Did you know your dog needs a break when training?

Did you know that your puppy or dog can only learn so much? And that your dog needs lots of breaks to process what they have learned?

The answer is yes; you should give your dog many breaks during training. You may notice that as you train your dog, they start looking for something else to do after a while. Or if you keep asking them to sit, they won’t do it anymore. Then that means give them a break! You should always aim to set up a situation where your dog or puppy asks to work and do more.

This is especially important when training your puppy. If your puppy starts jumping, tugging, biting, or barking at you, you must balance the overly stimulating training with a calming exercise. Even though you put your puppy in the crate, that doesn’t mean it’s calming down. If something goes wrong while training, stop what you’re doing and try the Give Me a Break Game. This resets the situation, and you can re-cue the behavior you asked the puppy to do.

Give Me a Break game:

This teaches the dog to follow you and to check in with you. It is also a natural way to give the dog a break.

Here is what to do:

· Put the treat down and walk just a few steps away from the dog as he eats it.

· Wait for him to come to you and put the next treat down.

· You can start by watching the dog, but eventually, you will be standing back turned to the dog, so he comes up and gets your attention to ask for the next rep.

· Add a distraction.