03/12/2025
Ok, hear me out….
1.Not using food
Contrary to what we might be led to believe, the way dogs learn is more complex than ‘cookies in: behaviours out’. Not only that it can be a massive relief to realise you don’t have to be constantly rewarding every single thing you’ve asked your dog to do. In the early stages, sure food is an awesome way to teach new behaviours and build up a history of reinforcement - but it’s not the be all and end all to how dogs learn. In fact, you can even find that once you shift from a behaviour your maintaining with food to simply insisting on it, your dog relaxes more, is more compliant and your relationship becomes less about being a cookie dispenser for your dog, and more about enjoying each other.
2. Changing your mood
This is might feel a bit ‘woo’ but it’s honestly massive for you and your dog. When you feel yourself creeping into frustration or even anger - check yourself before you wreck yourself. If you can channel calm or even playful - this will be present in the way you communicate with your dog and can completely change the dynamic of the situation. If nothing else - you’ll feel better!
3. Sitting still
Practicing sitting still in different places and locations is a fantastic way to desensitise to the world. This will help with your ongoing socialisation. It will create a pattern of calmness in unfamiliar places with unfamiliar people, and teach your dog a deeper level of skill when it comes to taking time to decompress.
What are your weird tricks you like to do with your dogs?
