Use extra tasty, smelly treats to capture and hold your small dog's attention during training sessions.
Use Treats
Keep training sessions brief, about 5-10 minutes, to accommodate your small dog's shorter attention span.
Short Sessions
Small dogs can take longer to pick up new skills. Be patient and use repetition and consistency.
Be Patient
Start training your small dog indoors in a quiet spot before moving to more distracting environments.
Indoors First
Use a properly fitted harness instead of a collar to avoid injury and allow better control.
Harness
Teach targeting sticks, hands, or mats to lure your small dog into position for skills like sit and down.
Use Targets
Reward desired behaviors immediately. Never punish mistakes. This builds confidence.
Reinforcement