Play Your Way To An Obedient Dog

Play Your Way To An Obedient Dog Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children, play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood.

Remember when you were a kid and were always playing? You often made mistakes, but those mistakes never got in the way of you trying again, trying something new, and ultimately coming to a place of success. Dogs and other species are no different when it comes to the learning process that games and play offer. Failure is only a platform to try harder, mistakes are only a tool for learning the corr

ect movements and processes, frustration and stress are minimal and enhance rather than detract from reaching the goals of the game. Why Play?
“Play is training for the unexpected.” Marc Bekoff, Contemporary American biologist
Play does so many positive things for us in terms of learning. When we play:
• We build skills like confidence
• We strengthen relations with others
• We develop creative skills
• We problem solve and tinker
• We learn to be flexible
People who play learn to question something, predict an outcome, and evaluate their predictions through the process of play. When we play, we persist through challenges -- and we even enjoy it. Play builds excellent social and emotional skills and helps create an atmosphere where those skills are valued. Probably one of the most important aspects of play is the way it treats failure and mistakes as non-punitive, ensuring that we have opportunities to learn from whatever went wrong. Yes, play makes failure fun. I love the use of the word "tinker" to describe play. It's serious work, but it's also fun work. Play values the process of learning as well as well as what has been learned.

Day 5: "Barking, What's That?" - The Final PolishCongratulations, you've made it to Day 5 of the Home Manners Mastery Ch...
07/05/2025

Day 5: "Barking, What's That?" - The Final Polish
Congratulations, you've made it to Day 5 of the Home Manners Mastery Challenge! Today is all about integrating the "POP!" game consistently to minimize barking.
Your Mission: Randomly throughout the day, do two sets of "POP!" (one for your dog, one for you). Crucially, if a barking trigger happens, try to do two sets of "POP!" before the barking starts. If barking still occurs, allow up to three barks. After the third bark, immediately say "POP!" and do two sets of "POP!" treats. You can vary your position, where you throw the treats, and whether you move toward or away from the trigger. Remember, the goal isn't to stop all barking immediately, but to change their association with triggers and reduce barrier frustration.
Get Home Manners Unleashed at https://a.co/d/hyClpUE and the Challenge PDf at http://gamecraftlearning.com/preview/mannersmastery.html
You're giving your dog an alternative to barking, and reinforcing calm behavior. You're almost there! How minimal is the barking now?

Day 3: "Run For It" - Changing the PatternHappy Day 3 of the Home Manners Mastery Challenge! Today, we're evolving "Mann...
07/03/2025

Day 3: "Run For It" - Changing the Pattern

Happy Day 3 of the Home Manners Mastery Challenge! Today, we're evolving "Manna from Heaven" with "Run For It" to further shift your dog's focus from barking.

Your Mission: Start right at your target area. Do two "POP!" sequences where you toss a treat to your dog, then one for yourself. On the third "POP!", toss the treat away from the target area. Follow your dog, and when you reach them, say "POP!" again and catch one for yourself. Go back to the target and repeat the sequence. Your goal is for your dog to start moving away from the trigger area before you even toss the treat away! This teaches them to disengage from the trigger and move with you.

Get Home Manners Unleashed at https://a.co/d/hyClpUE and the Challenge PDf at http://gamecraftlearning.com/preview/mannersmastery.html

How's your pup responding to the "away" toss? Share your "Run For It" moments!

Day 2 of our challenge builds on the "POP!" game with "Manna from Heaven." Grab your popcorn and start about 3 feet from...
07/02/2025

Day 2 of our challenge builds on the "POP!" game with "Manna from Heaven." Grab your popcorn and start about 3 feet from your barking trigger area (window, door, etc.).

Your Mission: Say "POP!" and toss a couple of treats for your dog to catch. Then, say "POP!" again and toss one up for yourself. Repeat this, gradually moving closer to the target area with each "POP" sequence. The goal is for your dog to remain calm and quietly anticipate the "POP" cue right at the problem spot. Don't worry about perfect throws; the game's flexibility helps your dog learn fast, even with small errors!

Get Home Manners Unleashed at https://a.co/d/hyClpUE and the Challenge PDf at http://gamecraftlearning.com/preview/mannersmastery.html

How's your pup doing with the "POP!" today? Let us know their progress!

In a world increasingly defined by noise, misinformation, and overwhelming complexity, how does one make sense of it all...
07/01/2025

In a world increasingly defined by noise, misinformation, and overwhelming complexity, how does one make sense of it all? And more profoundly, how does one create compelling stories that reflect this chaotic reality? The answer lies in an unexpected place: the dog park.

The Power of Small Things: What Dog Training Taught Me About Writing Universes and Navigating Chaos
Coming Soon !!!

Day 1: Mastering the "POP!"Welcome to Day 1 of our Home Manners Mastery Challenge! Today, we're diving into the "POP!" g...
07/01/2025

Day 1: Mastering the "POP!"
Welcome to Day 1 of our Home Manners Mastery Challenge! Today, we're diving into the "POP!" game to tackle barking at windows, doors, or wherever your pup gets vocal.
Your Mission: Window Wash. Choose a few times today to have your dog quietly observe the world from the problem area. As they watch calmly, say "POP!" and reward them with popped popcorn or a treat you can both catch. Alternate who gets the treat – you, then them. Remember, treats only for quiet watching! This teaches them that calm observation gets the goodies. It's almost impossible to mess up positive reinforcement, so don't fret if a treat goes astray. Just keep going!
Get Home Manners Unleashed at https://a.co/d/hyClpUE and the Challenge PDf at http://gamecraftlearning.com/preview/mannersmastery.html Let's make some progress today! What's your biggest barking trigger? Share in the comments!

It's Coming: Home Manners Mastery Challenge!Get ready to transform your home into a haven of calm and polite pup behavio...
06/30/2025

It's Coming: Home Manners Mastery Challenge!

Get ready to transform your home into a haven of calm and polite pup behavior! Our Home Manners Mastery Challenge kicks off July 1st and runs through July 11th. For 5 days, you'll engage in fun, play-based sessions (just 2-3 minutes daily!) using games from Home Manners Unleashed: Play-Based Fixes from 50 Years. Say goodbye to unwanted barking and hello to a well-behaved, tail-wagging companion.

Get your copy of the book here: https://a.co/d/568wax0.

Are you ready to unleash their inner polite pup?

Congratulations on completing the ! Keep building your dog's focus and engagement by practicing the techniques from Paw...
06/28/2025

Congratulations on completing the ! Keep building your dog's focus and engagement by practicing the techniques from Paws For Attention: Unleashing Engagement in a Distracted World. Get your copy of the book here https://a.co/d/gEll8zu and the Challenge PDF at gamecraftlearning.com/preview/focusfiesta.html.
Share your success stories below!

The final day of the is here! Put your dog's newfound focus skills to the test with the "Talking the Tail" game from P...
06/27/2025

The final day of the is here! Put your dog's newfound focus skills to the test with the "Talking the Tail" game from Paws For Attention: Unleashing Engagement in a Distracted World. Get your copy of the book here https://a.co/d/gEll8zu and the Challenge PDF at gamecraftlearning.com/preview/focusfiesta.html

It's all about teamwork on Day 4 of the ! Teach your dog the "Spark the Stare" for better focus and engagement, even wh...
06/26/2025

It's all about teamwork on Day 4 of the ! Teach your dog the "Spark the Stare" for better focus and engagement, even when distractions abound. Get your copy of the book here https://a.co/d/gEll8zu and the Challenge PDF at gamecraftlearning.com/preview/focusfiesta.html

Get creative with your canine's environment on Day 3 of the with the game Whiplash Whirl! Practice focus games in new ...
06/25/2025

Get creative with your canine's environment on Day 3 of the with the game Whiplash Whirl! Practice focus games in new settings and share your success stories using tips from Paws For Attention: Unleashing Engagement in a Distracted World. Get your copy of the book here https://a.co/d/gEll8zu and the Challenge PDF at gamecraftlearning.com/preview/focusfiesta.html

Celebrate your dog's focus skills on Day 2 of the with the "Backwards Boogie and Sideway Shuffle" game! 🐕👀 Show us you...
06/24/2025

Celebrate your dog's focus skills on Day 2 of the with the "Backwards Boogie and Sideway Shuffle" game! 🐕👀 Show us your dog's progress and your training prowess as you tackle distractions together. Get your copy of the book here https://a.co/d/gEll8zu and the Challenge PDF at gamecraftlearning.com/preview/focusfiesta.html

06/22/2025

Dog Training Challenges

This group is about the 5 day training challenges that I create from the different dog training books I've written. Come join us on a journey of discovery, playing games and learning. See less

https://www.facebook.com/groups/dogtrainingchallenges

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