observe pugsleyDay ELEVEN-21 Day Positive Training Kickstart Challenge

One of the first steps in training, & a very important one that is sometimes overlooked, is observation. Until you can watch & see exactly what is happening it is difficult to impossible to properly craft a training plan.

If you would like to teach something new, one of the ways that you can do so is by watching for your dog to do just that thing. For example, dogs often naturally sit down. If you would like them to sit when asked, you can watch for them to sit & then do what we call “mark & reinforce” that behavior. Marking means pinpointing the exact behavior that we liked, usually with some type of verbal or visual signal. Reinforcing means providing something that the learner finds of value (like a bit of delish food or a belly rub or high value reward). But, again, it all begins with observation!

ACTION: Watch your dog. See if you can make a list of at least 5 behaviors that your dog does naturally (like sitting or even tilting their head) that you like!