Is your dog performing a new behavior reliably, but not necessarily when you want him to? Maybe you’re hoping for a sit, and your dog is frantically running through his entire repertoire trying to find a behavior that will earn a reward. When this happens, it means that you haven’t named the behavior yet—you haven’t added the cue.

With the holiday season around the corner, now is the time to begin holiday training. What if instead of jumping around like a lunatic when the doorbell rings, your dog waits politely in a down position? Or, instead of circling the dinner table like a shark, your dog lies quietly in the other room? Training a dog to go to a specific place, such as a mat or bed, is one of the most useful behaviors for holiday training and beyond. Since the mat is portable, your dog will have a place to settle down on-the-go, too!

If your dog pulls away when you touch his paws, you are not alone. Many dogs dislike having their paws touched. However, there are circumstances when you need to handle your dog’s paws, such as wiping them after he comes in from outside, trimming his nails, or during medical procedures. Fortunately, teaching your dog to offer a paw voluntarily and hold still is easy and fun!