and increasing confidence are good things.

It’s that time again when the new year stretches out shiny, new and full of promise. January also happens to be the APDT’s second annual National Train Your Dog Month (TYDM), which is a wonderful coincidence because training your dog the positive way promises to yield happy results for you and your pooch.

Whether you have a newly adopted dog, a bouncing –off-the-walls adolescent dog, or a senior dog, ongoing positive training is essential for polite doggy behavior. Teach your new dog good manners from the get go, polish up Rover’s rusty recalls and other important behaviors, take a class, or train your dog to do a snazzy trick.

Reward-based training is easy and fun for you and your dog.  And that’s not all. It builds doggy confidence, ensures that your dog will engage more often in behaviors you like, gives her mental exercise and helps prevent boredom.

Love your dog? Then train him!

Who cares if your dog is bored? Well, it’s a good bet that your dog does. Being perpetually bored is no way for a critter to live. (I don’t know about you, but boredom drives me positively bonkers.) Aside from the fact that boredom is a serious drag, a bored doggy is very likely to get into mischief like chewing up your stuff, digging in your houseplants, or barking all the time.  

Problem behavior that could have been prevented or resolved through positive training is one of the leading causes of dogs losing their homes and ending up in shelters. If you love your dog – and I know you do – and you want a long happy life together, a lifetime of positive training is one of the best gifts you can give her and yourself.

Check out the TYDM website for free training tips or to enter this year’s Photo/Video contest. And check out my blog for upcoming posts on useful and cool stuff you can teach your dog.

Happy New Year! Happy Training!

I’ve been off the web for a little while. As much as I love blogging about dogs and dog training, major taxing life events have interrupted. Now that I have a little more time on my hands, writing feels like a task I’m not quite prepared for. The ideas don’t flow like they used to when I was blogging regularly. Sentences feel awkward and strained. The words on the screen don’t seem to fully capture what I want to say. . . I’m rusty.

You may be wondering what any of this has to do with dog training. Good question.

Dogs get rusty too. Rover’s once snappy off-leash recall can start to fall apart if he hasn’t practiced in a while.

Much of what we ask dogs to do on a daily basis runs counter to how they’d behave if left to their own devices. Many behaviors we ask of them involve controlling their natural doggy impulses. Leaving a gopher alone in a park may not seem like a big deal to us, but that’s not so for the countless dogs who delight in chasing small critters. Ditto for breaking off dog play to come when called, and for sitting and waiting at doorways instead of darting into the great outdoors as soon as a door opens.

Dogs can and do learn to do these and other behaviors reliably. But to maintain reliability over a lifetime, dogs need regular practice just as we do to keep up skills like speaking another language, playing an instrument, or blogging about dog training.

To keep learned behaviors sharp, make mini training sessions part of daily life. Ask Rover to do behaviors for meals, chewies, walks, Frisbee tosses and other real life rewards he enjoys. Practice calling Rover to come whenever he’s off leash and make sure to reward him handsomely with an extra-tasty treat, a game of tug, or some dog play.

If it’s been a long time since that basic manners training class you took when you first adopted Rover, sign up for a refresher class. Better yet, try a new fun class like doggy dancing, agility, or tricks. Any group training class is excellent practice for Rover in responding to and focusing on you amidst distractions.

Keep training sessions short – 3 to 5 minutes at a time. Reward Rover for getting behaviors right. (Remember, behaviors that are never rewarded disappear over time.)

And as anyone lucky enough to have a dog knows, dogs are all about having a good time. So have a positive fun attitude whenever you’re training Rover will go a long way to keeping you both engaged in training games. (Click here to read my post on how to keep the FUN in training.)

As for me, I’m taking some of my own advice and jumping back into writing more often. No doubt, the more I do it, the sooner I’ll be rust-free and back into my blogging groove!

What do good manners and playing with your food have to do with one another?

Everything . . . if you’re a dog!

One of the best and easiest things you can do to enrich your dog’s life and lay a foundation for polite dog behavior is encourage him to play with his food. Food puzzle toys abound – nifty contraptions into which you stuff food or treats, and give to your dog to “solve” so he can eat what’s inside.

Kong, Tricky Treat Ball, Tug A Jug (L-R)

He might have to chew on the toy to get the food out (as in the case of Kongs and Busy Buddy toys); nose, bat and roll the toy around to get at the yummies inside (e.g., Buster Cubes, Tricky Treat Balls); manipulate puzzle pieces (Nina Ottoson’s interactive toys); or come up with a combination of moves to work the puzzle (e.g., Tug a Jug). The point is he’ll need to use his brain and sometimes his brawn to devise a winning strategy.

Feeding your dog from food puzzle toys has many advantages over bowl feeding. Working food puzzle toys:

• Is fun! Not every food puzzle toy is a hit with every dog, but with the wide variety of available toys there are sure to be a couple that get your dog’s groove on.
• Helps dogs eat more slowly than if they were gulping food from a bowl. Eating more slowly helps avoid bloat, a serious and often fatal ailment.
• Staves off boredom. Boredom breeds undesirable behavior like excessive barking, fence fighting and destructive chewing. Besides, living in a perpetually or mostly bored state must be a serious drag for a dog. Food puzzle toys gives dogs mini mental workouts and are a good antidote to boredom.
• Burns doggy energy. Don’t you wish you had your dog’s energy? Without daily outlets for that energy, dogs find other things to do with it. All too often, those things are activities humans don’t appreciate. Interactive toys provide outlets for some of dogs’ mental and physical energy.
• Satisfies the urge and need to chew. Many interactive toys require chewing action to get the food out. Chewing keeps teeth, gums and jaw muscles healthy and is a natural behavior that many dogs really love, especially pups and adolescents. Directing dogs towards acceptable chewies – like food puzzle toys – is essential when teaching dogs to keep their teeth off of your stuff.

If your dog is already a food puzzle wiz, mix up the types of puzzle toys he plays with. Some puzzle toys (like Kongs) can be frozen after stuffing to make solving them tougher for dogs ready for more of a challenge.

Get creative with food stuffings. You can layer different ingredients; alternate wet food with dry; mix wet food with dry dog food before stuffing the toy; or mix an extra special treat with the rest of the food (like the prize in the cereal box).

Does your dog have a favorite food puzzle toy? Do you have a favorite “recipe” for food puzzle toy stuffings? Please feel free to share in a comment.