Pets can be a lot of work. Between the supplies, making sure they have enough playtime and the adjustment of adding to your family can be a lot to take on. Although we love our pets and would do anything to see them happy in life, the one responsibility that may be the biggest effort pet parents have to put forth is training. Having a pet that knows the basic commands can be the difference between enjoying your playtime and exerting yourself more than usual during playtime. With many pet owners still working from home, we thought it would be a great time to get a glimpse into the world of dog training and gather some tips for those still at home who need some help.

We reached out to local dog trainer and walker Courtney Ducey from Ducey Dog Walking, LLC to get a little more insight into dog training as well as some tips for basic commands to work on at home with your dogs!

Ducey Dog Walking, LLC was originally started as just a dog walking business. “Dogs pulling on the leash has ALWAYS been a pet peeve of mine, so I had unknowingly been incorporating training into my daily walks anyway,” says owner Coutrney Ducey. She knew once she made that connection, she wanted to move towards her passion for helping dog owners make those same connections while helping to create new relationships between dogs and dog owners. Courtney has been slowly migrating over to the training aspect of dogs, so while she does enjoy dog walking, she focuses more on teaching the dogs how to walk on the leash and be successful with walking and no pulling.

And while we acknowledge that all dogs are different, there is that question of is there a right and a wrong way to teach a dog commands?

“It all depends on your dog,” says Courtney. “Some dogs will be just fine learning everything through treats and positive reinforcement, some dogs need more direction and corrections in order to learn.” 

Depending on what your dog is motivated by, there is an easier way to train them if they enjoy their treats, toys or even affection for their reward. While that may be easier for some dog owners, Courtney says there are also easier ways to train around your dog if they aren’t motivated by anything, so don’t get discouraged and try a few things out to see what is easiest for your and your dog. Treats may be the go to for most dog owners, but sometimes thinking outside the box can help to find your dog's true motivation and make everything click for them. “Training can be overwhelming and frustrating,” explains Courtney. “Especially if it isn’t clicking right away. But it can also be extremely fun and rewarding. Keep at it and don’t be afraid to ask for help.”

Motivation can be tricky, but what about teaching a command versus teaching a trick? Is there a difference when trying to teach the two?

“Yes and no,” says Courtney. “The same theories can be applied to trick work and command training, but I tend to be stricter on command training as it usually holds more of a purpose.” Courtney refers to trick training as the more fun one - of course! Where she needs to be more strict with the command training to make sure there is a set purpose and she wants to make sure the dogs get it right almost every time, trick training is more lenient for her but still with the same basics as command training. “Sometimes with command work I will do some shaping, so physically placing the dog in the position I want them to be in; whereas when I’m teaching trick work, I tend to use treats to lure them into the correct position,” points out Courtney. 

Trick training sounds more fun and alluring to the pet owner, but the command training is what can really help your dog focus and learn the basics of proper and safe handling while exploring the everyday. And while a good number of people are still working from home or still staying around the house, we asked Courtney for some tips on working with your dog while still being at home.

Courtney shared that her favorite command to work on during these stay at home days is ‘place.’ 

“Using a raised bed, bed or even just a rug, you train your dog to stay on their ‘place’ until they are released.” Courtney says this is a great command to work on with your pup to teach impulse control and confidence while being very helpful for those Zoom meetings that can’t be interrupted by an energetic pup. “Some dogs catch on right away and some take a while to understand what you are asking, but keeping consistent, calm and confident is the key.”

While we all want our dogs to be perfect, everyone has their good and bad days, so Courtney adds that we can’t expect our dogs to be 100% on all of the time. If you are having trouble working with your dog and aren’t enjoying it, Courtney suggests reevaluating what you can change to help get both of you on the same page and heading towards a more successful path.

At the moment, Courtney is seeing a lot of people struggling with leash manners and separation anxiety with their dogs. “With the weather finally getting better and warmer, we want to be out with our dogs enjoying what we can,” says Courtney. “But people are realizing that they can’t enjoy their walk as much because their dog doesn’t know how to behave.” Expecting calm energy and exuding it every step of the process is one of Courtney’s biggest advice for helping your pup walk more appropriately. She suggests waiting until your dog is calm and relaxed before even leashing up to go for that walk, and practicing this with each step in the process of that walk such as after leashing up your dog, before you exit the house, once you get outside and so on. “Starting a walk with excited, bursting amounts of energy will make it easier for your dog to become reactive and excited when they see distractions,” says Courtney. 

Courtney also says that with the wave of adoptions during the pandemic, a lot of those dogs are not used to being left alone since they have had so much time with their new owners on lockdown in the house. With some of us heading back to the office and leaving our canine companions alone, Courtney suggests taking that drive to Starbucks by yourself every day to start building up their tolerance to being alone; which should help increase their amount of time of staying home alone and decrease that anxiety they feel when you have to leave.

Training a dog can be a lot of work, but the reward can be paw-sitively amazing. Thanks to Courtney Ducey from Ducey Dog Walking, LLC, we have a better glimpse into the world of dog training and how we can incorporate some of her advice into our relationships with our dogs. 

About Ducey Dog Walking LLC

Ducey Dog Walking, LLC specializes in leash reactivity and dog obedience, using calm energy to connect with dogs and to better understand their needs. Services offered include pack walks, leash manners and reactivity training and day training. You can find more information about Ducey Dog Walking, LLC at their website or on their Facebook page. 

Don’t forget to reward Fido for all of his good behavior with some walks from a daily dog walker! Going Mutts Pet Services is just as excited about the warm weather as you are, so book your daily walks and playtime for your favorite canine companion with us today to give them that exercise and fresh air they need! Contact us for a free Meet n’ Greet to customize your walks, playtimes and check-ins.