Scenario 3:

Teaching your dog to sit and wait comes in handy on many occasions. The dog may be anxious
to greet a guest who is at the door, excited to say “Hi” to another dog on the street, wiggly when
you want to put on a harness, or nervous when a groomer or veterinarian wants to examine him.

This can be seen in terms of the Premack principle: calming your dog and putting his harness on
(a low probability/reward behavior), so he can ride in the car (a high reward behavior).

Stanley demonstrates her own step-by-step method for how to train your dog to relax so you can
put the harness on:

1. Stroke your dog’s side with the back of your hand, and if he remains calm, give him a few dog treats.
2. If he seems nervous, hold the treat in front of his nose as a distraction.
3. Pet his back, down his tail, under the belly, and touch his legs and paws. Take plenty of breaks and
continue to reward him for staying calm, giving plenty of verbal praise along the way.
4. Increase the pressure and prolong your touch, while continuing to reward him.

Stanley explains that dog training is more effective if done in shorter sessions, and it’s ideally
taking place throughout the day, whenever the opportunity arises.

Watch for Adverse Signs