Otis's Training Planner

Otis pulls on their lead, wanting to get to the park or to a scent they picked up.

Otis enjoys sniffing and is excited at the opportunity, the act of pulling and sniffing are both self-rewarding.

...Otis bark's at them and lunges at the end of the leash.

This behaviour could be due to frustration or anxiety. We can help teach Otis to be calm and relaxed when they see another dog.

...Otis pulls on the lead, not listening or acknowledging their owner's cues or signals, charging ahead without hesitation.

This could be due to a lack of physical activity, lack of mental stimulation, or Otis just loves to be outside and explore! When a dog is focused on something, especially outside, their ears switch off!

Scavenger Hunts also known as the 'Find It!' game, is great for redirecting dog's attention and calming them down. You can experiment with different foods such as; kibble, various treats, dog-safe fruits and veggies; whatever Otis loves! Simply scatter 3 or 4 treats onto the ground and allow him to find them by himself. If he's not too interested, or missed a treat, you can encourage him further by looking for the treat yourself - using your body language to show that there's something interesting on the floor! You can also circle the air above the treat, giving Otis a hint as to where to look. The aim is to allow Otis to find things by himself, so make sure to give him time to thoroughly search. (Please be aware that treats may roll or bounce in roads! Be mindful of where you scatter your treats!)

Training Games can boost communication, listening and problem solving skills as well as disengaging from distractions. By rewarding Otis for his attention to you and away from triggers, this can help Otis to feel more confident around triggers and open up more options to him. Rather than freezing or barking, we can support Otis to walk away, sniff, do some tricks, play a game - anything to help Otis feel safe and enjoy his time! You are more than welcome to try to teach Otis some easy and simple tricks such as; 'Spin', 'Middle', 'Touch', 'Down-Stay' and Recall.

Creating a schedule can be a big help when trying to meet Otis's energy requirements. Planning out your week with a mix of relaxing days and higher levels of acvtivites. This allows you to know where your dog is at mentally (and in some contexts emotionally too!) Plan your week to include calming and relaxing activities such as; chew time, snuffle time, petting sessions, skipping this walk and just be lazy this afternoon, low-intensity play like gentle fetch or have a slow sniffy walk for a short distance, indoor hide and seek. Adding some fun high-intensity in the mix such as; agility, running together, long distance fetch, swimming, tug of war, doggy day care or doggy social groups for doggy play time. Having a healthy mix of both is key to helping Otis meet his needs as well as having time to recover (physically and mentally!)

• Scavenger Hunts
• Training Games
• Create A Schedule

Puzzle Toys are great tools in your toolkit to boost confidence, problem solving skills and independence. There are various shapes, sizes, mechanisms and difficulties; some are designed for nuzzling and some are paw or mouth orientated (such as buttons or levers to pull, which are more advanced.) Explore different options and see what Otis enjoys.

Puzzle Feeders are similar to Puzzle Toys, however they are not as complex. Puzzle feeders are designed to hold large amounts of food, meaning they are larger and more simplistic. The most common designs are ones with rounded, weighted bottoms which can be pushed and toppled to dispense a few bits of kibble at a time. This helps increase satiation as dogs love to work for their food and prevents dogs from wolfing down their food and causing digestive issues.

Scent Work Games are perfect for dogs who love to scent and track things. Not only is it a great boredom-busting activity (which is also super fun!) but it's perfect for calming down, boosting confidence, independence as well as increasing your communication skills! Scent Work Games can be done with finding treats, certain toys or even household items (such as your keys or wallet!). Similar to the Find It Game, you can teach Otis to find a treat that's hidden somewhere in the house (giving clues when needed) with practice Otis will become better at identifying different scents and tracking them. As Otis progresses, you can start to hide his toys, asking him to find that certain toy on cue. It's a fun game for both owners and their dogs! When you're finished playing the game, you can give a cue to mark the end, such as "All Done!" or "Enough."

• Puzzle Toys
• Puzzle Feeders
• Scent Work Games

Use a harness to help with Otis’s pulling. Allow them to roam on lead in appropriate areas using a long training lead. You can also bring treats on every walk, motivating Otis to focus on you more.

• Long training lead, suitable harness. Various treats.

Manage the space between Otis and any other dog. If Otis sees another dog in the distance, ask for their attention and reward them with a treat. Alternatively, you can distract them by scattering treats on the ground for Otis to sniff out and find, this will distract and calm them down.

• Various treats, from kibble to meat, experiment to see what captures Otis's attention.

To help manage and improve Otis's focus, experiment with different treats, toys and tones of voice you can use. Treats and toys can help motivate Otis to focus more, whilst using different voices can help bring Otis's attention back to you, when and if neccessary.

• Toys and treats! For tones of voice, avoid stern or harsh tones, instead use happier and excited tones.

Teaching Otis these cues can help Otis stay focused on you, check in with you to see what’s coming next and decrease any confusion or miscommunication.

Clicker/"Yes!". Treats. Praise. Toys. Suitable lead and harness.

Using a long training line and managing the space around us, we can encourage Otis to disengage from the trigger. This teaches Otis that they can walk away from the trigger, rather than fixate and become over-aroused.

Long line, treats, praise, awareness of space, understanding body language.

Teaching Otis to touch your hand with their nose can help divert Otis attention back to you, help them stay focused on you and it can boost confidence!

Tasty treats &Otis's favourite toy!

Dropping a treat by your feet, while the dog eats, the handler steps behind them. Marking and rewarding in the same way, each time the dog turns to you.

Praise. Patience. Treats. Calm environment. Marker/Clicker.

Starting with short distances, gradually stepping further and further away, we can teach Otis to stay and wait for the release cue.

Clicker/"Yes!". Treats. Praise.

By throwing a treat away from you, when Otis returns, you throw another treat away. This can be used in various environments, encouraging focus and calm behaviour..

Praise. Patience. Treats. Calm environment (to start with). A camera will be beneficial, to rewatch and study small body cues.

Otis struggles to stay focused when out on walks, especially when there's a good scent around! Otis pulls on the lead and is highly distracted outside. He sometimes barks at other dogs and struggles to stay calm and focused. He also struggles in the garden with hearing other dogs nearby, as well as barking at the front door.

We can meet Otis' needs and wants with extra enrichment and a schedule to help with his sleep routine. Otis should be sleeping and resting for roughly 10-12 hours a day (including through the night) - a schedule should help to put extra naps and rest periods in through the day. Including scent games and pattern games to help with his focus and concentration; these will help to alleviate some of his excess energy throughout the day.

We can certainly teach Otis to be calmer on his walks as well as teaching him to focus on his human companion more often, building communication and trust. We can also teach Otis to feel more relaxed around other dogs, without needing to bark or get frustrated. We can also teach Otis a more reliable recall!

We don't want Otis to be a robot dog - obeying commands with no autonomy to do what we wants. We want Otis to be his best-self; calm, happy, relaxed with clear communication and trust between him and his family. Our goal is to teach Otis some life skills, build trust and make Otis' walks enjoyable for both human and dog!