In the last blog, I presented an overview and the reasons behind my version of the Learn to Earn Program. In this blog I will cover the basic steps. #1 First Teach Your Dog to Automatically Say Please By Sitting for Treats (Read Perfect Puppy in 7 Days, section 5.2 and watch Say Please By Sitting). Just hold a treat when you have a hungry dog (on leash) and quietly wait for her to sit. Once she sits, immediately give her a treat (kibble or treats) followed by a few more sequentially for remaining seated. Then take a few steps backwards, far

Humans can develop the needed communication skills while training dogs to have self-control and emotional control in one fun, reward-based program called the Learn to Earn Program. In this program, humans gain leadership by controlling all the resources that motivate the pet and requiring the pet willingly work for these items instead of getting them for free. The focus is on using all valued resources to reward desirable behaviors while simultaneously removing the rewards for undesirable behavior.

You’ve all heard the saying, “Give a man a fish and feed him for a day, Teach a man to fish and feed him for a liftetime.” This saying holds true for training animals and understanding pets. Instead of just memorizing techniques, people have shown it’s essential to understand learning principles which you can apply to many situations. That way you can come up with solutions to situations that are new to you and your dog and can also better determine which techniques may be more appropriate. One new puppy owner, a reader of the Art and Science of Animal Behavior

When I created the Treat & Train® (originally called MannersMinder), in 2004, it was marketed as a product to train dogs to lie down calmly when visitors come to the door.  However, my intention was that trainers would help owners use it for all kinds of situations where they could reward dogs for good behavior while the owners were away from them.  Luckily both trainers and owners are catching on and using it for issues ranging from separation anxiety, agility, impulse control issues, and more. In this blog, one dog owner, Juanita Boutwell from Napa, California, recounts her success in using the Treat

It’s one thing to show class participants how to perform certain exercises and to have them practice in class but providing an opportunity to practice them in the context closer to real life using games and prizes turns a regular class into a spectacular event! We did just this in our first ever Learn to Earn Scavenger Hunt at my house last week, which was week five of a six-week beginning dog training class. The class was comprised of first-time dog owners, experienced dog owners, as well as humans who foster dogs for shelters and rescue groups. What the Learn

     Training dogs to say please by sitting for everything they want seems simple, but the concept is so new to most dog owners that they frequently continue to reward exactly the opposite of what they want. Our class of beginning dogs is doing great overall. They have good focus outside and can walk on loose leash but we know they can improve even faster if they are diligent about their own and their pooch’s behavior in the house. So tomorrow we’re holding most of the class in a real-life home situation and playing the Learn to Earn Scavenger