Wagfield Academy

Retrieve is a fun game to play, but it’s also a great form of exercise especially if you have a high energy breed.

Does your dog know how to shake? Not only is shake a cute party trick, but it is also useful when introducing your pup to new people.

Force-free myths debunked: It is simply a myth that positive reinforcement training must be paired with aversive training. Positive reinforcement training is effective largely because it strengthens the relationship between you and your dog through trust and predictability. To discover more myths about force-free training visit our blog:... http://www.wagfieldpuppyacademy.com//force-free-myths-deb/ See more

Happy 4th of July! Are you bringing your dog to an Independence Day celebration? Be sure to prepare for cooling your dog in the heat, keeping him calm during fireworks, and managing food temptations. Check out Dogs 101 for more detailed tips: ... http://ow.ly/QuqNE See more

Does your dog bark uncontrollably when visitors arrive? With fear-based barking inside the home, it can be very helpful to teach your dog to go to his bed when visitors enter. Going to his bed gives your pup a safe place to be at a distance from the fearsome stimulus (strange visitors) where he can relax and be rewarded with treats for his efforts. Check out our Go To Your Mat training modules to help build this behavior:... https://www.wagfield.com/online-dog-train/course/puppy-101/ See more

Pass the puppy! One-on-one interaction and handling time with friends and family is so important for building your puppy's socialization skills. Learn more about socialization in our Puppy 101 course: http://ow.ly/Q3aii

Does your dog bust through the door as soon as you open it? Manage that impatience by teaching her a door wait! This skill will teach your pup that sitting in front of the door until released is awesome.

Is your dog unreliable with coming when called? Never chase or yell at your dog if she doesn't come back to you immediately. Punishing your dog once she gets to you will only teach her that coming back to you is not fun.

How do you teach your dog "down"? The idea is that when the rear is down and the elbows hit the ground, your dog should be rewarded.

Accidents and mistakes will happen. Rather than using force as a quick-fix, use a problem solving approach to reduce the likelihood it will happen again!

Simon says, practice your dog's recall skills! Simon Says is a great game for training your dog to come when called. With the help of a friend or family member, call your dog back and forth between the two of you, only rewarding your dog when she goes to the person who called her.

Don't just teach your dog to sit...teach her to sit at your side! Sitting on the side is a much more useful skill because it helps with training walking on leash as well as stopping at curbs. For a how-to steps for teaching sitting at the side, see our Puppy 101 course:... https://www.wagfield.com/online-dog-train/course/puppy-101/ See more

Checking in is an excellent skill for your pup to have, as it is a foundational behavior to successful loose-leash walking.