Dogs think and make decisions every second. What they are thinking of depends mostly on their environment and what they're already doing at the time. However, the most common instance where you're probably wondering what your dog is thinking is when they're looking at you, at home, and the answer would be: "What's happening next?" That's all there's to it! Dogs have become mankind's best friend partly because they're ready and happy to do things with us, at all times. There are of course exceptions to the rule if you can think of dogs that would rather spend most of their time napping, but as you can imagine most dogs will get up from their bed, wag their tail and jump the moment you grab their leash to go for a walk thinking of what will happen next.

Unless your pup is sleeping (rest is really important!), doing little 15-20 minute training sessions every few hours is a good start! If/once you join a group class as your pup gets a little older, you will see they'll be able to handle longer training periods but the most important thing is to pay attention to how they're feeling every second. You want to make sure that they're in the right mood and not over tired, for best results and ensure training is something your pup always enjoys!

If you'd like for your puppy's crate to become the place they go to to rest, take a break, relax, feel food and calm then yes, 100%! Dogs by nature like to rest and take a break in darker quite areas (you can cover the crate with a blanket) and so long as you don't use the crate as a punishment tool, because your pup has done something you dislike or only when you're leaving them along for longer than they can handle, then there's lots to gain from using a crate!

There's a few ways you can prepare. Start by leaving part of your dog's meal for the session, so that they have a little bit of an appetite for during their training session and can enjoy regular food more, as a reward for the amazing things they'll get to do with you. Bring with you any questions you may have, and even a stuffed/frozen kong for your dog to enjoy on the way back home.

Use the Freedom (No Pull) Harness to more easily guide your dog on walks in a harm-free way. Combine this with a lot of patience and positive reinforcement to have both you and your dog feel good about every step you take together. Use the front clip and/or the back clip depending on your dog's training needs out on walks.

The best way to correct a dog is by instead letting them know the behaviour that is acceptable and that you're happy to see them repeat. The moment we try to correct a dog, they are not creating the association to the action that is causing the 'correction' that we think they are, which can cause frustration and confusion for them and us. Instead, we may without meaning to be reinforcing the behaviour we're not happy with which can cause them to repeat it. The next time you want to correct a behaviour, ask yourself how you could have prevented it first (Was your dog feeling bored, anxious, afraid, overtired, overexcited?) and do your best to wait until they instead display a behaviour you are happy with and focus on rewarding that.

Never confront or try to correct a growling dog. Growling is a common and healthy behaviour among dogs that is used to communicate an important feeling at that time. Instead, redirect with a scent to help your dog change their mindset and reward that change. Giving space, remaining calm and patient (being quiet helps too!) will help and allow our dogs to slowly change their own emotion for a better one that we can then reinforce with our attention.

E-collars can be very damaging, not only physically, but emotionally and mentally as well and can be very detrimental to your relationship with your dog, just like all and other aversive training methods. These types of collars can also instigate other behavioural issues as they are not designed to help you address the root of the issue, but rather suppress it and mask it temporarily. Instead of any kind of shock collar, consider using either a flat collar or a harness, as well as the support of a positive reinforcement training to instead work on guiding your dog towards success in a fun, encouraging and harm-free way that will ensure your dog never feels any kind of pain or frustration.

Begin with the command sit! It's a simple command that you can also practice easily by first doing fun games and when your puppy feels relaxed and at ease you will notice they will naturally be more inclined to sit down without you saying a word. As they start to sit (putting their bum on the floor) say the word Sit and follow with a reward. What this will do is help them understand that when you say the sit command in the future, that they should associate it not only with the action of sitting but also of feeling calm and relaxed.

Aside from their taste and that they come by more rarely than their kibble, a lot of pet parents use treats when they'd like their dog to accomplish something in particular which is in itself very rewarding for dogs. This is why dogs prefer treats and often lose interest in their kibble, all due to how we present both to dogs. And so if you'd like too have your dog prefer his food a little more than they do now, consider new ways to offer it to your dog. An easy and fun way to start doing so would be food puzzles and snuffle mats !