Scottish Terrier Training: Tips & Tricks

One of the things I hear Scottie Moms and Dads joke about frequently is that often times, their Scotties have them trained. Not the other way around. This is very much the case for Heather and Mr. K, and I just know Scottie Dad would love to have it the other way around. Recently, we came across this awe-inspiring video of Reggie the Scottish Terrier showing off some of the tricks he's learned.

We contacted Reggie's Scottie Mom and asked what her secret to success was and we loved everything she had to say. So, we thought we'd share her message with you. Got a few training secrets you'd like to share with fellow Scottie Moms and Dads? Tell us in the comments below!

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Reggie is not only our first Scottish Terrier but our first dog, so our advice is somewhat limited to what has worked for us; force free, reward-based training and a positive attitude.

If I could give only one tip, it would be to enjoy it. If your dog sees you having fun then they will be more interested in you than sniffing around -- however, this is not always 100% accurate, as Scotties can have a mind of their own! When Reggie is in 'sniffing' mode, he does tend to ignore commands, so to combat this, I usually have to work harder, get excited and try to be more interesting.

Reggie and I take obedience classes which are part of the British Kennel Club's Good Citizen Dog Scheme. In my experience, classes were great for us first-time dog owners as it has been excellent for advice, socialising your dog and teaching your dog to listen to you around some big distractions. We do around five to ten minutes oftraining at home before meals, using some of his tea, so we are not over feeding him and he gets a big reward at the end of it. I also do a limited amount of training on every walk, so he gets used to listening to me outside but still gets to enjoy his walk.

My last tip is that no dog is perfect and you shouldn't aim for it either -- no one wants a robot dog. You may get dog envy when you see another dog owner in the pet store with their dog off lead, potting along side them ignoring all smells, food left on the floor and other dogs, but sometimes (as I have found), this means the dog does not like other dogs, gets separation anxiety from their owner, or they may just be the perfect dog, who knows? However, my point is, don't expect too much from your dog too soon!