AKC is a participant in affiliate advertising programs designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to akc.org. If you purchase a product through this article, we may receive a portion of the sale.
Sometimes life gets incredibly busy, and you may have to spend less time with your beloved dog. You might want to spend that time playing with them, not training basic obedience. But without proper training, your dog isn’t happy, and their inevitable bad behavior means you aren’t either. So how do you squeeze that essential training into your busy lifestyle? Here are five quick tips to help you take advantage of every opportunity to make training easy and fun.
Keep Your Training Sessions Short
Although training classes are often one hour long, that’s not the goal for at-home sessions. For most dogs, short bursts of training are far more suitable. If you think you must schedule hour-long intervals, you’ll likely never find the time for regular sessions. Five minutes per session is more than enough. Anything longer, and you risk having your dog become bored or frustrated. If you keep things fun and stop before your dog loses interest, it will help build enthusiasm for future training sessions.
Spread Training Throughout the Day
Short training sessions are far easier to fit in during the day. Every time you interact with your dog, you have an opportunity to train, even if it’s as simple as practicing “sit” before you let them outside to go to the bathroom. Before you know it, a few minutes here and there will add up to far more time than that hoped-for hour-long session.
To help make training part of your daily routine, keep rewards close at hand. Wear a treat bag around your waist, put a few pieces of kibble in your pocket, place treat containers in strategic places around your home, or put a tug toy by the sofa, so you’re ready whenever you get the chance to train.
Take Advantage of Mealtimes
A bowl of food is a huge reward. Why waste it by simply placing it on the floor? Mealtimes are a perfect way to schedule daily training sessions. At the very least, have your dog perform a desired behavior before you give them their bowl. You could also consider dividing up their food to get as many repetitions as you can. This is easiest with pieces of kibble, but even canned food or raw food can be doled out one spoonful at a time for each correct response.
Use Rewards Other Than Food
Anything your dog is willing to work for is a reward, from going for a walk to getting a cuddle. So, if your dog thinks something is great, you can use it in your training. That means you don’t always have to have a treat in your hand, opening up a lot of training opportunities.
Any time your dog wants something, consider taking a moment to train. Rather than handing over the good stuff for nothing, work on a few behaviors first. Tossing their favorite squeaky toy can be a wonderful reward for a “stay,” or opening the back door for access to the yard can be a perfect way to reward a “down,” for example. Having your dog earn a variety of rewards will help you fit training into your day-to-day activities.
Don’t Let Walks Go to Waste
There are many rewarding objects out in the world. Just the chance to sniff the neighborhood fire hydrant is super exciting from a dog’s perspective. So, take advantage of this and work a little training in with the exercise. For example, have your dog “sit” before letting them explore the boulevard or work on “leave it” with leaves and acorns. But be cautious when training new behaviors outdoors. Learning is far more difficult in an exciting environment, so be sure your dog has mastered the basics in a quiet location before adding the element of distraction.
The more that training becomes an everyday part of life with your dog, the more your dog will benefit. Their mind will be stimulated and they’ll better understand the rules of the household. Plus, they’ll gain a sense of control over their environment as they learn how to earn what they wants.
If you keep things fun and engaging, training time can become synonymous with playtime. Rather than thinking of training as something that’s taking time away from fun and games with your dog, make it just another way to enjoy spending time together.