Midwest Mutts - Blog , Training Tips and Tricks

Surviving Halloween Doorbells: How Place Command Keeps the Chaos Calm

Wed, 21 Oct 2026 16:57:25 -0500

Of all the nights on the calendar, Halloween might be the toughest one for a dog who isn't used to a lot of commotion at the front door. They're dealing with a steady stream of strangers in costumes, kids yelling "trick or treat," candy bowls being passed back and forth, and the front door opening and closing over and over for hours.

For a lot of dogs, that's a recipe for barking, jumping, bolting toward the open door, or just general anxiety that ruins the night for everyone, including your dog. This is exactly the kind of situation where a solid place command earns its keep.

Why Place Works So Well Here

Place gives your dog a job. Instead of reacting to every doorbell ring and every new face at the door, they have a clear, calm alternative: go to their spot and settle in. It's one of the most useful commands for exactly this kind of high stimulation, repetitive chaos, because it doesn't rely on you managing every single interaction. You're not scrambling to grab a collar or block the door every time it opens. Your dog already knows where to be.

A dog who's solid on place command can lie on their bed a few feet from the action, watch the parade of costumes go by, and stay relaxed the whole time. That's a completely different Halloween experience than a dog who's lunging at the door or trying to slip outside every time it opens.

Getting Ready Before the Big Night

If your dog already knows place, now is the time to start practicing with more realistic distractions. Have a family member ring the doorbell while your dog is on their spot. Open and close the door a few times. Toss in some noise and movement, since that's what the real thing will feel like. The goal is for place to hold up under distraction, not just in a quiet living room.

If your dog is newer to place or it's a little rusty, short daily sessions between now and Halloween can make a real difference. Even ten minutes a day of practicing with some doorbell noise mixed in will pay off. And if your dog just isn't there yet, that's okay too. A leash tethered nearby, a baby gate, or keeping them in another room during peak trick-or-treat hours are all reasonable backup plans for this year while you keep building the skill for next year.

If your dog could use some help getting doorbell-ready before Halloween, I'd love to work with you. I train dogs throughout Chicago and the north and northwest suburbs, right in your home, so we can practice with your actual front door and your actual doorbell.

Give me a call at (312) 469-0690 or email Evan@midwest-mutts.com to get a session on the books before the candy comes out!

Back to School Means Back to Basics for your Dog, too!

Sun, 06 Sep 2026 19:05:41 -0500

If you've got little ones, you know what this time of year feels like. New backpacks, new schedules, everyone scrambling to remember what a normal routine even looks like. What a lot of dog owners don't realize is that their dog is feeling that shift too, and it's actually the perfect time to dust off some of the training you worked so hard on.

Here's the thing about dog training that nobody tells you when you're in the middle of it: it's not a one and done deal. You teach your pups something, they get good at it, and then life happens. Summer gets busy, the schedule gets loose, and little by little some of those solid commands start to slip. That's not a failure on your part. It's just normal. The good news is that a refresh is usually quick, especially if your dog already has the foundation from earlier training.

So as everyone heads back into a routine, let's talk about a few of the commands that tend to get rusty first and are worth revisiting.

Recall

Recall, or coming when called, is probably the command that decays the fastest if you're not actively using it. During the summer, a lot of dogs get more freedom. Maybe they're off leash at the lake house, running around a fenced yard at a family gathering, or just out and about more than usual with less structure. All of that unstructured freedom means fewer chances to actually reinforce a clean recall.

The fix is simple but does take some consistency. Go back to short, low distraction practice sessions in the house or backyard before you expect your dog to nail it at the park or on a trail. Keep the tone upbeat, make coming to you the best thing that happens all day, and resist the urge to only call your dog when the fun is about to end.

Stay

Stay is another one that quietly falls apart over time, especially the duration and distance parts of it. Your dog might still sit and stay for three seconds while you're standing right there, but ask for a two minute stay while you walk across the room and grab something off the counter, and you might get a different result.

Rebuilding a strong stay is about going back to basics and being patient with the process. Shorten the time and distance, then build it back up gradually. It's tempting to jump right back to where you left off months ago, but dogs don't hold onto skills the same way we do. A little humility here goes a long way.

Leash Manners

This one sneaks up on people. Maybe the walks got shorter over the summer, or you were more relaxed about pulling because you were just trying to get the dog some exercise before it got too hot outside. Whatever the reason, loose leash walking is a skill that needs consistent handling to stay sharp. If your walks have started to feel more like a tug of war, that's your sign to go back to reinforcing the basics.

Why this Matters

Fall is a great reset button. Kids go back to school, work schedules stabilize, and a lot of households naturally settle into a more predictable rhythm. That predictability is exactly what dogs thrive on. Taking a few weeks this season to revisit foundational commands sets your dog, and your whole household, up for a much smoother fall and winter. Contact us to schedule a free consultation for personalized, in-home dog training at (312) 469-0690, or Evan@Midwest-Mutts.com

Time-Saving Dog Training Hack

Mon, 29 Sep 2025 13:05:00 -0500

Pressed for time to train your dog? Try this time-saving trick!

These days, we're all busy. Hours melt away as we work, run errands, and take care of our families. Competing priorities can make it hard to keep up with your dog's training, but try this one tip to save you time while reinforcing their skills.

Try obedience training on walks!

Use your existing walk schedule as time to work on obedience training. As you walk, remind your pups of their commands as you go. This will teach them that obedience training is not limited to home but extends into all interactions with you as their pet parent.

When we use commands like "sit," "down," or "stay" while on a walk, our dog Winston gets physical and mental exercise in a high-energy environment - challenging him to stay focused while surrounded by distractions like cars, people, and other dogs. This can lead to stronger command recall, resulting in better behavior.

And, as a bonus, you can expect your pups to come home from an obedience training walk accomplished, calm, and sleepy!

"But Evan, my dog HATES walks! What do I do?"

Just like people, each individual dog is different, and what works for one might not work for another. Contact us to schedule a free consultation for personalized, in-home dog training at (312) 469-0690, or Evan@Midwest-Mutts.com