Positive Pet Training #13: Celebrating Small Wins in Dog Training

Sometimes when you’re struggling with your dog, it’s hard to remember the training successes you have had and how your dog is improving. Mr. N had a meltdown during a training workshop this weekend and both of us were really stressed out. He came home, ate dinner and has been sleeping since.

So I wanted to share some of the small successes we’ve had and I hope you’ll share some of yours as well.

• I was baking popovers in the kitchen and Mr. N voluntarily came over and lay on his mat and stayed there while I baked.
• He did not react to the Pomeranian that he usually has a barking fest with and ignored her with the help of some string cheese. Twice. 
• He ignored the pony that we saw at the bar. 
• He is getting better at ignoring his arch-nemesis, the goose that lives down the lane. She likes to flap her wings and hiss at him. And yes, we do live in the city. 
• He is not freaking out in the car when I leave him to run into the store/library/etc. 

For April’s blog hop, we’re issuing a training challenge where you teach your pet something new in ten minutes. It’s totally possible especially if you teach something that builds off a foundation trick your dog already knows. I taught Mr. N in the video below how to fetch a (toy) saw and bring it back in less than ten minutes.

Welcome to First Monday’s Positive Pet Training Blog Hop hosted by Cascadian Nomads, Tenacious Little Terrier and Rubicon Days. Please share your responsible pet owner positive pet training tips by linking a blog post or leaving a comment below. Any positive reinforcement training posts or comments are also always welcome. The Positive Pet Training Blog Hop goes all week long. Our next hop will begin Monday, April 6th.