Home   Stamford   News   Article

Subscribe Now

Tips for dog behaviour at Christmas




As Christmas approaches, animal behaviour expert Karen Wild has been sharing her tips to make you and your dog a great team.

Hello to all our doggy advent calendar followers!

It’s exciting to know that you are learning as we all get ready for Christmas. Here are the next four exercises for you to practice this week.

Remember that dogs learn little by little, and every skill needs practicing if you’re to be the owner and dog friendship team that everyone loves.

Does your dog need a little guidance over the Christmas break?
Does your dog need a little guidance over the Christmas break?

On the fifth day of Christmas... fetch five things. Get your dog to fetch, and bring back, five different toys. If your dog grabs things and runs away, play this game into a corner so that your dog can only come back to you as he picks up the toy. If your dog isn’t keen on toys, work on getting your dog to play with a toy containing food. Try to get five quick games with it, then put the toy away.

On the sixth day of Christmas...six people playing. Work on socialising your dog by asking six different people to play with your dog, offer your dog a treat, or if your dog is shy, just offer a treat every time you meet a new person. Dogs of any age need to enjoy social contact, so make sure your dog does not get out of practice.

Ollie the beagle is busy with his training this Christmas
Ollie the beagle is busy with his training this Christmas

On the seventh day of Christmas…seven dogs a-leaping. Sit on the floor (if you can’t, put a roll of wrapping paper on the floor)and hold a treat or a toy in one hand and lure your dog over your leg/roll of paper. As your dog jumps over, say ‘jump’ and give the dog the reward. Repeat, using your hand as a signal when you point at the jump so that your dog can see easily to follow your hand. Gradually increase the speed until your dog can jump over quickly rather than just stepping. Repeat seven times then take a break.

On the eighth day of Christmas… eight little ‘leaves’. Choose eight things that your dog likes. This can be a toy, a favourite slipper, a glove, a tissue; anything your dog would normally pick up. Put your dog on a lead, and hold a tasty treat or toy in your hand.

Spread out the chosen items on the floor with plenty of space in between. As your dog goes to sniff at an item, call them back, saying “leave”as you offer the treat. Praise well and give the dog the treat as they turn away. Repeat for each of the eight items, using the lead to gently steer the dog if they ignore you.

The final part of this advent series will be in next week’s issue.



This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies - Learn More