I teach with reinforcement, clear communication, and a setup that gives my dog a fair chance.

I don’t use pain, fear, or intimidation to get a response. If a lesson keeps falling apart, the next step is to understand why and make it easier.

The first thing I typically teach is what “yes” means. Before asking for a sit or a stay, I want my dog to understand how I’ll let them know when they’ve done something I’m going to reward (You can use a clicker for the same purpose)!

From there, we can build useful skills a small step at a time.

The first “yes” lesson · First skills · What to teach next · When it gets harder

Make “yes” mean something

Choose a familiar place with few distractions and have small, easy-to-eat treats ready. Your dog should be comfortable and interested in participating. If they’re tired, worried, or busy taking in a new place, give them time before starting a lesson. There’s no need to teach this on day one if your new dog still needs time to adjust.

A “marker” is a word or click that tells your dog exactly which moment earned a reward.

Choose a short word, such as “yes,” or use a clicker as your marker.

At this first stage, your dog doesn’t have to do anything to “earn” the sound. They don’t need to sit or look at you or anything. Just clearly say your chosen word (I use “yes!”), then give them a treat. Let them eat it, pause, and repeat.

You’re simply teaching the connection between that sound and something they enjoy.

Once your dog starts anticipating the reward after “yes,” notice an easy choice, such as your dog glancing toward you. Mark that moment and reward.

Keep the session short enough that your dog is still interested when you finish.

Food, play, and opportunities to sniff can all matter; watch what is rewarding to this dog in this setting.

See how I introduce “yes” to Wallace, then use it to mark a glance toward me and follow it with a reward.

The timing of “yes” tells your dog which moment you’re rewarding. Make sure you always follow it up with a reward, but don’t worry about the timing of that treat as much. Your marker word’s timing is what matters!

For the complete lesson, including choosing a clicker, timing and common sticking points, see YES! Teaching your dog what it means.

Choose the next useful skill

• Leave it and drop it: teach moving away from an item and releasing an item as separate skills. Once attention and leave it are clear, practice them together in easy setups.
• Stay: begin with a brief pause close to you, then build time, distance, and distractions separately.
• Coming when called: make coming to you worthwhile and keep a leash or secure boundary around hazards.
• Leash walking: start with a few steps on a loose leash and leave room for sniffing!
• Tricks: practice timing and small steps through a game you both enjoy.
• Bathing, grooming, and handling: teach participation and a real way for your dog to opt in.

When daily life is harder than a lesson

Barking, jumping, puppy biting and toilet accidents need a plan for the situations in which they happen. Look at sleep, health, feelings, what your dog can reach, and what happens after the behavior. Reward a useful alternative, and change the setup to prevent unsafe situations while your dog learns.

A response learned in your kitchen may need an easier version outside. Move farther from distractions, shorten the task, and make the reward worth it. Fear, aggression, or a risk of injury needs individual help from your veterinarian and a qualified reward-based professional.

That change of setting can be a bigger step than it looks. When I work with Chop outside, I go back to basic skills instead of assuming he can do everything he practiced indoors. A new smell, another dog or a moving person can make the same request much harder.

• Your dog isn’t responding: check whether the word is familiar and whether this situation is harder than your practice setup. Return to an easier version, rather than repeating the request over and over.
• Your dog follows the treat but struggles with an empty hand: make the hand movement familiar and easy to follow. Keep rewarding the response. Removing the visible lure doesn’t mean removing the reward.
• Your dog loses interest: pause. Notice whether they need rest, more space, time to explore or a different reward. Turning away can be useful information about how the session is going. You can stop and try again when they’re ready.

Sometimes I arrive planning to train and end up letting my dog explore. Sometimes the opposite happens. Two outings with Inertia showed me why it helps to be flexible.

How Dogs Learn