Hello hello, and welcome back to Teacher’s Pet, a column on all things training! Every other #TrainingTuesday, Brussels.Sprout will share his how-tos for learning new tricks, updates on his own adventures in agility competition, and his favorite tips for helping you and your pup bond over training.
Back to School
Back to school — and fall in general (hello pupkin spice!) — is our favorite time of year. I mean…
You get new books!
Fresh new lewks!
Extracurriculars!
But most importantly…. education and learning get a turn in the spotlight. So here’s where I get sappy – when PetInsider first launched I wrote a piece called 5 Reasons to Take Your Dog to Class and even today it is my favorite article because I still believe every single word of it. (So lease read it if you haven’t.) Training has change my life and Sprout’s life for the better – we’ve bonded more than I imagined possible, he’s gained confidence, mad skills, and a capacity to learn and I’ve smiled and laughed countless times as I watch him do it all.
We want to encourage you all to use this time of year to think about how you and your dog can benefit by learning something together. And as we explained in our recent PetInsider podcast episode, training doesn’t have to take up a lot of time you don’t have to be a professional – trust me on this one.
Here are three simple ways you can achieve an educational goal this year:
- Teach a really simple new trick. We suggest with BOOP!
- Find little ways throughout the day to work on good behavior and manners. Ask your dog to sit when you open a door or get in an elevator. Or, get him to stay and wait while you put down his dinner bowl.
- Commit to spending 5-10 minutes, twice a week, to engaging your dog’s brain. It can be anything from practicing existing behaviors to helping him play with a puzzle toy. Just google brain games for dogs and you can find a ton of ideas.
So happy Back to School to everyone and we can’t wait to see what you accomplish this year!
xoxo Sigrid + Sproutie
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