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Thoughts of a Professional Dog Trainer

Learn about the day to day life of a successful private dog trainer in Chicago, IL. Gain insight into the challenges of being a trainer as well as tips to help you with your dog.

Not enough time for dog training? Tips to find time.

 Everyone is busy. My wife and I are taking a guitar class together and it is amazing how the week flies by and I realize I haven't practiced enough.

I am sure you are busy as well and can never find enough time to train your dog. Here are some tips to help you find the time.
  • Do short training sessions before EVERYTHING that your dog wants. Examples include walks, dinner, belly rubs, games of fetch.
  • Use what I call the Calorie Bowl. Portion out your dog's daily food including a few tasty treats and put it on the counter out of reach. Grab handfuls of it throughout the day and do quick training sessions. When the food is done, your dog is done eating for the day. No worries about overfeeding and it forces you to think about daily training.
  • Use Kongs to feed your dog. Extracting food out of Kongs is a great way to provide your dog with mental stimulation.
  • Have a favorite outside-only toy that your dog gets for good behavior on walks. Give it to him or her for a snappy behavior such as walking next to you for 20 steps. Then, take it away and ask for more of the behavior before your dog gets it back.
  • One of my favorites: put training sessions in your calendar. Everything else is scheduled, why not training? One of my private client's favorite things about our sessions is that it reminds them to do weekly training. If you schedule it, you will find the time!

More tips like these can be found in my streaming online dog training videos.

Now I want to hear what you have to say. It is so much more fun if you take part in the conversation. If you are not a member, all you need to do is Join.

Comments

 

chasnkris said:

I loved your comments about training during commerical breaks from football.  We don't watch much TV, but there are always moments where there is a lull in the day...now, I'll keep some of my dog's breakfast handy for fast training snacks and do little snippets during those transition moments in life.

Do you have any particular foods that you love for quick, easy, non-messy training snacks?  My dog is not very food driven (yet)...but I do know he loves hot dogs!

December 29, 2007 10:21 PM

About Jeff Millman

I am a private dog trainer in Chicago, IL. I studied at the famous Academy for Dog Training in San Francisco, with the phenomenal trainer Jean Donaldson. I started Chicago Paws, my private dog training business in 2001 and I started my online dog training site WatchandTrain.com January of 2007. I launched the community portion of the site at the end of 2007. I am a zealot about positive reinforcement-only dog training and want everyone to enjoy their dogs as much as I enjoy mine -- without using pain or fear of any kind in dog training. I live in Chicago with my wonderful wife, Cassy and our two Collies, Ranger and Trooper, and our Shetland Sheepdog, Linus.

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