Best Gift For Dogs

What’s the absolute best gift for dogs? All dogs. Yours included.

It doesn’t cost anything. The best gift doesn’t take much time. It’s not rare, or valuable, except to your dog.

The best present you can give your dog is you. Your complete attention and focus, even if it’s only for a couple of minutes.

Play with them!

Going for a walk doesn’t count. It’s a necessity and a responsibility you chose when you got your dog. What we’re talking about is putting your phone aside, turning off the TV, and for just two minutes at a time, center your world on your dog. Dogs spend their whole lives watching us, being with us, waiting for us to come home. You’re the center of your dog’s world. Try to reciprocate a little every day.

We call our dog training site / method “2-Minute Trainer” because that’s all it takes to make your dog happier, more confident, better-trained, and an even dearer companion. If you play a single training game with your dog once a day, 14 minutes total, your dog will absolutely know something they didn’t before. And when you grab a handful of treats to start the game, they’ll be as excited as if you grabbed the leash. Maybe even more.

Keys to a great relationship

One of the side effects of playing training games with your dog is that it brings you closer. In our training classes, when whole families attend, we can always tell who most often plays training games. That’s the person the dog looks to, stays by, seeks eye contact with. We’ve even seen one partner try to undermine the other’s training games, jealous of their growing bond with the dog.

That doesn’t have to happen. Everyone in the household can build their own unique relationship with the dog. There’s no limit on love, and dogs are experts at it. 

Start here

If giving your dog those two minutes at a time seems like a great resolution, getting started is easy as pie. While we’ve probably devised dozens of dog training games, we pulled out the seven fundamental games to get you started: 

• The Dog Name Game: The most common comment we get on our videos is “My dog ignores me. How do you get them to pay attention?” It’s actually pretty easy, this is a great place to start. 
• Place! : When your dog knows their special Place!, you can answer the doorbell with no worries. 
• Touch!: A game to keep your dog’s focus on you, no matter how crowded the veterinarian’s waiting room may be.
• Loose-leash Walking: Even the smallest dogs can be mighty pullers. Changing your dog’s habit may be easier than you thought.
• Puppy Push-ups: Fun, fast, and useful. Your dog’s groomer will love it if your dog knows the word “Stand!”
• Collar Grab Game: The whole family can play together, and your dog will stop the “catch me if you can” behavior.
• Off!: Small dogs may not be counter-surfers, but we’d bet we’re not the only ones who’ve startled a dog on the coffee table when we walked into the room.  

All of these games really address some common behavior problems. If your dog is all okay down the line, try one of the just-for-fun games. Like bowling. All dogs like knocking stuff over.