Getting motivated to train can sometimes feel like a big project- setting up the area, finding the right treats, digging through the laundry basket to get the clicker out of yesterday’s jeans….  By the time do all of that, you could have easily trained the dog.  My secret for this is to have hidden stashes of training supplies everywhere- on every floor of the house, in each car, in the motorhome, even in my backpack.  That way, whenever the urge strikes I have the basics of what I will need.

I’m fortunate enough to have a designated agility yard and basement training space, so that’s where the big stuff like jumps, weave poles, and fitness equipment lives (well, ok I’ll admit to a Fitpaws donut in the living room.

img_6347 img_6349

But small items like treats, clickers, tug toys, targets, dumbbells, and nose work odor can be stashed and used just about anywhere that the dogs can’t reach to help themselves.  That last part is tricky since Juno seems to have opposable thumbs that she uses to open up drawers containing cookies, but with some creativity you can probably find suitable places for training stashes too.  Training multiple dogs with a full schedule has shown me just how much dogs can learn in 30 second sessions snuck into an otherwise full day, if you just have the right tools at hand.

.img_5488 img_5487 img_5486 img_5485