If you have a dog – you’re a dog trainer. You may not think of yourself as one, but your dog is always looking to you for feedback, always learning, always paying attention to what you say and do.

Training is a life long process for dogs. They’re always up for a game, always ready to play with you, always eager to spend time with you and learn new things.

To make impromptu little games – like “Puppy Push-ups” (see how many times your dog can go from sit to down and back to sit in 30 seconds) possible and fun, we keep little dishes (actually empty containers from butter or yogurt) filled with treats (or pieces of kibble) in just about every room in the house. That way, if the dogs are doing something great, we can reward them.

And if they’re being annoying, we can interrupt the chaos with a mini-training session of hand touches, or push-ups, or spins, without any preparation at all.

We often have people ask “when can we leave out the treats?” The best answer is never. You can certainly randomize rewards for your dog, especially when he’s a fan of your little behavior practices. But eliminate them?

Give the dog a bone

Let’s put it in terms every adult will understand. (Copied and credited to Dee Lulik of All Fours Dog Training) You go to work every day. You love your job. You love the place, the people you work with, the work that you do. Are you still going to go every day if you don’t get paid?

Whether it’s a cookie or a toy play session, it’s your dog’s pay check. Don’t ask her to work all the time just because she loves you. That will pall over time. You don’t have to reward every time, but you do have to let them know they’ve done a good job.