Kyra Sundance - 51 Puppy Tricks. Step-by-Step Activities to Engage, Challenge, and Bond with Your Puppy

Its my turn now, play with me, I can do it!

Step-by-Step Activities
to Engage, Challenge, and
Bond with Your Puppy

Kyra Sundance & Jadie
Photography by Nick Saglimbeni

He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion.

Anonymous

Im gonna take a nap now.

We hope this book inspires you to not only teach tricks, but to Do More With Your Dog!

Kyra Sundance & Jadie

When you bring a new puppy into your household, he becomes part of your family. By making the effort to work with your puppy on his first tricks, youre taking a strong step toward developing a closer bond with your dog.

In this book you will use positive training methods to build a joyful relationship with your puppy, where he is a willing partner in the training process. Trick training builds relationships by deepening communication pathways, trust, and mutual respect. It offers a way to bond with your puppy as you strive toward common goals and delight in your successes. The trust and cooperative spirit developed through this process will last a lifetime.

Measure your puppys success not only by the tricks he has learned, but also by improved attention and focus. Not all puppies will learn at the same rate, but remember, hes your puppy and his success need only be measured in your eyes. While its motivating to have a goal of a finished trick, the best thing that comes out of training your puppy is the bond that develops through working together. Dont be so focused on the goal that you miss the joys of the journey!

I have so much to do today, I dont know how I can possibly get it all done!

MAKE TRAINING FUN FOR YOUR PUPPY

Teaching tricks to your puppy will increase his intelligence as his brain is challenged to learn new things. Early training will set the tone for how your puppy feels about training in the future, so it is important to keep training fun and rewarding for your puppy.

Dont treat training like a chore or your puppy will associate training, and you, with boredom. Be happy, enthusiastic, and encouraging! Blur the line between play and work by playing a few minutes after every training session.

When your puppy does something right, use your high-pitched happy voice, which is instinctively rewarding for him. Your happy voice should rise in pitch at the end, in a sing-songy tone: good boy!

Dont Show Frustration

Your puppy needs time to learn, and requires many, many consistent repetitions. When teaching him a new trick, your puppy may squirm, paw, and obsess over the treat in your hand. If you feel yourself getting angry or frustrated during a training session, the best thing you can do is to walk away. Your puppy can sense when you are upset, and you wouldnt want him to associate training with your frustration.

Keep Sessions Short

Puppies have short attention spans. Dont train past the point where your puppy has lost interest. Several five-minute sessions per day are ideal for most puppies.

Quit With Him Wanting More

Quit your training session while everyone is having a good time, and before your puppy gets bored or tired. Quit with him wanting more so he looks forward to the next session.

End on a High Note

Keep your puppy feeling good about training by always ending on a successful note, even if you have to go back to an easier step to achieve this. Ask your puppy for a behavior he knows well; praise him excitedly for it; and end the session then.