I’ve had the Christmas jingle “These are a few of my fav-our-ite things…” playing in my head this season. I thought I would share “7 of My Favourite Things: Dog Trainer Edition”. These are the items I personally use all the time.

1) Heated Gloves

As a Canadian dog trainer with poor circulation, I have to get creative when I train dogs outdoors in the winter to prevent my hands from freezing off. However, I also prefer having full dexterity when handling a leash or grabbing treats, so I don’t like bulky mittens.

I bought these heated gloves about a decade ago for ice climbing, but they’re also perfect for dog training. Almost 10 years later and they still work great. I haven’t even replaced the batteries! They’re a Canadian brand, so I trust that they understand harsh winters.

Click here to check out their full range of heated products. The coupon code “HAPPYHOUNDS_DOGTRAINING” will get you 15% off!

2) Functional Rewards

For positive reinforcement to work, we need to use a reward our dog actually wants in that moment. While I commonly use high value dog treats for training, there are times when functional rewards work better.

What’s a functional dog training reward?

A functional reward is anything that meets a dog’s needs and gives them what they want at that moment.

Consider if you were training recall next to a river on a hot, summer day. Rather than rewarding your dog with a treat for coming back when called, you could instead reward them by letting them swim and drink from the river. In that particular moment, they likely desire water and cooling off more than food.

One of the scenario’s I’m most likely to use functional rewards for dog training is when working on animal chasing (dog prey drive).

Functional rewards are very effective during prey drive training since prey drive is a natural instinct your dog wants to fulfil upon spotting an animal. I don’t feel it’s fair to allow our dogs to chase live animals as the reward (poor squirrels!), so I instead use specific toys as replacement outlets.

My 2 favourite toys to use as functional rewards for prey drive training are:

1. Rabbit Skin Squeaky Bungee Chaser
2. Power Clam Chaser

The coupon code “HAPPYHOUNDSDOGTRAINING” will get you 10% off!

To find out more about how I use functional rewards and train dog prey drive, check out this guide:

3) A Well-designed Dog Treat Pouch

I have used many different treat pouches throughout my dog training career, but this one is by far my favourite because it has:

• A magnetic closure so it’s difficult for dogs to access
• Two separate treat compartments (I’ll often use both a high value and a VERY high value reward during training)
• A poop bag dispenser section
• Can be worn cross body (like a purse) which I prefer to waist belt styles
• Pockets that are large enough to hold my keys, phone, and more

4) A Hands-Free Leash

I like the peace-of-mind that a hands-free leash gives me since I know the dog is securely attached me, no matter what. Need both hands to deal with an off-leash dogs that’s charged us? No problem. Need both hands to tend to my baby in the stroller? No problem.

I personally use and recommend biothane leashes from this brand because they’re well made, lightweight, strong, easy to clean, and come in a large variety of fun, customizable colours. The coupon code “HAPPY10” gets you 10% off your order!

5) High Quality Dog Treats

There are a vast amount of high value dog treats available these days, but my two go-to brands are:

• Sojos: I frequently use their single-meat, grain-free treats with my allergy clients. They love them! I also personally use Sojos Complete dog food for the majority of my dogs meals.
• Vital Essentials: Their freeze-dried “bites” dog treats are the perfect size and high value. Every dog I’ve tested treat preference with has selected these first.

6) A Properly-Fitting Harness

Repeat after me: harnesses do NOT cause dogs to pull. They simply make it so that it isn’t uncomfortable or dangerous if the dog does pull. That’s a vast difference.

Think about it like this: do running shoes cause you to run? Of course not. However, if you do decide to run while wearing them you’re less likely to get injured than if you wore high heels.

I encourage as much care as possible when setting up training so that the dog can be successful and we can avoid all leash tension. However, when training in the real world, there may be moments that arise that we weren’t expecting.

A well-fitting harness keeps your dogs neck safe when there is un-planned leash tension.

I personally use the Summit All-Terrain Harness with my dog and have recommended it to numerous clients. The coupon code “HAPPYHOUNDS” will get you 10% off.

If you want to use a harness with your dog but they’re scared of it, check out this harness conditioning tutorial on Youtube:

7) Enrichment Toys

The term “canine enrichment” has become a buzzword in the dog world. Many people know they should provide enrichment for their dog, but what does that even mean?

Enrichment is anything that encourages dogs to perform natural behaviours such as sniffing, foraging, playing, and chewing.

It could mean taking your dog on a sniffari (a walk where you let them lead the way and sniff as much as they want) or offering them a food-stuffed Kong.

Anything that satisfies a natural behaviour is enriching.

Providing ample opportunities for enrichment via physical and mental exercise makes your dog happier and healthier. Enrichment is important!

To see my favourite enrichment toys, go here.