Here are some tricks to help your dog be a good host for Halloween visitors and earn some
treats for himself.
Leave It
A great save when any chocolate or candy accidentally drops on the floor! With your dog on
a leash in a sit or a down, hold their collar in your left hand. Place a treat on the ground with your right hand and say “leave it.” If your dog tries to get the treat, cover it with your hand. When your dog looks away from the treat, mark the behaviour with a “yes” or your clicker and give them a new treat. Always reward your dog with a different treat then the one they are asked to leave, so they learn that they never get to have the treat you asked them to leave. When your dog looks at you as soon as you say “leave it,” you can remove the leash and build up the difficulty of item they are asked to leave.
Sitting Nicely for Petting
If your dog tends to jump up on people start with learning the “off” command. With your dog on
a leash place your foot on his leash so that he has enough room to stand up, sit and lay down
but not to jump. Talk to him in an excited voice, if he tries to jump up say “off” and then “sit”.
If he listens, reward. Practice with other people coming to greet him on leash and allow them
only to pet your dog when he is sitting. Once he has mastered this skill on leash, you can
remove the leash and continue to practice.
Go to Your Bed & Stay
Choose a command word you would like to use, such as “bed” or “mat.” Lure your dog to their bed by getting really excited about their bed and then rewarding them with a treat once they are on the bed. Give the dog extra treats if they lay down as this is the desired response. Add a command and gradually increase the amount of time they are on the bed and the exciting distractions that go on while they are on the bed.
