Favorite Resources
&
Recommendations
Pro Training Tips:
- Short training sessions: 10-15 minutes, 2-3 times a day. If you have a young puppy, consider 5-10 minutes. It’s better to have an excellent short training session than a longer one where you both are stressed and tired.
- Positively reinforce behaviors you prefer: remember to mark with “yes!” to let your dog know they’ve done the right behavior and reinforce their correct choice with something your dog loves. Make sure the reinforcement comes AFTER the mark so your dog clearly understands what the preferred behavior was.
- Do not repeat your dog’s name or the cue over and over. Give your pup time to think and make a decision. If, after patiently waiting while your dog thinks a bit, you would like to say it once more, that’s ok. If your pup still does not give you the behavior, ask yourself “how can I help my dog succeed?”
- If you feel frustrated with training, your dog probably does too. Stop and briefly train something that your dog is very good at, end on a good note. Later, think about where the frustration may have come in and work on it next time. If you’re not sure, it’s a great thing to check with your trainer about! That’s what I’m here for.
- Think about the treats that you’re using. Are they motivating enough? Could you use something less or more valuable to your dog? Are they small enough that you can use a high rate of reward when training something new? If your dog gets filled too quickly, his learning will slow because his motivation has lessened. Did you fade the treat too soon?
- Think about distractions around your training area. Can your dog really handle what you’re asking in this area? Should you move to a quieter area? Is your dog ready for a little more distraction?
Some of our favorite websites:
- The Muzzle Up Project
- Family Paws
- 2 Hounds Design
- Southeast Animal Behavior – Veterinary Behaviorist, Dr. Maggie O’Brian
- American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior
- Canine Body Language Signals with the Pet Professional Guild
- Canine Body Language Signals with Dr. Sophia Yin
- Canine Body Language Signals with Victoria Stilwell
Favorite Products:
Our clients are always asking what things we recommend for help in training, so we’ve added products here to help answer some of our most asked questions. These items are products that we use personally for our dogs as well as in training with client dogs. They can be found on Amazon and in some of your local pet stores. Pet People has become our “go to” store for great dog essentials in Charlotte. As always, please feel free to reach out to us any questions you may have. We’re happy to help!
Please know that some of the links below are paid affiliate links for which we receive small compensation.
Pet Products
No pull Harness
20′ Training Leash
Training Clickers
Zuke’s Mini Training Treats
Bil-Jac Little Jacs
PureBites
Ziwi Peak
Real Meat Fish & Venison
Plato Natural Duck Treats
Kong Wobbler
Classic Kong
The Brick
Lick Mats
IQ Treat Ball
Slow Bowl
Natural Farm bully Sticks
Bully Buddy
EcoKind Himalayan Chew
Flirt Poles
Snuffle Mat Puzzle
Claw Guard
Orvis Embroidered Collar
Slide On Pet ID Tag
Clean Run Lotus Ball Puzzle Toy
Blink Mini Plug-in Smart Security Camera
