09/01/2025
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A to Z of Dog Training
A – Attention
The foundation of all training. If your dog’s eyes and mind are not on you, everything else is background noise. Train attention before anything else.
B – Boundaries
Dogs thrive on knowing where the lines are. Clear, fair boundaries prevent confusion and build trust.
C – Consistency
Say what you mean, mean what you say, and do it every time. Inconsistency is the fastest way to undo training.
D – Duration
A command is not just about performing a behaviour but holding it. Build duration gradually to create reliability.
E – Engagement
Training should be a conversation, not a lecture. Keep your dog mentally invested in you.
F – Focus
The ability to filter out distractions. Teaching focus means your dog will listen, even when the world is tempting them otherwise.
G – Generalisation
Dogs don’t naturally generalise behaviours. Just because your dog sits in the kitchen doesn’t mean they’ll sit in the park. Proof in many places.
H – Habits
Good or bad, habits form quickly. Shape daily routines that reinforce the behaviours you want.
I – Impulse Control
From waiting at doors to resisting the urge to chase, impulse control is what separates a polite companion from a chaotic one.
J – Jobs
Every dog needs a purpose, whether it’s scent work, retrieving, guarding, or simply learning tricks. Fulfil their biological drive with a “job.”
K – Knowledge
A trainer without knowledge is a liability. Keep learning, about your dog, about training, about yourself.
L – Leadership
Not dominance, but calm, fair guidance. A dog without leadership is a dog left to guesswork.
M – Markers
Clear signals, whether verbal or with a clicker, that tell your dog exactly what they’ve done right, or wrong. Clarity reduces frustration.
N – Neutrality
Not everything requires excitement. A well-trained dog learns neutrality, walking past distractions without fuss.
O – Obedience
Not just tricks, but the cornerstone of safety and harmony. Obedience builds freedom.
P – Patience
Training takes time, repetition, and calm persistence. Patience is often the trainer’s hardest lesson.
Q – Quiet Confidence
A handler who radiates calm assurance creates a dog that feels secure and ready to follow.
R – Recall
The single most important behaviour your dog will ever learn. Reliable recall is a life-saver.
S – Socialisation
Not just playtime with other dogs, but exposure to sounds, surfaces, environments, and people, done calmly and positively.
T – Timing
Reward too late, and your dog learns the wrong thing. Correct too early, and you create confusion. Timing is everything.
U – Understanding
Your dog is an individual with a history, instincts, and personality. Training without understanding is just shouting louder.
V – Value
Make yourself valuable. Food, toys, praise, or play, the higher the value, the harder your dog will work.
W – Work Ethic
Dogs enjoy working when trained correctly. Build a work ethic by keeping training rewarding, fair, and purposeful.
X – eXpectations
Set realistic expectations. Don’t demand the world from a puppy, nor excuse bad behaviour in an adult.
Y – Yielding
Teaching a dog to yield to gentle pressure (lead, hand, body language) creates calm, cooperative handling.
Z – Zeal
Channel your dog’s enthusiasm. Zeal without direction is chaos, but harnessed correctly, it’s power in motion.
