Two black-and-white spaniels splash in a river with their dog trainer.

Dog Training

Master the basics and move on to more advanced training techniques. We’ll take you through the steps you need to know, so you can help your dog reach their full potential.

A small brown and white dog walks through dry leaves

Dog Training

How to Teach a Dog or Puppy to Come

“Come” is probably the single most important command you’ll ever teach your dog. A well-learned “Come”—on leash and off—can make your dog a pleasure...
A small yellow dog with its paw up inside a covered dog bed

Dog Training

How To Start Training Your Dog

While training your dog can seem daunting, it’s actually pretty simple once you grasp a few concepts and apply them consistently. We show you the...
A woman giving her puppy a command in a field

Dog Training 101 with Melinda Benbow

Basic Dog Training Vocabulary

Throughout this series, you’ll hear common dog-training terms that we want you to understand. We’ll also provide you with a few helpful reminders...
A smiling Melinda Benbow holding her white, black, and brown dog near her face
Melinda Benbow
A dog running toward Melinda Benbow

Dog Training 101 with Melinda Benbow

Operant Conditioning for Dogs

Operant conditioning is consequence-based learning, in which the pleasant or unpleasant consequences of the dog’s behavior create the learning...
A smiling Melinda Benbow holding her white, black, and brown dog near her face
Melinda Benbow
A woman teaching her dog to sit

Dog Training 101 with Melinda Benbow

Teach Your Dog “Sit”

In basic obedience, one of the first skills we teach a dog is to sit. It’s a great start to creating impulse control and teaching your dog an...
A smiling Melinda Benbow holding her white, black, and brown dog near her face
Melinda Benbow
A woman holding her hand up asking a dog to wait

Dog Training 101 with Melinda Benbow

Teach Your Dog “Wait”

Good door manners are very important for a dog’s safety. A dog that can show restraint and impulse control at a door is less liable to make a mad...
A smiling Melinda Benbow holding her white, black, and brown dog near her face
Melinda Benbow
A woman teaching her dog down in a dog bed

Dog Training 101 with Melinda Benbow

Teach Your Dog “Down”

Teaching your dog to lay down means teaching them to relax their body on the floor and hold it. The down position is also an easy position to teach...
A smiling Melinda Benbow holding her white, black, and brown dog near her face
Melinda Benbow
A woman kneeling down next to her crated dog

Dog Training 101 with Melinda Benbow

Crate Train Your Dog

Supervising your puppy is important for their health and safety, but also for training. If you are not watching your learning puppy, then you are...
A smiling Melinda Benbow holding her white, black, and brown dog near her face
Melinda Benbow
A woman crouches in the green grass teaching her dog to come

Dog Training 101 with Melinda Benbow

Teach Your Dog Recall

A reliable recall is a highly valuable skill to get your dog back to you when off-leash. A solid recall can also help you manage and avoid...
A smiling Melinda Benbow holding her white, black, and brown dog near her face
Melinda Benbow
A brown dog standing at the top of a mountain

Traveling with Dogs

Top 10 Tips for Traveling With Dogs

We’ve done the research, we’ve logged the miles. The result? Our Top 10 tips for traveling with your dog. Be sure to check it out...
A spotted terrier peeks out the window of a car

Traveling with Dogs

Tips for Car Travel with Dogs

Dogs are part of the family. We take them everywhere, including the workplace. Leaving them behind, especially when you’re headed for outdoor...
A person adjusts a dog pack on a black and white dog

Hiking and Dogs

How to Hike Safely with Your Dog

Any seasoned hiker who routinely hits the trail with a canine companion knows having their beloved dog along for the adventure elevates the...
A brown and white dog and a black dog in the backseat of a truck

Traveling with Dogs

How to Treat Dog Travel Anxiety

Travel anxiety in dogs is the fear of car travel stemming from not knowing or understanding what’s happening, or associating an undesirable...
Two golden retriever puppies sleep curled on a small fuzzy blanket on a wooden floor.

Dog Training

Guide for First-Time Dog Owners

Caring for a dog is a serious responsibility. Consult our guidelines for answers to questions and learn what dog ownership entails before making a...
A yellow lab and a small child snuggle on a couch

Dog Safety

Dog Safety Guidelines for Kids & Families

The bond between a kid and their dog is special and something to celebrate. Along with careful supervision, teaching kids the basics of dog behavior...
A brown spotted dog laying on its Orvis Dog Bed inside a home

Dog Safety

Tips for Leaving Your Dog Home Alone

We bring our dogs on adventures as often as we can, but we know not every outing is dog friendly. The idea of having to spend less time around our...
A man wearing buffalo check snuggling with a golden puppy

Dog Training

How to Talk to Your Dog

Communicating what you want or need from your dog can be easy when you know how. With a little training, for both you and your dog, you can...
Two dogs sitting on a rock at the top of a mountain

Dog Training

How to Socialize a Dog

Thousands of years ago the members of your dog’s pack taught him the important social skills he needed in order to survive and thrive. Today, the...
Large Saint Bernard dog sits while looking out glass door

Dog Training

How to Teach a Dog or Puppy to Sit

“Sit” is probably the first thing you’ll learn in a dog training class, and also the most useful command you’ll use with her, together with “come.”...
A brown dog laying down in a dog crate in a living room

Dog Training

How to Crate Train a Dog

Think of your dog’s crate as his den: it’s how he views it, if you’ve introduced him to it properly. And were he still wandering around in the wild,...
A black lab playing outside with a large stuffed toy in its mouth

Dog Training

Games to Play with Your Dog

Your dog wants to play games with you, make no bones about it. And while dogs at play can look like dogs at war, chasing, tugging, and mouthing are...
A brown and white dog jumping for a frisbee while outside

Dog Safety

How to Play Safely With Your Dog

Why do dogs play? For thousands of years dogs have used healthy, active play to explore their world and learn important socialization and...
A side view of a german shepherd with its tongue out

Dog Safety

Why Do Dogs Bite?

However hard it may be to imagine your sweet, snuggly best friend turning suddenly aggressive and biting you or someone else, the truth is all dogs...
A black and white pic of a schnauzer looking out a window

Dog Safety

How Long Can You Leave a Dog Alone?

You can’t be with your best friend every second of every day, as much as he (and you) may want that. Unless your office welcomes dogs, you’ve got to...
A black dog inside a home surrounded by fluff

Dog Safety

Separation Anxiety in Dogs

Naturally, a dog’s favorite spot is close by his human’s side. But most dogs are comfortable spending some time alone while their best friend works,...