I was chatting with a friend the other day, she was sharing how much time she had to dedicate into training her new rescued dog. “I wish there’s a ‘lazy’ way,” she chuckled. To be fair, my friend is not lazy at all. She is probably one of the most responsible dog owners who will dedicate hours everyday to do what’s right for her dog.
But guess what? There is indeed an easy way when it comes to training. The SMARTx50 is one of my favorite simple and powerful training methods, developed by Kathy Sdao, a certified applied animal behaviorist & animal trainer.
SMART stands for “See, Mark, and Reward Training.” The idea is to set aside 50 treats each day, including some or all of your dog's meals, and reward your dog 50 times a day for good behavior they’re already doing. Whether it’s laying down calmly, not barking, or simply walking by your side, mark the behavior with a calm “yes” or “good”, then deliver the treat in a low-excitement way. The focus is on catching and rewarding the positive behaviors that your dog is already doing. Remember, what gets rewarded gets repeated.
This approach works wonders because your dog is learning without pressure or complex cues. It’s easy to incorporate into your daily routine – you just need some food and a keen eye for good behavior. By recognizing and rewarding the positive things your dog does naturally, you’re reinforcing good habits and building a stronger bond.
Give it a try and watch how quickly your dog starts thriving!
Best regards to you and your pup,
Xing, CPDT-KA & Mika💜