How-To Guides | Best Friends Animal Society

How-To Guides

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How to Teach a Dog to Stay

Teaching your dog the "stay" cue might even save their life one day. Learn how to teach a dog to stay.

man teaching dog how to lie down and stay

How to Teach a Dog to Sit in 3 Easy Steps

Teaching a dog to sit is an essential basic dog training cue. Learn how to teach a dog to sit in just three easy steps.

person teaching a dog how to sit outdoors

'Look at That' (LAT) Training for Reactive Dogs

Teaching a dog to look at you is especially helpful for reactive dogs and can help all dogs in scary or exciting situations when they are distracted. Follow this step-by-...

Dog in a dog training class learning to look at his person

How to Teach a Dog to Speak and Be Quiet

To teach a dog to speak, it is usually best to teach the dog the 'quiet' cue first. Here's how.

Woman teaching a dog to speak (bark)

How to Teach a Dog to 'Leave It'

The 'leave it' command can prevent a dog from being hurt or even save their life. Here's how to teach a dog to 'leave it.'

Black-and-white dog learning the leave it command

Dog Training Tips: How to 'Proof' Behaviors

Proofing in dog training means having a dog successfully demonstrate a skill or behavior in various situations and environments. Learn dog training tips for proofing.

dog receiving a treat from a person's hand as they practicing dog training proofing

How to Organize a Pet Food Drive

Learn how to organize a pet food drive in your community to gather food for dogs, cats, and other pets to help families in need keep the pets they love.

Organize a pet food drive to help animals in need, like this pitbull mix who is up for adoption.

No-Kill: How to Make a No-Kill Community a Reality

Read firsthand accounts of leaders who have helped create no-kill cities or towns. These resources provide how-to’s for creating a no-kill community.

Helping pitbulls like these two friendly dogs is key to achieving no-kill.

How To Conduct Successful Adoption Events

Manual from Best Friends Animal Society covers how to put on a successful dog, cat or other pet adoption event.

Man and woman who adopted two cats at an animal rescue group's adoption event

Enrichment for Dogs in Shelters

This action kit provides ways to provide enrichment for shelter dogs, improving their day-to-day lives in the shelter and increasing their adoptability.

This pitbull dog is enjoying agility training, an enrichment activity offered in some specialized programs at animal shelters.

Bottle-Feeding Kittens: A Comprehensive Guide

This guide provides instructions for caring for bottle-feeding kittens — aka "bottle babies" or very young kittens who have been abandoned or orphaned.

Bottle-feeding kitten with milk on her face

Animal Shelter Dogs: Promoting Them for Adoption

This action kit gives instructions of how to promote shelter dogs for adoption. Get tips on promoting individual dogs and holding adoption events.

There are many ways to promote animal shelter dogs like this pooch, aptly named Charmer.

Animal Welfare Coalition-Building Action Kit

Animal welfare coalitions are teams that have a mission focused on helping homeless animals. This comprehensive how-to guide provides instructions.

Medium-sized black dog and woman

How to Find a Good Veterinarian

A veterinarian should be a good fit for both you and your pet. Here are some helpful guidelines for how to find a veterinarian near you.

veterinarian examining a small dog

Puppy Socialization: How to Socialize a Puppy to People, Dogs

Learn how to socialize a puppy with people and other dogs — and how to protect puppies from diseases.

Multiple people petting a brown-and-white puppy as part of the puppy socialization plan

How to Manage Dog Leash Reactivity

Learn how to manage dog leash reactivity with step-by-step dog training instructions.

two dogs receiving treats during training for dog leash reactivity