Proven Methods to Train Your Dog:
From Sit to Super Star
07.29.2025
Training your dog should be rewarding, effective, and foster a stronger bond between you and your pup. Using positive reinforcement methods plus high-quality rewards like Tiny Loves treats with broth, Dogs 🖤 Jerky treats, and The Good List air-dried dog food from Farmland Traditions ensures training is both fun and successful.
✅ Why Positive Reinforcement Works
Studies and training experts widely support positive reinforcement (rewarding desired behavior) as the safest, most effective training style. Dogs learn faster, stay engaged longer, and show less anxiety when they’re rewarded with treats, praise, or play. Consistency, patience, and positivity are key ingredients for success.
🧠 Training Techniques That Really Work
1. Marker or Clicker Training
Use a clicker or the word “Yes!” to mark the exact moment your dog performs the desired behavior, followed immediately by a reward like a Tiny Loves treats. This sharp timing helps dogs understand what behavior earned the reward.
2. Luring & Shaping
Break complex commands into small steps. Reward each small success, gradually shaping your dog toward the full behavior. Use The Good List air-dried dog food or Dogs Love Jerky treats to reinforce incremental progress.
3. Fixed to Variable Reinforcement
Begin with consistent rewards (every correct behavior), then shift to variable reinforcement (every few successes). This helps maintain behaviors long-term, even once treats are phased out.
4. Desensitization & Counter-Conditioning
Help nervous or reactive dogs overcome fears by gradually exposing them to triggers while associating them with treats and praise. Rewarding them for calm behavior can help reduce anxiety and build trust and confidence over time.
🐾 Essential Commands You Can Teach
Here are foundational commands and how to train them:
- Sit – Use a treat to lure into position, say “Sit,” when dog sits use a clicker or verbal cue, then reward immediately
- Stay – Start indoors, build duration and distance gradually. Click and treat every few seconds as distance and time get longer.
- Come – Begin close with a leash, encourage with movement and praise. Practice indoors first, then move outdoors.
- Down – From “sit”, lure hand close to nose then to floor, while saying “down.”
- Leave It / Drop It – Reward release of items.
Break each command into tiny steps, mark success with a click or verbal cue, reward generously, and build on each success!
🏅 How Farmland Traditions Fits Into Training
Tiny Loves (2-Calorie Treats)
- Perfect for repetitive training or rewarding small successes
- Low-calorie, packed with bone broth, and ideal for practicing sit/stay or recall without overfeeding
Dogs Love Jerky (95% Premium Protein)
- High-value treat supportive of big milestones or distractions (e.g., around other dogs, during vet visits)
- Great for reinforcing difficult commands, long-distance recall, or high-pressure environments
The Good List (Air-Dried Dog Food)
- Made with 90% real meat and 10% superfood botanicals
- Ideal for a full meal, treat, topper, or mix-in – Portioned as training treats, used whole as high-value reinforcement, or mixed in to enhance regular food
🧩 Tips to Maximize Training Results
- Keep sessions short (5–10 minutes) and consistent
- Always end on a positive note with praise or treat
- Switch to variable rewards after initial learning to strengthen behavior retention
- Train in multiple environments and proof commands in distraction
- Combine treats with play or praise to reinforce non-food-based motivation
- Be patient, dogs learn at their own pace
- Always observe dog body language; avoid forcing behavior
🐶 Why This Works ➕ Why Dogs Love It
Positive reinforcement training fosters trust and encourages your dog to try again, even after mistakes. Adding high-quality rewards like Tiny Loves, Dogs Love Jerky, and The Good List, makes training feel like play and that’s when learning sticks. You’re not just shaping behavior, you’re building trust.
🛒 Ready to Train With the Best?
Stock up on training essentials from Farmland Traditions:
- 🐕 Tiny Loves – perfect for repetition without extra calories
- 🥩 Dogs Love Jerky – high-value motivation, made with simple, real ingredients
- 🥣The Good List – training-friendly, air-dried, and endlessly versatile
👉 Shop now and start turning everyday commands into lasting habits with healthy, high-quality rewards.