26/05/2026
‘Yay, Good Dog!’ 🐶
Your voice is one of the most powerful tools you have in dog training.
And one of the best ways to use it is simple:
Praise your dog like you mean it.
Dogs are incredibly good at reading human emotion. They notice your tone of voice, your facial expressions, your energy, your enthusiasm, and how you make them feel.
That means joyful praise can become incredibly powerful reinforcement.
Smile.
Add some warmth.
Add some excitement.
Let your dog know when they’re getting it right.
Because honestly, a lot of people praise their dogs like they’re reading a grocery list.
“Good dog.”
😐
Same words. Completely different meaning.
And remember:
most dogs are actually good most of the time.
But many owners accidentally ignore good behavior and only pay attention when the dog is doing something wrong.
That’s no fun for the dog — and it’s a huge missed training opportunity.
Don’t take good behavior for granted.
Catch your dog doing things right.
Praise often.
Praise sincerely.
Make training enjoyable.
That’s a huge part of what Ian’s new course is all about.
And right now, you can save 50% on your first year of Top Dog Academy membership, where Ian's new course will be included when it launches this week.
Learn more here:
https://dunbar.info/tda-sale
Woofs & Wags,
Jamie & Ian Dunbar
