Don’t start in the Park
So why not?
I occasionally have clients ask to meet me at a park, and I can understand why; it’s usually a half way point, its often pleasant, and that’s where so many of us take our dogs so often.
But here’s a secret, the park is the last place I’d recommend you start training. Primarily I do not feel that the park is an ideal place because, most dogs have not learned to sit still in a park type environment, and … distractions are everywhere.
For many dogs (though not all!), asking them to perform and more importantly, learn, starting in the park is equivalent to jumping in the deep end when trying to learn to swim.
This does not mean that we do not work with distraction, but rather we add it in thin layers, layers thin enough that nobody ‘drowns’ or fails.

Malli Hutchings is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer located on the Southern End of Vancouver Island, BC, Canada.