It is important that dogs learn to relax and have time on their own. It’s especially important for them to do this when you’re busy at home – with guests, making dinner or cleaning, or outside with friends at the pub or a café. It’s hard for your dog to learn how to settle when there are distractions, so it’s best to begin practicing somewhere quiet first of all. If you can practice this before coming to class it will set your dog up for success when they are in a new environment and there are more distractions when they come to class. We will go through the stages in class and really break it down, but before you come to class you can get a blanket or mat on the floor for your dog and sit quietly on a chair with your dog on the lead and a blanket on the floor. Drop tiny bite-size treats to your dog as a reward for settling down on the blanket. For the first stage simply get your dog gravitating towards the blanket. Don’t say anything to your dog while doing this and carry on dropping a couple of treats down every couple of seconds. No need for practising over a long period of time, keep it positive and short and sweet, so just a couple of minutes here and there throughout your day, when you remember will be fine! Always make sure your dog is having a good time when settling, whether enjoying their toys, chews, or simply dozing and snoozing! We will practice this in between each exercise to progress this behaviour on further.
