Picture your impulsive, excitable, energetic dog. Now picture your dog, but he comes when called even in the dog park, has a perfect sit, and can roll-over, play dead, or sit pretty on cue—also, you’ve taught him to ring a bell when he needs to go out for a bathroom break. It doesn’t need to be a total fantasy: a few training tools, time to research training techniques, and a lot (like, really a lot!) of practice will have you and your pooch learning, bonding, and having fun. Here, the tools you’ll need to get the job done.
Clickers are a cheap, easy, effective way to mark your dog’s good behavior—they’re the ideal companion for positive reinforcement training, which involves rewarding your pooch whenever they do something you like: sit, lie down, looking at you instead of lunging at the squirrel. This four-pack will let you give one to every member of the family—they come with wrist straps, so they won’t get lost in pockets, and make that iconic click sound that signals to your pup: good job. It’s treat time.
The concept of a target stick is straightforward: when you teach your pup the “touch” command, he’ll touch the target with his nose. In reality, it can be a big helper in your training—this one is retractable (15cm at its shortest, 70cm fully extended—it easily fits in your pocket) and has an obvious foam red ball at its tip as a target. You can use it to get your dog’s attention on walks, or just make it easier on yourself when teaching tricks. Instead of contorting yourself with a food lure, just point and spin, instead. (Also, it’s super cheap, no reason not to let it benefit your training).
For the trainer who wants it all, grab this treat pouch, which you can keep strapped to your waist for easy access in your training sessions. It comes in black, gray, or blue with contrasting, fluorescent colored mesh. It’s got two pockets, a big compartment, and a poop bag dispenser. Bonus: it comes with a clicker and a collapsible food or water bowl, so you can take your training across long walks. And the shoulder straps for the pouch (it can also be clipped to a belt) has reflective straps for safety at night.
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