Dogs

Tips on Teaching Your Dog New Tricks

Amber Aquart | January 21, 2021 | 2 minute read

Now that you’re ready to teach your dog or puppy new tricks, don’t forget the treats! Stella & Chewy’s treats like Crav’n Bac’n Bites are perfect for rewarding after a job well done.

Leash Skills

If your dog eats kibble and could use some leash manners, take some of their breakfast or dinner with you on your morning or evening walk. Use the kibble as a reward for walking well on a leash, paying attention to you, and not giving into distractions like other dogs or walkers. You can also take regular dog treats with you instead, but be sure not to overfeed your pup with excessive treats!

Sitting for Grooming/Nail Trims

Make grooming and nail trims a positive at-home experience for your dog with food or treats as rewards. Keep your dog in a comfortable position and encourage them to remain calm with treats. Reward them for relaxing so they can be still while you’re trying to brush them or cut their nails and give more rewards as they let you handle them. Watch for any signs of stress and be patient with this process.

Building Confidence

Use treats to help build your dog’s confidence and make little things less scary, such as items in your home like stairs, or objects they tend to avoid in fear. Offer treats when your dog is in the vicinity of the item and reward them for going closer, sniffing, or pawing. Keep up this process and, soon enough, they will associate this “scary” thing with something positive!

Potty Training

When you’re in the process of potty training your puppy or dog, make sure you always know where they are or confine them to a crate or behind a gate if you can’t watch them. Set a schedule for yourself to take your dog outside to go potty at frequent, regular intervals and reward them for going outside each time.

About the Creators

@bordernerd

Aki Yamaguchi was born in Tokyo, Japan and is currently residing in Texas. She’s a photographer/videographer and a reward-based dog trainer. She was an active member in Search and Rescue and animal-assisted therapy programs with dogs Jazzy and Cooper. She now shares her training videos of her dogs BB and Phoebe on social media in hopes of motivating other dog parents to do more fun training with their pups.

@amberaquart

Amber Oliver Aquart is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer, Studio Animal Trainer, Pet Lifestyle Expert and Influencer. Amber and her two talented rescue mutts, Tuckey and Oakley, have been featured on Animal Planet and in several films and productions. Amber created Pawsitive Development to help educate and inspire others to develop a better relationship with their dogs through positive relationship-based tips and techniques.