• Reward the behaviors you like and want to see more often, ignore the behaviors you want to go away.

• Use treats to "pay" your pet for doing hard things - you wouldn't work for free, so don't expect them to!

• Use real life rewards like getting to play, getting to sniff, or going for a walk for behaviors you want to reward after they have already learned them

• Just doing one 10-15 minute training session per day is enough to improve your dogs behavior

• Many problem behaviors stem from a lack of enrichment. When exercise and mental stimulation needs are not being met, dogs will become bored or pent up which can come out as destructiveness, over-excitement, and frustration taken out on other pets or people. Here are a few ideas to help meet your dogs needs: 

  • feed their meals in a puzzle toy like a kong, puzzle bowl, or snuffle mat

  • use meals for training

  • allow them to play with other dog-friendly dogs multiple times a week (if your dog is good with other dogs)

  • go on long walks or hikes at least 3 times a week

  • play games with your dog

  • allow your dog to stop and sniff on walks as this provides a lot of mental stimulation

• The more dogs practice an unwanted behavior , the more likely they are to do it again in the future. If a problem behavior pops up, try to identify the cause of the behavior and limit the dog's access to the cause. For example dogs who growl at other dogs when eating can be managed by getting fed in a separate room or a crate to avoid them feeling the need to protect their food.

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