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Did you ever wish for a magic wand to get your dog to

  • stop pulling on the leash,
  • quit jumping on you and other people,
  • give up barking at whatever,
  • come back when you called even if he's rolling in bunny poop,
  • stop chasing bunnies, birds, squirrels?



I can't offer you a fantasy magic wand, but what I can give you is even better than magic. And you don't have to be a magician or perform any fancy tricks.

What if you could play a simple little game and zero in on the reason behind all the naughty stuff you wish a magic wand could fix?

So, why do dogs ignore you and do those things?  What do all the things on that list have in common? And what missing ingredient could you add to change the picture completely?

It's obvious when you think about it, right? That magical missing ingredient is attention.  If only your dog would pay more attention to you instead of everything else, then you would be able to manage his barking, pulling, jumping, chasing, etc.

Where most people go wrong is waiting until the dog is right in the middle of chasing the squirrel to call him back.  Too little and too late, my friend! And the human error gets even worse by scolding the dog when he finally does pay attention. So…squirrel chasing is fun, but paying attention to you not so much…. 

Your magic wand is to make paying attention to you more fun, more exciting, more magnetic.  Can you compete with a squirrel? You bet you can!  Don't underestimate how important you are to your dog! 

What's the better-than-magic trick for getting your dog's attention?

The Little Game That Fixes Big Problems is Targeting.  It's so simple that when I teach it to students for the first time I have to explain why it matters!

Targeting is teaching your dog to touch a part of his body to something else.  He touches his nose to the palm of your hand, his feet to his bed or to a mat, his chin to your lap.  And so many more possibilities. 

The best place to start is with a simple hand target, your dog touching his nose to the palm of your hand. 

When hand targets have enough history of high-value reinforcement to become a habit, you can then use this little game to redirect your dog's attention toward you. 

That means that you can ask for a hand target to replace jumping, pulling, barking, chasing.  And you can ask proactively to help your dog learn to pay attention to you during distractions. 

You can find complete instructions, a step-by-step lesson plan, and videos that show you exactly how to teach attention using hand targeting inside the Stay Home With Dogs Facebook Group. Go to Unit Four in the Units tab on the left.

**Important** Membership in this Group was closed in May 2020 and is now reopened for a limited time to receive new members. When you become a member, you'll always be able to get access to all the lessons, posts, and videos even after the Group closes again in the future.  

So it's a pretty simple choice…join the Group now and get permanent access to all the lessons for free whenever you want them – including hand targeting! Or pass up the opportunity and keep struggling.

Already a member? YAY! I have a few new posts up my sleeve for you soon!

Click here and ask to join the Group before it closes again to new members. Oh, and please be sure to answer all three new member questions. It helps me know that you're serious before approving you as a new member.

Just so you know what you've missed, here's what's in the Units.

  • detailed instructions,
  • a step-by-step lesson plan,
  • one or more demo videos.

Whether you have a puppy or an adult dog these lessons will help you get more attention and cooperation from your dog almost instantly. And it doesn't matter if your dog has had any previous training! That's because the lessons are easy for you to teach and easy for your dog to learn.

Happy dog owners in the Group have reported their successes.  Distracted dogs are paying attention more.  Dogs that ignored their owners are now coming when called.

Don't get me wrong – I'm not talking about a complete dog training course. The lessons are just a taste, a sample of what's possible for you and your dog.

Click here to join the Facebook Group.

I can't wait to hear about your successes!

Marilyn

PS- Have you met the star of the videos? Here he is – rescue puppy Radar.  Just too cute!!!   Wags his little tail non-stop!

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