Welcome to
Fundamental Dog Training 101!

Mastering the Clicker

Be a good TEAM LEADER! As a dog pawent it’s essential to understand that training happens on BOTH ENDS OF THE LEASH! Through our reward-based training techniques, you can build a strong relationship with your dog based on love, support, and trust. When you do, your dog will choose to rely on you for play, emotional support, attention, direction, permission, or if confused or scared. This module is about 10 minutes and it's presented in four training sessions: Marker Training, Test Your Skills, Load The Clicker, and Verbal Marker. You will learn how to communicate with your dog using a marker to distinguish desired behaviors during training sessions. What’s more, we have developed fun games and exercises you can complete with your dog and earn REWARD POINTS redeemable for our HappyTails products. Happy training!

Training Techniques

Imagine embracing your favorite DIY project without any knowledge of the process! Mastering reward-based training techniques are the essential tools you can acquire for your training toolkit that will make this journey truly rewarding and enjoyable for both you and your dog. In this module, you will learn important training techniques and key training concepts including the lure, capturing, shaping, release, as well as verbal and visual cues. Together we will set you and your dog up for success and have FUN, as you both grow confident with your newly acquired skill sets. Enjoy!

Default Focus

Focus is powerful! Teaching your dog to focus on you is a truly rewarding experience for you both not just psychologically, but biochemically. Recent scientific research has proven that just 5 minutes of eye contact between you and your pup releases the hormone oxytocin in both of you. Oxytocin reduces stress, enhances feelings of love and compassion, and plays a key role in social bonding. Remarkable, isn’t it? In this module, you will learn how to capture and mark your dog for choosing to look at you, or what we call DEFAULT FOCUS. Your dog will learn how rewarding it is to check in with you even in distracting environments. Remember patience is key so move at a pace that both you and your pup are comfortable with and get ready to enjoy a truly next-level bond with your dog that will last a lifetime.

Sit

Dogs love to sit… on your lap, next to you on the couch, anywhere and everywhere you are! For your dog, learning to sit on cue can help them perform a behavior that comes naturally to them and earn rewards simultaneously. For dog parents, sitting on cue is a vital tool in your training toolkit that will help you bring impulse control and predictability to daily activities with your furry BFF. In this module, we will begin using a LURE, then move to a VISUAL HAND CUE, and finally, add in the VERBAL SIT CUE. Before you know it, you will have MASTERED THE SIT and that's something to BARK about!

Down

You know how wonderful it is to lay down at the end of a long day? Well, your pup feels the same! In this module, you will first learn how to move your dog into the down position. Then you'll build up to asking your dog to lay down using a visual hand signal and a verbal cue. Patience is golden at this stage along with high-value treats so get your wag on and have fun!

Wait

The WAIT cue is one of the most versatile and useful behaviors you can teach your dog. It tells your pup to pause in whatever position you require, or stop moving across a boundary until you call them to you or release them. This safety cue can even prevent your dog from bolting out the front door or running into the street. In this module, you will learn how to ask your dog to wait at doorways and other boundaries using a visual or verbal cue. You will gradually build up duration, distance, and distractions while your dog is in a wait. Let's get training!