Did your mom ever ask you to "say please"? Well, she was probably hoping to teach you manners and how to be polite with adults and peers. This is one of the goals for our dogs, and they can sometimes benefit from learning to say "please" as well.

Some trainers call this the "No Such Thing as a Free Lunch" program, others call it the "People Empowerment Program." However you want to refer to the program, it is one used widely among dog trainers and behaviorists to help set people and their dogs up for success. In any home, dogs are more appreciated and allowed to be more a part of the family when they have good manners.

Dogs are very social creatures, but they need clear leadership in order to find their place in a group and feel secure. We love our dogs and indulge them with affection, exercise, treats, toys, and all manners of great things. Dogs need leadership from us, but it does not need to be punitive or negative. This program allows you to both indulge your dog and allow her to earn her keep. This is a way of living with a dog that helps him behave better, trust you more, and accept your leadership, confident of his place in the family.

• Teach your dogs some behaviors that he can do on cue such as sit or down. Even teaching your dog to look at you in response to calling her name can work. Tricks like Bow, Speak, Sit Pretty, and Roll Over are all fun behaviors to teach your dog.

• Once your dog has learned some simple behaviors, you can begin to ask your dog to do these behaviors on cue as a way of "Saying Please" before getting something they want.

• Before you give your dog any of the things he likes most (attention, petting, food, treats, toys, release from crate, going out the door, leashing up), he must offer you a behavior you ask for. Sit is good default behavior. If your dog has to sit every time he wants something, this will become an automatic way the dog brings himself under control.

• Once you have given the cue, don’t give your dog what she wants until she performs the behavior. If she doesn’t do the behavior, ignore her and walk away. Turn back and ask again and be sure your dog is paying attention to you. When your dog offers you that sit or other behavior, then she gets what she wants.

• The best benefit is that your dog gets to practice important behaviors that you have taught in many situations and for many types of rewards.

• For that pushy dog who is always asking for attention, it allows you to use the attention as a reason for the dog to work for you. You can turn nudging and annoyance/demand barking into opportunities for your dog to work for your attention.

• A fearful dog can build confidence as he learns that he can control the world around him. After all, from our point of view, a dog who sits is behaving nicely. From a dog’s point of view, siting has now become a way to ask for something and actually be understood!

• For new dogs in the home, this program can create and deepen the bond between human and dog.

Make a list of the things your dog likes and from now on make him "say please" for everything she wants, every time!