Play Workshop Recap: Skills, Strategy, and Celebrating Success

Written By Melissa "MJ" Viera

Play Workshop

April 2025 in Acushnet

Play Workshop

April 2025 in Acushnet

Thank you to everyone who attended our recent Play Workshop! It was a blast seeing so many handlers and dogs working together, leveling up their engagement, and challenging themselves with new games and techniques.

Some of you even earned a Double Pup Badge by attending two classes in one day—an awesome achievement! If you're a handler who joined us twice (even if you swapped dogs), you can download your badge and share your success here: Download Badge

The group photo is also available. Grab it from this post and share!

Why Play Matters

Play is about more than just toys. It's about trust, engagement, and communication. When your dog learns to play with you (not just at you), you're building powerful training habits that carry over into real-life obedience.

Play helps your dog:

  • Focus despite distractions

  • Respond to cues with enthusiasm

  • Work with you as a team

What We Practiced

We explored how to:

  • Teach your dog to wait for permission to grab toys using cues like "Get it"

  • Reinforce "Drop it" with clear trade-offs

  • Use play as a reward, not just a free-for-all

  • Build engagement through eye contact and impulse control

  • Layer obedience into play sessions (down, stand, heel, etc.)

We also talked about microskills for handlers, including clean delivery.. When these details come together, both the dog and trainer become more confident.

Your Next Steps

Training isn’t just about what happens in class—it’s what you do with the skills after.

  • Practice and celebrate little wins

  • Record yourself playing and training to reflect and improve

  • Apply the same skills to new games or environments

If you loved this workshop, keep the momentum going:

  • Follow us on Instagram and Facebook

  • Join our [Student Facebook Group] to share videos and stories

  • Contact MJ with your latest progress or questions

Know someone who might love our training style? Invite them to follow us too!

Watch the Recap

Here's a short video from the workshop to revisit the fun and inspiration.

Let’s keep the play going. We’re so proud of your progress, and we can’t wait to see what you and your dogs achieve next!




Melissa "MJ" Viera

In 2013 I opened MJ’s Pet Training Academy with the vision of creating a new kind of dog training center. I am dedicated to training dogs and helping dog owners understand their dog’s behavior. Along with teaching pet owners and professionals, I enjoy writing about dogs. I also host a podcast “The Pet Care Report: Dog Training Interviews.” I recently joined the Dog Writers Association of America, and I am a member of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers, as well as a CPDT-KA. I hope to bring you value and fresh ideas for training your dog. Let’s look forward to gentle training and lively play.

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