In Middle School we build on behaviors learned in Elementary School by adding in more distractions, distance, and duration. We also introduce some fun, new concepts including things like how to teach your dog a trick and the beginning of more complex behaviors.
Once your dog has learned how to do a whiplash turn in an open room, and you have practiced whiplash turn in a doorway step 1 enough that your dog is comfortable moving back and forth over the threshold and orienting to you, you can move on to teaching your Read More
In order to help your dog learn how to do whiplash turn in the doorway, we first teach them about going back and forth through the doorway using other patterns they already know. This comfort level with the movement will make teaching the whiplash turn easier both for you and Read More
Teaching your dog to be comfortable with restraint is an important life skill for them that can be very helpful, especially in an emergency. The goal is to slowly work up to the point where your dog is comfortable with you holding them against your body. This is a great Read More
We are using spin as an example on how to teach a treat in the video and instructions on this page. You can use the same process shown here for many different tricks you want to teach your dog. If you have a trick in mind and aren’t sure where Read More
When playing with your dog it is helpful to remember that play derives from our dog’s desire to chase and hunt things. This means when you are playing with your dog with a toy you want to move the toy so it behaves like it’s trying to get away from Read More
When your dog is at the end of their leash pulling in front of you towards a distraction rather than tugging on the leash to bring them back, you can walk your hands down the leash to their collar and then pivot in front of them to manage the tight Read More
Heel position is when your dog is sitting or standing on your left side in line with your hip facing the same direction as you. Ideally your dog is within 1 foot of your leg. Teaching your dog this position helps make loose leash walking and polite greetings easier for Read More
The Emergency U-Turn is a tool you can use when you want you and your dog to quickly change direction together and move away from a person, dog, or other distraction that may be concerning or too exciting for your dog to pass. This behavior utilizes a moving treat magnet Read More
Once your dog knows how to down using a verbal cue, we want to teach them that your arm overhead is an another cue that means down. The benefit to the overhead signal for down is your dog can see it at a distance which is especially important for safety Read More