Are you (and your dog) lacking focus during training sessions? If you’re both bored with training or have no idea where or how to start, you’ve come to the right place! I’ve created 5 different decks of dog training task cards, designed to get you motivated and breathe new life into your dog training routine!

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How to make dog training more fun with dog training task cards

Who are dog training task cards for?

Anyone with a dog! Maybe you’re in competitive dog sports or maybe you just want to have fun with your faithful canine companion. Looking for something new to do, feeling blah about doing things with your dog – These decks provide new challenges that will bring joy to both you and your dog.

Does any of this sound familiar?

You have a lack of motivation to train.
You’re not sure how to start a session.
You’re bored with the usual routine and stuck for new ideas.
You run out of steam part way through a training session and give up.
You and your dog both need to be more active.
You want to learn how to do scent detection with your dog.
Your dog needs a refresher on basic training.

Or maybe you’re a coach.
Not sure what to do with the classes you teach?
Trying to figure out how to help students do better?
Need to take better care of yourself?

Dog training task cards to the rescue!

How do dog training task cards work?

Motivation has three key components and dog training task cards can help you with each step.

1. Direction – use task cards to get you up and taking action. you can set your goal in terms of doing “at least 2 random cards” and see where it takes you.

2. Intensity – use the cards to build a warm up or cool down component to your training. Or to give you a fun mid week routine to increase training sessions and keep your dog active.

3. Persistence – you’ve run out of steam and can’t think of what to do? Grab your deck of cards and take action! Use your deck once or twice a week to keep yourself moving forward.

Break free of training ruts once and for all. These decks will help you put together a custom plan that suits your needs and training level.

There is flexibility built right into the cards so you can take a step back or challenge yourself with ease.

The tasks cards are in digital format. When you buy you’ll get an email with your deck(s) attached. You get 4 cards per page and in black and white to make printing easy and affordable.

Print and laminate them or print them on card stock and put them on a ring if it suits you!

Each deck has at least 28 cards. Most of which will lend themselves to adaptions and tweaks – so it’s well over 50 activities per deck!

Five editions are ready to help you overcome dog training challenges:
• Play (pictured above)
• Foundations
• Scent/Nose work
• Barn hunt
• Self Care for you!

Put the fun and spontaneity back in training — get some help getting off the couch and playing with your dog or being kind to yourself. The more decks you get the less expensive they are!

Grab your full set + a bonus (a savings of $11 dollars before the bonus book is added!) below or keep reading for more info on each deck:

LINK TO PURCHASE

Play Book Task Cards

32 cards to help you choose a way to play or a play activity to add to your dog training plan. Food, personal and toy suggestions are all covered. Up your play game by having fun with the deck. Your dog will love this one!

And you will get great ideas for using play as a positive reinforcer to build the best relationship possible with your companion. You can grab the play deck HERE.

Foundation Training Task Cards

32 activities that will tighten up your dog training and let you focus on performance, not planning. When you are getting bored or feel like you are in a rut pull out a card or two and get back in the spirit to do great training.

HERE IS THE LINK to buy this deck.

Scent Work Task Cards

Scent training, or nose work, is a great way to have fun with your high-energy, or sniffy, dog. Dogs enjoy using their noses and there is lots of evidence that having the chance to do so helps your dog enjoy life and time with you more.

32 activities that take the thinking out of setting hides, and challenges to make nose work training easier on your own (or with a non-dog helper who can set some hides for you!)

Learning how to teach your dog scent detection is a true boredom buster for you both!

CLICK HERE to purchase this deck on its own!

Barn Hunt Task Cards

28 cards to help you focus on a sport you and your dog love! These take scent work training a step further and offer up new challenges to keep your dog guessing.

Barn Hunt is a fast-growing sport that dogs and handlers alike enjoy playing.

You can grab the barn hunt deck HERE.

dog doing nosework / scent detection in barn and hay

Self-Care Task Cards

36 cards for you to draw on when you are tired and need to be kind to yourself. You cannot pour from an empty cup. Be sure to fill it up from time to time. Be the best handler, and human, you can be.

To get your set of self care cards, CLICK HERE.

More decks (rally, puppy, sports foundation and agility) are in the works and there have been some inquiries about more advanced decks too. If there’s something you’d love to see become available I’m always open to ideas.

Leave me a comment below to let me know!

I hope you find the decks handy. Whether you want to try your hand at some DIY nosework games to up your scent training, or if you just need to mix things up in your day to day routine with your dog, there’s something for everyone.

The best bang for your buck is to get the bundle that includes all the decks PLUS a bonus gratitude journal.

Learn more about the bundle/bonus HERE.

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2 Comments

Suzanne Siroki on January 15, 2023 at 1:22 pm

Hi Andrea
Gotcha! How do I order the cards?? I had to cancel out of dog exercise class in New Jersey which would have qualified for the new fitness title. Then got scared I would be sick at scent event and canceled for today. I was looking for ways to get me motivated to train at home. I slipped into poor me this weekend. I think the cards are wonderful way but I don’t know how to purchase them.
Andrea Harrison on August 14, 2023 at 4:26 pm

Thanks Suzanne – the links are all updated now 🙂

Dog Training Task Cards – Updated!