30 Day Dog Training Plan You Can Print and Run

A 30 day dog training plan works best when it stays small: four weeks, five minutes a session, two or three sessions a day, and one new skill added each week. Below is the calendar day by day, what to do when a day gets missed, and which treat we load for which part.

If you are still deciding what to teach, start with our goals plan for the new year. This page is the calendar to print.

How the 30 days are set up

The American Kennel Club writes: "Five minutes per session is more than enough." We hang the sessions on things that already happen. One goes before breakfast, one goes before dinner, and a third happens on the evening walk if there is time. Do the session first and put the bowl down after.

The same article adds: "If you keep things fun and stop before your dog loses interest, it will help build enthusiasm for future training sessions." So end a session while it is still going well.

You need three things before day 1: a handful of small treats, a spot in the house with the TV off, and a marker word. The marker is one short word, "yes" works, that you say the instant your dog does the right thing. The treat comes right after the word. Pick the word once and never change it.

Week 1: name, sit and the marker

• Days 1 and 2: Say the marker, then give a treat. Do this about ten times per session and ask for nothing else.
• Days 3 and 4: Say your dog's name once. When your dog looks at you, say the marker and give a treat.
• Days 5 and 6: Add sit. Hold a treat at your dog's nose and slide it back over the head. When the rear touches the floor, say the marker and give the treat.
• Day 7: Run name and sit once each per session. Then stop for the day.

Week 2: down and a short stay

• Days 8 to 10: Start from a sit. Lower the treat from the nose to the floor between the front paws. When the elbows touch down, say the marker and give the treat.
• Days 11 and 12: Ask for a sit or a down, count one second, then mark and reward. Add a second every other session until you reach five.
• Days 13 and 14: Take one step away during the stay. Step back, say the marker, and give the treat at your dog's mouth.

Week 3: come, and a loose leash at the door

The American Kennel Club says: "If your dog pulls on the leash, make it a resolution to teach him or her to walk on a loose leash." That is where this week ends up.

• Days 15 to 17: Practice coming in the house. Stand in one room, say your dog's name and "come," and step backward. Mark when your dog arrives and reward at your knee. Add a room each day.
• Days 18 and 19: Same game in the yard, a few steps farther each time. Keep the leash on if the yard is not fenced.
• Days 20 and 21: Clip on the leash at the door and start walking. When the leash is tight, stand still. When it hangs loose, mark, reward and walk on.

Week 4: put it together on a walk and in the car

• Days 22 to 24: Take the walk and ask for one sit at each corner. Mark, reward, and move on.
• Days 25 and 26: Add the name and "come" on a quiet stretch with no other dogs in sight, then one down on the way home.
• Days 27 and 28: At the car, ask for a sit and wait before the door opens. Open the door, say your release word, then let your dog in.
• Days 29 and 30: Run the whole list once through, in any order: name, sit, down, stay, come, leash, car door. That is the month.

When you miss a day

Start the week over, not the month. If one day drops out, pick up on the day you missed and carry on. If two or three days drop out, go back to day 1 of that week. The order stays the same and the calendar stretches.

Which treat goes where

The reward has to be small and quick, because you are marking something every few seconds. We use three of ours. The American Kennel Club puts it this way: "Anything your dog is willing to work for is a reward, from going for a walk to getting a cuddle."

Freeze-Dried Cheddar Cheese Dog Treats are the small, fast reward for weeks 1 and 2. The only ingredient is cheddar cheese. We freeze-dry it in small batches in Malvern, Pennsylvania, and it comes in one 8 ounce bag. The pieces are small, and on our scorecard the crunch is 4 of 5 and the training value is 5 of 5. Freeze-drying makes the cheese crunchy and non-greasy instead of soft,. It contains dairy, so it is not suited to dogs with dairy sensitivities. If your dog is on a special diet, ask your veterinarian before you start.

Freeze-Dried Beef Heart Dog Treats are for the harder moments: the yard in week 3, the corner on the walk in week 4. The only ingredient is beef heart. The texture is firm and snaps into small pieces, and it is milder than liver. It comes in 1.5, 3 and 6 ounce bags.

Freeze-Dried Beef Liver Dog Treats are our top reward, saved for the car door and for any day the ask is hard. The only ingredient is beef liver. The pieces are medium and break easily into bite-sized pieces. It is lightweight and non-greasy, so it packs easily for the car, and it comes in the same three sizes as the heart.

For all three, reseal the bag after opening and store it cool and dry. Each label says to feed it as a treat, not as a complete diet. The rest of our freeze-dried training rewards are in the training treats collection, and the treat side of this plan is covered in our training treats guide.

The pouch

The partner item we would pair with this plan is the One-Hand Treat Training Pouch from Up Dog Shop. It is made from easy-to-clean, food-grade silicone with a zipless, squeeze-to-open design, so one hand gets to a reward without looking down. You can wear it around your wrist, loop it through a leash, or clip it to a belt or bag. Up Dog Shop lists it at 3.9 in x 3.3 in x 1.7 in, which holds a handful of small treats alongside keys and waste bags. Up Dog Shop items are sold and shipped by Up Dog Shop through Shopify Collective, not made or shipped by Sniff and Shift.

Training plan questions

How long should each session be?

Five minutes. Two or three sessions a day is plenty, and a session that ends while it is going well beats one that runs long.

What if I miss a day?

Pick up on the day you missed. If you miss more than a couple of days in a row, start that week over from day 1. Never the whole month.

What is the marker word for?

It tells your dog the exact moment of the right answer, and the treat follows it. Say the same short word every time. It does not matter which word you pick, only that it never changes.

Do I need a treat pouch?

No. A coat pocket works. We like a pouch because it keeps one hand free for the leash and lets you reward within a second.

Do the weeks have to go in order?

Yes. Each week uses the one before it: sit before down, down before stay, and all of them before the walk. If a week goes badly, repeat it.

What if my dog skips the treat?

Move up a step on the reward list, from cheddar to heart to liver, or try the session somewhere quieter. Practice for five minutes, then stop.