As a dog owner who is constantly worried about whether my dog is OK, effective training has been a huge part of reducing my anxiety. In the first few months after Sweet Baby L came home, I was (unpleasantly?) surprised by how hard training a puppy was, but encouraged by the well-behaved dogs I observed in the neighborhood. There seemed to be two kinds of dog owners around me: those who were calm and confident and those who always seemed stressed out and unhappy.

I knew I wanted to be part of the former group, but in the early days, I was very much in the latter. More often than not, I’d find myself frustrated and annoyed because Sweet Baby L seemed to be running the show. Walks were difficult, she was always and forget about the off leash park. It felt like we were resigned to a relationship of tension and missed expectations (on both sides!). That alone made me anxious.

Several rounds of trainers later, I’ve identified the three commands that have been the most useful in alleviating my anxiety:

Recall

Out

Place

Here’s why:

Recall is key for someone like me who was always worried that Sweet Baby L might chase a squirrel/car/other pup right outta town. I remember walking her past the part of the park where all the other dogs were off-leash, silently cursing the other owners for making Sweet Baby L desperate to join the fun while still on her lead. All she wanted to do was run free with them, but there was no way I was letting her off leash when she wasn’t fully trained on her recall. It took us months until I finally felt comfortable letting her off leash in the park. We still practice every day, no matter what, just so she doesn’t forget.

Being confident that she will come when she’s called has made me worry significantly less.

Out has been a game changer for me. Nothing a gave me anxiety quite like seeing Sweet Baby L chomping on something she found on the street. It didn’t help that she is a resource guarder. Out is used whenever I need her spit out or drop whatever she has in her mouth. She’s gotten so good at it that sometimes other dog owners will watch in awe as whatever she’s chewing on (that she shouldn’t be) comes flying out of her mouth.

I don’t have to freak out that she might swallow something poisonous or dangerous.

Place was initially a bit underrated for me. Before we trained Sweet Baby L on it, I actually wondered what we would ever use it for. The answer? Almost everything.

Drop something on the floor that Sweet Baby L shouldn’t get near? Place.

Visitors coming over and Sweet Baby L is getting overly excited? Place.

Barking like crazy during meal time/ anytime? Place.

Anytime Sweet Baby L seems stressed/annoyed/anxious means it’s time for her to get on her place. Once she’s there, she calms down immediately. Knowing that she is calm on her place lets me relax, too.