Trick or treat is only celebrated once a year and one of family activities that is fun to do. Children are always excited to ring that doorbell and belt out a loud “trick or treat!” as you open your door. Of course you want your dog to be a part of this event but what if he gets too excited more than you do and starts running towards the door as soon as someone rings it? Or what if he starts jumping at the trick-or-treaters as soon as you open the door? Well I’ve got some training tricks to make Halloween a treat for you and your dog.
Teaching your dog to “sit”
Are you worried that he might start jumping on the trick-or-treaters? Then teach your dog to sit. This is usually one of the simplest commands in basic obedience training. Start by saying “sit” while grabbing a dog treat. Hold the treat at the end of your dog’s nose so can start smelling it then slowly move the treat up his snout and over his head. As you do this, he will wind up sitting as he keep his eyes on the treat. Give them the treat and praise them with a calm voice for a job well done. In doing this, your dog will associate the word sit with a treat. Do this over and over again with consistent rewards, until your dog will sit on command. Once you successfully trained your dog to sit on command you will have his full attention. This will make future training easier for both of you.
Teach your dog to “wait”
Now that your dog learned how to sit and you have his full attention then you can proceed to teach your dog how to wait. This is a type command where it tells your dog to stay still until your release him. In this way you are teaching him not to run towards the door when he hears someone rings it. Start by asking your dog to sit and then ask someone to ring the doorbell. As soon as the doorbell rang, give a command and say “wait” and then offer a treat. Repeat and then if he responds to your command always give him praise and a treat. Keep on practicing this while opening and closing the door.
Teach your dog to “leave it”
Teach your dog to get away from the candy corn by teaching him to leave it. Start by giving him a much less not so interesting treat like a run-of-the-mill treat, or a dry biscuit. Make sure that it’s somehow out of reach so he will have to exert some effort in getting it. As soon as your dog gets bored and shows no interest of trying to get the biscuit, say “leave it!” and give him a better treat. Repeat the whole process using other yummier treats. Once your dog learned how to leave it, you can use this command to keep him off from hazards like sharp bones or broken glass.
As always, keep it fun for you and your dog and don’t forget to give him praises each time he follows a command appropriately. Make sure you are giving enough time to practice with your dog so when October 31st came you and your dog can have a less spooky Halloween!
