I love this idea. Clarissa has taught her dog Anny to turn on the Christmas tree lights.

Keep training treats in containers in the rooms where you spend the most time with your dog. (Clickertales suggests you invite your dog into the bathroom for a quick training session!) You will train more often if treats are handy. If you use a clicker, don’t forget to put one in each container.

• Choose small treats. Small treats are quickly consumed, so you can go on to the next response and treat. Your dog will consume many treats in a session, and unless you’re planning on feeding his meals this way, you don’t want him to fill up on treats.

• Make sure the containers are food-safe, and ideally, non-breakable. Plastic food containers come in all sizes and are inexpensive. If you want to use glass, a wide-mouthed salsa jar is perfect. If you prefer a decorative glass container, know that not all decorative glass pieces are food safe. Stick with a brand name like Anchor Hocking or Libby to be sure. Alternatively, you could decorate a plain glass jar yourself.

• Keep your treat jars out of reach. I have an favorite biscuit tin that was emptied by a resourceful Siberian. The evidence? A sleepy dog, and an empty tin with two neat fang marks on the lid!

Do you need some things to do inside when it’s really hot outside? It’s tough to burn mental and physical energy, keep your dog learning, and have fun indoors while staying cool! Here are a few of my favorites:

• Check out Sue Ailsby’s Training Levels. Sue provides many exercises you can train in the comfort of your livingroom. The Training Levels aren’t aligned with any one dogsport. Instead, they help your dog gain confidence, and give her the building blocks she needs to work, engage in dog sports, and be a great companion.

• Play hide and seek (you hide a toy or treat for the dog to find). This fun game encourages nose-work.

• Play hide and seek (you hide). Leave your dog on a sit or downstay, or a wait command, while you leave the room and hide. When you’re ready, release your dog and encourage them to find you (don’t use your formal recall command). This is great for reinforcing stays or waits, self control, and enthusiastic recalls.