That saying, “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks”, can sometimes be true, even with people! We get stuck in our ways and have a hard time trying something new. You can find a way past the scariness and potential failure if you are motivated enough and go slow during the process.

Dogs are the same way! When helping your dog learn something new, break down the steps into tiny behaviors! Start with the first tiny behavior and don’t make it more difficult until your dog is super successful and comfortable! Use a really good reward for your dog as they try this new thing. Dogs love human food, smelly things, and items that they don’t usually get. Or you can use their favorite toy to play with them.

Sometimes you have to get creative to help motivate a dog! This week in class, we used running down the alley and sniffing and peeing on things outside to help Benny be more excited about doing agility.

At Journey Agility, we love helping dogs and humans find a way to learn new tricks!