I hear this SO often.

Usually immediately after someone has watched one of my dogs doing something ridiculous. 😂

But here's the thing…
Your dog doesn't need to be a “clever” dog.
And you don't need to be an experienced trainer.

You need to know HOW to break a behaviour down into pieces your dog can understand.

That's the skill.

For example, a complicated-looking trick might actually be:

➡️ Look at the object.
➡️ Move towards it.
➡️ Touch it.
➡️ Put one paw on it.
➡️ Put two paws on it.
➡️ Change position.
➡️ Add duration.
➡️ Add a cue.
➡️ Put the pieces together.

Suddenly…

The “impossible” trick isn't so impossible.

And THAT is exactly the kind of training I love sharing inside **The Tricks Vault**.

You don't just get a massive list of tricks.
You get ideas and guidance to help you understand **how to train them.**
So whether you've got a seasoned trick dog or one who currently thinks “sit” is an optional suggestion…

there's something you can work on. 😂❤️

If you'd like to see what's inside, **send me a message saying VAULT** and I'll point you in the right direction.

When you see Henry doing something that looks ridiculous . . . . it can be very easy to think:

“Bloody hell, he's clever.”

And yes…

He IS a clever little munchkin 😂❤️

BUT the behaviour you're watching isn't magic.

It was built.
Piece by piece.
With reinforcement.
With repetition.
With mistakes.
With tiny improvements.
With me changing the plan when something wasn't working.

And, importantly…

**with a dog who genuinely enjoys figuring things out.**

That's the bit I'm most proud of - Not that Henry can do fancy tricks.

But that when I ask him to learn something new, he thinks:

**“Oooooh! What are we doing?!”**

THAT is what I want people to create with their dogs.

A dog who sees training as an opportunity rather than an obligation.
And you don't need a Henry to do that.
You don't need a poodle.
You don't need a particularly clever breed.
You don't even need to be an experienced trainer.
You need to learn how to communicate clearly with the dog standing in front of you.

And then…

**have fun building something together.** ❤️

What's something your dog has learned that makes you ridiculously proud?

This gets confused ALL the time.

You show your dog a treat.
They see the treat.
You ask for a behaviour.
They do it.
You give them the treat.

That *can* be training - but there's a difference between using food as a **lure** and using food as a **reinforcer**.

A lure helps your dog find the behaviour.
A reward reinforces the behaviour **after they've done it.**

And ideally, as your dog learns, you gradually stop needing to show them the food beforehand.

Because I don't want: 👀 “I can only do it if I see the biscuit.”

I want: 🐶 “I know this game! I'll have a go!”

That's a very different relationship with reinforcement.

And it's one of the reasons I love teaching people HOW to train rather than simply giving them a list of things to teach.

Once you understand the principles…
You can teach practically anything.

And THAT is when dog training gets really exciting. 😁

Be honest… does your dog know when you've got treats before you've even reached into the bag? 😂