WHY?: The Cone Game is great for getting your dog used to putting their face/nose into things, which can then be built into helping them adjust to a muzzle, snood/Happy Hoodie or similar items.

HOW TO: Using a cone or similar item and a clicker, place the cone on the floor or hold it. Click for any interaction with the cone and reward by placing the treat in or near the cone for the dog to retrieve. This will eventually build into your dog offering the behaviour of placing their nose into the cone.

WHY?: A Fixed Focus is an invaluable skill for dogs, particularly for those who are sensitive to having their bodies checked over. It teaches your dog to maintain focus on an item, allowing you to safely health check them or groom them, without taking away their ability to say no.

HOW TO: Using a bucket you have placed treats in, hold the bucket a couple of feet from your dog and, when they look at the bucket, click, take a treat out and feed them. When they look back at the bucket, click again and reward.

WHY?: A Snuffle Box introduces unpredictable sounds, movements and loud noises in a positive way, leading to a higher tolerance for sudden changes in the world.

HOW TO: Using a medium-sized box (compared to your dog’s size), fill the box with items that make some amount of noise. Examples include envelopes, packing paper, tinfoil, bubble wrap, packing peanuts, balls that jingle and so on. Once the box is filled, take some mid to high value treats and scatter them throughout the box. The dog should then search through the box to retrieve the treats.

WHY?: The Box Game is a fun exercise which lets your dog create their own game, building confidence and trust. For most dogs, this will eventually build into them offering seemingly random behaviours to work out what you want, and the results can be incredibly interesting!

HOW TO: Present your dog with a completely empty box, ideally one which is similar in size to their body (within reason). When your dog approaches it, click and build value by throwing a treat into the box.

WHY?: Coat, nail and tooth maintenance shouldn’t have to be a scary experience for your dog. Through the levels, we will build your dog’s confidence in a positive but gentle way, making grooming enjoyable instead of tolerable.

HOW TO: This should be a dog-led, with the dog unrestrained, session. Holding the tool or placing it on the ground, mark for any interaction with the tool itself. Moving away is fine, but we would like to see some kind of progress (looking at the tool, moving toward it or not moving away, etc.) by the end of filming. This can be a tool they have seen before. Actual use of the tool is not necessary.

WHY?: The Magic Box Method is a game changer for training a heel with purely positive input.

HOW TO: Imagine a dog-sized box next to your hip or wherever you  would like your dog to walk. Whenever your dog enters that box, even for a moment, mark and reward them. Typically, this is done 24/7 around the home to begin with, but for the sake of the video the dog can be called over but should not be lured or cued into place.

WHY?: This level of Healthy Hound introduces the precursor for the “Simon Says” game, encouraging your dog to voluntarily present for an exam.

HOW TO: Demonstrate your dog learning at least three cues to present different body parts, such as:

Show me your paw! (Dog offers their paw)

Show me your tail! (Dog turns to offer their tail)

Show me your back leg! (Dog offers back leg)

No contact is required for this level.

WHY: These cues will all come in useful in the later levels and also teach your dog to move different parts of their body independently

HOW TO: Train 4 or more of these cues in your own time and film your dog performing that cue.

• Chin Target (Item)
• Front Paw Target (Item)
• Nose Target (Item)
• Paws Up (Any)
• Stand
• Lie on Side

WHY: Our dogs need time to let loose and be themselves just like we do!

HOW TO: Show your dog doing what makes them happiest and something which you do solely for their benefit. This could be swimming, scent-work, seeing their favourite person, or even simply having zoomies in their favourite park.

* While we appreciate many dogs love their jobs, we are looking for something which is done solely for your dog, so working roles are not accepted for this game.

HOW TO: Using a cone or similar item, show your dog has developed the offered behaviour of placing their nose into the cone and holding it for at least a second. This should be without a verbal cue, though lifting the cone to the dog’s muzzle level is acceptable.

HOW TO: The next step with FF is for you to be able to place the bucket down on a stool or table. When your dog looks at but doesn’t attempt to get to the bucket, reward them from the bucket. Once they have begun to watch the bucket, slowly increase the duration between your rewards.

WHY: Consent is a key factor in making your dog comfortable in new environments, in situations they find new or stressful, and so on.

HOW TO: Show what saying “Yes” or “No” looks like for your dog. This could be the dog saying “no” to being groomed and walking away or your dog saying “yes” and standing to have their ears/teeth/paws checked. Videos should show or explain your dog’s body language and why this is a clear “Yes” or “No” for them.

HOW TO: Present your dog with a completely novel item, ideally one which is similar in size to their body (within reason). When your dog approaches the item, click and mark by throwing a treat into or onto the item. Continue this until your dog begins to offer alternate behaviours using the item.

HOW TO: Show a video of your dog having any kind of grooming tool moved near them. This should be a dog-led, with the dog unrestrained, session. Moving away is fine, but we would like to see some kind of progress (Offering a target, sitting quietly, no or minimal stress signals) compared to Beginner level. This can be a tool they have seen before.

HOW TO: Show your dog’s progress with The Magic Box Method, ideally through a moving heel or a loose leash walk video with a comparison video. The dog can be called over but should not be lured or cued into place. A leash can be used outside – please see criteria. The focus should be on your dog offering the behaviour, we aren’t looking for a perfect, flashy heel.

WHY?: This level of Healthy Hound introduces the “Simon Says” game, encouraging your dog to voluntarily present for an exam.

HOW TO: Demonstrate at least three of the cues your dog was taught in the previous level and build up the criteria. This would look like:

Show me your paw! (Dog offers their paw. Gently inspect their paw.)

Show me your tail! (Dog offers their tail. Gently run your hand down their tail.)

Show me your back leg! (Dog offers back leg. Gently check their back leg.)

Keep checks brief and exciting – your dog shouldn’t need to pull away for the game to stop

WHY: This skill comes in useful for many situations, including jumping into an unfamiliar car, standing on a vet or grooming table, or being weighed

HOW TO: Show your dog is comfortable placing all four paws on a platform and holding any position for 5 – 10 seconds

WHY: Engage/Disengage is a great way of helping your dog to process triggers and stress responses while encouraging their impulse control.

HOW TO: Using any stimuli your dog finds new, distracting or they’re unsure of, stand still and wait until they look at the item. When they do, immediately click and then reward them when they turn to look at you. If this isn’t possible because your dog isn’t responding, increase your distance from the trigger. We aren’t looking for your dog to be scared – just working on something they aren’t sure of or are enthusiastic about from any comfortable distance.

HOW TO: Show your dog participating in three decompression activities they find beneficial. These could include(but are not limited to)…

• Frozen wet food enrichment toys such as Kongs
• Scatter feeding
• Canine massage
• Crate rests or resting in their preferred area
• Puzzle feeders

• WHY: Even the healthiest, most gentle dogs may require any one of these items in future. Introducing them now means that it should significantly reduce how stressed your dog becomes when one of these items is medically necessary.

HOW TO: Using a muzzle, inflatable collar, Elizabethan collar or a similar item, show your dog has developed the offered behaviour of placing their nose into the item. We would then like to see EITHER…

• The dog holds the position for at least 5 seconds

OR

• The dog stays still while handler connects the straps together before releasing the straps

HOW TO:Choosing a procedure which imitates a vaccination(touching the back of the neck/shoulders), dental checks (touching the gums), paw checks etc., start moving your hand toward your dog without making contact. If your dog looks at you, stop and feed them from the bucket. Once your dog re-engages, start moving toward them again. Anticipate a lot of stops and starts to begin with. Continue this until you can touch your dog while they watch the bucket.

HOW TO: Show your dog experiencing a new stimuli, either with confident body language, or showing how you work through those initial nerves. This could include a new sight, sound or touch. Leashes are acceptable if the criteria fits.

HOW TO: Your dog should stand to have any kind of grooming tool moved across their body or head. This should be a dog-led, with the dog unrestrained, session. Your dog must consent and stay close while the grooming is carried out. This should be a tool they have seen before and, ideally, have worked with on the lower levels.

HOW TO: Show your dog’s progress with The Magic Box Method, through a fast moving heel with at least two left and right turns or U-Turns. The dog can be called over but should not be lured or cued into place. A leash can be used outside – please see criteria.

HOW TO: Show your dog consenting to a brief full-body exam, skipping any areas they may find particularly difficult. Ideally this would cover the ears, teeth/gums, paws, elbows, hips, haunches, spine and tail but let your dog lead. The dog should offer at least one body part via a chin rest, offering paw etc. when cued.

Keep checks brief and exciting – your dog shouldn’t need to pull away for the game to stop

HOW TO: Show your dog being introduced to at least six of the items below.

• Stethoscope
• No-Needle Syringe (touched to the neck or back)
• No-Needle Syringe (touched to the mouth or paw)
• Thermometer (touched to near the hind end or haunches)
• A slicker brush
• A greyhound/metal comb
• A tick remover
• A new sound (this can be played on your phone or in real life)
• A new animal
• A new texture

WHY: When dogs become trapped, their instinct is often to attempt to bolt and free themselves, but this can quickly result in broken limbs and panicked bites. Trust Tales hopes to avoid that by teaching your dog to stay calm and trust you.

HOW TO: With your dog standing still, use a leash or a piece of rope to brush around your dog’s paws, threading and winding it between each set of paws, rewarding them consistently. The ideal outcome is that your dog learns to stand still and does not jump or try to free themselves.

WHY: RR builds value in you as a handler and encourages your dog to choose you as the primary source of good things. It can also encourage independence when the method is flipped.

HOW TO: With your dog focusing on you, scatter a small handful of food away from you so the dog breaks their focus. When the treats are finished and your dog looks to you, mark with a click and scatter more, throwing them further away from you. Once your dog has the idea, start to change up your rewards. If your dog comes back over to you, they get a  larger jackpot reward, but if they choose to stay away, offer a smaller reward. This can be flipped and carried out the opposite way for dogs who don’t enjoy distance from their handler.

WHY: Nosework is a great way to reduce your dog’s anxiety and encourages independent thinking

HOW TO: With your dog out of the room, lay a small, visible trail of food in an easy-to-follow line. Once your dog is let back into the room, allow them to explore and sniff by themselves. Adjust the difficulty to your dog’s intelligence level but avoid increasing the difficulty too quickly – this is a confidence building game, not a brain teaser.