![Preventing Bribery: How To Get Treats Out Of Your Client’s Hands]()
by Monica Callahan | Dec 1, 2014 | Training Methods
How To Prevent Bribery In Dog Training
In the dog training world, there seems to be two big groups of clients. On one side, there are clients who are incredibly stingy and hoard treats like they are gold, and on the other side, there are clients who never let a treat leave their hand or in front of their dog’s noses. For those clients who find it hard to put down the treats, we have to get creative and find ways to get those treats out of their hands. Here are some tips on how to prevent bribery in dog training.
Treat Bags
If clients are working away from their ziplock bag of treats, it is likely that they will take handfuls so they don’t have to keep going back to the bag every click. A treat bag on their waist or a treat vest will keep their treats accessible so they do not have to load up a handful before a training session.
Let Me Help You
As a teacher, we are there to monitor our students. If we hold the treats for our clients, then we can monitor when they go for the treats. This can make our clients more aware of their clicker and treats, and prevent them from grabbing a treat before they click. This technique does require you to accompany the client as they work so their treats are accessible. An approach like this may not be appropriate for everyone or every dog. Assess your situation before utilizing this approach.
Positions
If your client consistently grabs for a treat before the click, try finding a ‘home’ station. Collaborate with your client and find a position that their hands can go back to every time after clicking and treating. Once they use the position enough, it will become second nature and will get rid of the premature grabbing of the treats. This technique can also be used with the previous suggestion.
TAG Teaching
TAG teaching is the human equivalent of clicker training. You, the trainer, will come up with a TAG point for your client. A TAG point is the criteria of what you want. An example could be, “The TAG point is hand on thigh.” It would be your client’s job to return their hand to their thigh after every click/treat. When your client does place their hand on their thigh, you would click your own unique clicker just for your client. In this case, the click is reinforcement to your client for a job well done. TAG teaching makes your client aware of what is expected of them and makes them more aware of what they are doing. After enough times, it becomes routine for your clients to keep placing their hand on their thigh. To learn more about TAG teaching, visit their website here.
Being a trainer means that we must be good teachers to our clients. When our clients have good clicker mechanics, they can achieve anything they want. Sometimes we have to use our creativity to help our clients become proficient at training.
What other creative ways have you used to get treats out of your client’s hands?
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![3 Ways To Incorporate Your Client’s Children In Training]()
by Monica Callahan | Nov 15, 2014 | Communication
Involve The Whole Family In Training
When working with a family and their dog, the children are always excited to help mom and dad train their dog. Parents often push the kids to the side and get frustrated when they keep interrupting. Instead of continually being interrupted, you can incorporate the children in the training. Here are three ways to incorporate your client’s children in training.
1. Recall Games
Children love high energy games, whether they are running or the dogs are. Recall games are a great way to incorporate the client’s children because it can get the dog running and wear them out. Have the children stand across the living room and practice calling the dog’s name once and treat when the dog arrives. They’ll think it’s amazing when the dog listens. Eventually they can play hide and seek and have the dog find them throughout the house. This is also a great bonding game for the dog and children and turns their children into rewards for the dog.
2. Treat Deliverer
This idea would be geared toward the better listener in the family. An example would be working on crate training. If mom or dad has the clicker, just let the child know that whenever they hear a click, they are to give a treat to the dog. When the dog enters the crate and mom or dad click, the child can then deliver a treat to the dog or drop it in the crate.
3. Distraction Training
Children are a big distraction to dogs, and their movements can also be highly alarming to them. You can use their quick movements to proof their dog’s current behaviors or desensitize a worried dog to the child. In the beginning, have the child move slowly and then work up to quicker movements.
Children love to feel like they are being useful. With some simple tweaks to training, children can certainly be incorporated. Once children reach a certain age and maturity, they could even take over training. Training is a great way to bond with their dog, and a pleasant, respectful relationship between children and their dog is important in a family. The next time you have an interruptive child at your training session, don’t allow the parent to get flustered, suggest they help instead.
What are some other ways you, as a trainer, can incorporate children throughout the training process?
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![3 Marketing Techniques You Can Do Today]()
by Monica Callahan | Nov 1, 2014 | Business
Marketing your business can be daunting, but it doesn’t have to be.
Word of mouth is a great way to get more business, but that can take a while to grow. Marketing is the quickest way to build clientele. Most dog trainers lack a background in marketing, and may be intimidated by the process. Here are 3 easy ways to market your new dog training business that you can implement today.
1. Make information packets for local veterinarians, dog walkers, and groomers.
Get in touch with other local animal professionals and start a referral system. Many people ask their vets, groomers, and walkers for a local dog trainer recommendation. Put together folders with tips that dog owners could find valuable, some information on your modern training techniques, and how to get in touch with your business. Don’t forget to include business cards for their lobby!
2. Start a business newsletter or write for a local newspaper.
Keeping your clients up to date on training information and what you are offering will make them more likely to come back. Start a newsletter that you e-mail to subscribers and past clients to keep them in the loop. Writing for a local newspaper or magazine will get your name out there and showcase your knowledge, which will make you more appealing to potential clients.
3. Get a table at your local event.
Many communities have local events that vendors can buy a space or even attend for free. Set up a table with some information of your business and training techniques and a small give-a-way to bring people to your table. Some events you can look for include craft shows, rescue events, and city rec center events.
With a little bit of work, these three marketing techniques can be an easy way to get your name into the community. There are plenty of marketing ideas out there, what are some other easy ways to get your name into the community?
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