Austin Dog Sports

Training Philosophy

Austin Dog Sports uses a positive, reward-based approach to training.  It's effective, fun for you and your dog, and humane.  By providing your dog with a fun and challenging job, you can achieve a number of goals:

• direct and focus your dog's excess energy,
• relieve your dog's boredom, and
• develop away-from-home manners. 
  

Our trainer is a member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers, a professional organization of individual dog trainers who are committed to becoming better trainers through education.

Classes Offered

Austin Dog Sports offers a wide range of learning opportunities.  From the Canine Good Citizen to Rally and Tracking classes.  We offer various formats to best meet your scheduling, budgeting, and training needs: seminars, drop-in classes, traditional group classes, in-home training, and privates.  Register now to start your dog sports journey!

Equipment, Toys, and Treats

Equipment: Always plan to bring your dog to class on a buckle or martingale collar.  For our Positively Mannerly I class, you may also choose to use a regular or EZ Walk harness.  Your leash should be from 4-6'.  The use of retractable leashes are not allowed in class, though we're happy to discuss their appropriate use outside of class.  See our link below for martingale and EZ Walk harnesses that we recommend. 

Toys: Many toys that are fun to play with at home may not interest your dog in a new environment.  No problem!  We can test out new toys and see what your dog might find interesting while in class.  If the toy is fun for your dog, then you can use it in training.  If not, there are other rewards we can incorporate into your dog's training.  Also, interactive toys are an excellent option for use at home.  See our link below for several interactive toy options. 

Treats: Small, preferably soft, and stinky - that's how we like our training treats!  Which treat is your dog's favorite will depend on your dog.  Dog's are individuals and have different culinary preferences just like people.  The goal is to find several treats that are reward to your dog.  Here are a few that my dogs enjoy: chicken liver, bison liver, kidney, cheese, bread, carrots, chicken, cheetos (used sparingly).  A few things to be aware of:

1) When you increase the amount of treats you use in training, you should offset the increase by a decrease in the amount of kibble fed during regular meal times. 

2) Rich treats or excessive quantities of treats can upset your dogs tummy.  Be familiar with what not only which treats your dog enjoys but also which his digestion tolerates well. 

3) Use kibble in training whenever you can.  For many dogs, kibble is very exciting just before meal times when your dog is hungriest.  Also, kibble is the most exciting when it's not competing with a stimulating environment - so using kibble for at-home training works best.  If you're lucky, your dogs will happily work for kibble wherever you train, so long as you mix it up with a variety of tastier treats; your dog never knows which one he'll get, and the variability is motivating!...but this is not true for many dogs. 

Experiment - challenge yourself to discover what your dog finds most enjoyable!

Dog training products that I recommend.