For puppies between 8-16 weeks of age, the focus of Preschool is on socialization and confidence building with activities designed to give your puppy a positive experience while learning how to navigate their world during this critical age.
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 teach our dogs a release word to let them know that they can get up from whatever position we left them waiting in. You can make your release word anything you want. At BlueDog, we recommend that you use the word ‘free’ but you can get creative if you Read More
Teaching our dogs to follow us as we walk backwards (and then pivot) is one of the beginning steps for training loose leash walking. Additionally, having your dog understanding to walk towards you as you walk backwards can be a useful tool for getting your dog to move from the Read More
Stationing is sending your dog to a visual target such as a mat or dog bed and having them stay there until they are released. How to Teach: Start by building value for the station. Load some treats in your hand. Toss a treat, while your dog is getting the Read More
Every dog at some point in their life will need to be groomed. It’s important to get them comfortable with the tools you’ll be using for both you and your dog. How to Introduce: Note: You can use this same process for any handling exercises you need to do with Read More
‘Touch’ is a behavior that cues our dogs to touch our hand with their nose. Touch has several practical applications such as moving your dog somewhere new (for example off the couch), helping orient your dog towards you, or bring their focus back on you. By learning touch, your dog will Read More
In order to help our dogs learn there are a few things that we as handlers need to keep in mind so we’re able to make sure that our training sessions remain successful and run smoother. The best way to hold your hands when training your dog is in a Read More
Clicker training is a form of marker training. Marker training is where you MARK the behavior you like and reward it to increase the possibility of it happening again in the future! Marker training is one of the most effective ways to train your dog. There are different ways you Read More
Leash. Treats. Clicker. Dog. That can be a lot to handle all at once! This homework teaches you how you can manage them all by following Kim’s tips for which hand to use and how to hold each. Following these instructions will make holding your tools easier and help the Read More
The 1-2-3 Game is a super fun pattern game that we use to help with many things including loose leash walking. How to Play: Starting in a stationary position say “3” and give your dog a treat. Once they start anticipating that treat when you say 3, that’s when you Read More