Some dogs don’t just like their favorite toy — their reward system lights up when they play with it. That dopamine hit is why toys can be such powerful training rewards for certain dogs. When it comes to training, the three primary ways I reward are: • Food • Verbal + physical praise (voice, touch, connection) • Toy rewards Not all dogs are motivated the same way. Some have a much higher toy drive than others, and while toy drive can be built, certain breeds naturally lean into it more — Labs especially tend to have strong toy motivation. For my crew: 🔴 Padfoot’s favorite toy = the red Kong Frisbee ⭕ Ginny & Arly’s favorite toy = the rubber rings ⚽ Griz’s favorite toy = a ball The goal isn’t to force one reward — it’s to use what your dog finds most rewarding to make training extra fun! 👇 Your turn: What’s your dog’s favorite toy, and will they work for it? 🐾

Alright, let’s have some fun. This is a cute, simple game that's fun and helps increase your dog’s eye contact with you! Prerequisite: Your dog should have a solid Place / Climb / Platform (whatever you call it) where they can stay put. How the game works: 1️⃣ Put your dog on place. 2️⃣ Have their food ready (meal or training food). 3️⃣ Start a few steps away and look at your dog. 4️⃣ When your dog makes eye contact, take a step toward them. 5️⃣ The moment they break eye contact — you stop moving. 6️⃣ When they re-engage and look back at you, move closer again. 7️⃣ Repeat until you’re right next to them and they’re giving you great eye contact. 8️⃣ Mark with “YES” and reward — either the full meal or a variable amount of food. Reset, try again, and repeat. Reward them for staying on place and choosing to look at you. This should feel fun, calm, and engaging — not rushed. I can’t wait to see everyone’s videos 👀🐶 Post them below and/or under "Eye Contact Game 💪 CHALLENGE" 💥🐾

Hi all cool dog humans 👋 Happy Holidays & Happy New Year! 🎉 I hope everyone had a great break filled with love, family, friends, and lots of doggo kisses 🐶💋 I’m really excited for 2026. I’ve got lots of fun ideas to keep growing this space, having fun, and doing cool stuff with our doggo best friends. One thing I want to start adding in here is random dog facts — little nuggets that help you understand your dog better. Random Dog Fact: Did you know dogs make eye contact with humans way more than they do with other dogs? 👀 That’s because eye contact with people is largely a learned behavior. Dogs learn that looking at us leads to good things — information, connection, praise, rewards. You can encourage this by marking and rewarding eye contact during training. Every look is a moment worth reinforcing. Question for you: Does your dog naturally check in and make eye contact with you — or is that something you’ve had to work on? 👀🐾

Sandy was doing some training with my mom so she could practice working with someone else. At the end she decided just to be sure she got a treat that she would put all four paws on the spot. Please enjoy 🤣