Just add an easy food puzzle, and mix!
Stuff a Kong, Squirrel Dude, Twist-n-Treat, or other food puzzle with wet dog food. Freeze it (have several so there’s always a frozen food puzzle for your puppy or dog).
Make sure your puppy understands the good-puzzle concept by having your dog work through a few inside the house (different days).
In a fenced-in yard or supervised on a leash, give your puppy the Kong to enjoy. It will last a lot longer, frozen. your puppy will passively hear the noises of the world, but not react to them. Do this a bunch!
Give a food puzzle and relax in different locations, too:
– Dog training class
– Bus stop
– Front yard
– Back yard
– Coffee shop
– On a bus (older puppy)
– At a busy park, like Green Lake (off the path)
– Near a playground
Repeat, repeat, repeat! Bring your own entertainment, like a book to read (Ahimsa training manual, maybe?).
Just make sure no other dogs try to steal your puppy’s great toy. You should also rehearse trading the food puzzle for a treat (then giving the toy back, usually), so you don’t end up with resource guarding.
For our students: also look at the training manual for the Relaxation Protocol, which is great to practice in all of the settings above.
