What you’ll need - A happy, healthy dog. - Food/treats to reward - you’ll be holding food in both hands so make sure you have enough and don’t be cheap. - A clicker or verbal marker (doesn’t matter what your marker is. Just make sure it’s the same every time). - Phone or camera (or a friend to film). I recommend filming your sessions to identify what worked well and what didn’t. - Quiet, non-distracting space with good light - especially when starting out. Step-by-step Step 1 — Get a dog. Step 2 — Food in both hands. Hold a treat in each hand. Step 3 — Dog by your side — doesn’t matter which side. Start with the dog in a neutral standing position at your side if you need to. Step 4 — Lure from start to finish - Start by showing the lure (food) low near the dog’s nose and slowly move it to the target finished position (e.g., sit at your left). Keep the lure moving smoothly and clearly so the dog follows with their head and body. - Swap hands behind your back to keep a nice flowing movement. - Mark and reward only when the dog reaches the finished position. Click / “Yes!” the instant the dog is in the correct spot, then give the treat from the closest hand. Marking & rewarding — keep it clean 1. Always mark the finished position (click / “Yes!”) the instant it happens. Don’t mark early. 2. Reward from the closest hand so the dog learns the finish position - make sure you’ve got food readily available in both hands before starting the training session. 3. Avoid paying partway through 4. Don’t reward or let the dog take the treat while they’re still in motion or not in the finished position. If you reward mid-move, the dog may learn “get reward in the middle” — not what you want. If the dog makes a mistake 1. Correct with the lure: calmly place the lure back where it needs to be and guide them to the correct finish, then mark & reward. OR 1. Reset: Simply start the exercise again. Don’t get frustrated or tell your dog off - keep it neutral and short. If for whatever reason it’s just not happening then move on to something your dog knows how to do and end the session on a high.

If you had unlimited time and unlimited money. What dog breed you would get and why?

Hey All! Just wanted to introduce myself and my awesome doggos. I’m Richard and love training my two dogs and recently I’ve started to push their boundaries and limitations even more - it has been so fun to see what we can achieve and it’s been awesome for them and me. Clive (the Chihuahua) – At times, he’s your typical Chihuahua in that he doesn’t like random people or dogs getting in his face, and he’ll make it clear where you stand with him. When he was younger, he showed some reactivity towards dogs and people, but over the years he’s become much more neutral and happy to do his own thing. He’s also super cuddly—on his terms. Clive’s treated just like my Staffy: no babying, no carrying, and definitely no encouraging reactivity like some people do with small breeds *whispers* it’s not cute 🤫. He attends group training classes and does obedience work with me. Donny aka The Don (the Staffordshire) – She’s your typical goofy, hyper Staffordshire who thinks the world is amazing, every person and every dog wants to be friends, and there’s absolutely no question about it! She was the naughty disruptive kid at puppy class and couldn’t partake in group activities because dogs are her weakness…on a flat collar, she used to pull so hard to say hi to other dogs that she’d actually pass out — obviously very rude, and having your dog faint isn’t ideal. That’s where my training journey with The Don began. Donny attends group classes to work on neutrality and also does obedience training with me — sometimes she gets so excited that she’ll offer every trick she knows, just hoping that one of them will be rewarded. I’m looking forward to getting to know you guys, tell me a bit about yourself and your dogs personality, quirks and all!

Nothing will brighten our day like cute photos of dogs! Share the last pic you took of your dog/s in comments 😍