General Tips and Tricks to Learn Commands

• Be patient as learning something new takes time. Every dog learns at a different rate!

• Dogs don’t speak English, French, Mandarin, or any other language you speak! Communicate with hand gestures - there is no wrong gesture, but be consistent with the one you choose

• Add cue word after your dog is consistent with hand gestures

• Meal time is the best time to teach tricks so you train with kibble rather than unhealthy treats

• If your dog doesn’t do tricks with kibble, then try regular treats. Still not working? Use high-value treats, treats your dog will do ANYTHING for - deli meat, cheese, freeze dried treats. Every dog is different.

• Always show you the reward first to motivate them

• Short training sessions as dogs have short intention spans

• Use marker words (“yes!!”) or a clicker for successful commands

• To start, use the same hand for gesturing and rewarding. Transition slowly to use opposite hands

• Start with zero distractions and reward one trick at a time. When your dog is consistent, advance to rewarding after a series of tricks and introduce distractions (e.g. doing tricks outside, with music on, etc.)