Neighbor News
Give Your Dog A Job #2: Continuing Education
Most domestic dogs are pretty bored which can lead to nuisance behaviors around the house ... I say, let's give that bored dog a job!
All creatures have a simple purpose — to survive long enough to reproduce and pass on their genes.
Since domestication has taken that evolutionary pressure off our canine companions, one might say that they’ve got a lot of time on their paws. Unchanneled, that downtime is sometimes expressed in what we might consider to be naughty or nuisance behaviors around the house.
I say, let’s give that bored dog a job!
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Here at Janice Z Dog Training headquarters, our beloved companions get lots
of exercise for their bodies and minds with sniffaris, playtime, kibble hunts, food toys, and more. Most of these are easy to integrate into everyday life.
For instance, at mealtimes, take a handful of your dog’s dry food and ask for a few sits and downs, or have her go to her place and call her to you.
Find out what's happening in Medfordfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Would you like to teach your dog to put her toys in a basket or bin every night? This is a great
trick! Even during COVID, many trainers offer tricks classes, nosework, and other specialty classes online. As always, find a trainer who uses rewards-based, positive-reinforcement training methods.
Got a dog with a little gray around her muzzle? Older dogs especially benefit from continuing education. Studies show that ongoing positive-reinforcement training (i.e. brain work!) has positive cognitive affects that persist into a dog’s later life.
New “job tips” will be released throughout March, so stay tuned! Giving your beloved canine some continuing education is behavior that works for you and your dog.
Janice Z Dog Training uses effective, force-free, rewards-based training methods grounded in the science of animal behavior. Based in Medford, Mass., all private training sessions are currently live and online. No need to wear a mask or worry about being 6' away from others, no need to bundle the dog into a car, tidy the house for the trainer’s visit, or get a babysitter for the kids. Visit Janice Z Dog Training for more information. Sign up for her monthly newsletter here — it’s good news for dogs and their people.