From Sally Silverman (Freestyle, Tricks, Agility):

“Always set your dog up for success. Plan each training session so that your dog will be successful, and can thereby earn rewards. Marking and rewarding the behaviors we like is how we communicate what we want with our dogs.”

Training should be fun! Your dog should perceive every training session as a game. And there are loads of games you can use for training. Here’s one you and your dog can play just about any time:

Hide and Seek

Put your dog in a sit stay and leave the room. Proof the stay a couple of times by returning to reward him for staying. At first, hide just on the other side of the wall, then call, “Come!” If this game is new to your dog, go back to hiding behind the wall and returning to the dog to deliver the reward a few times. When you are confident that he is up to the challenge, make it harder. Make a fuss and give a treat when he finds you. This game reinforces stays and recalls, and though it is definitely more challenging, it is great to play with multiple dogs.

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