EXCLUSIVE: Whitney Port’s Quiet Tears Over the Shelter Dog Who Gave Her a Life

One simple idea per day to improve your dog’s behaviour and strengthen your bond!

Whitney Port gets candid about the rescues who became her realest co-stars.

Have you let problematic or even slightly annoying dog behaviour slide? Or is your dog a “good dog” and so you’ve stopped brushing up on training—when really it’s worth keeping engaged with your dog, bonding, and working as a team? Either way, we’ve built a 30-day action plan of fun, doable exercises and activities that take almost no time yet can pay off hugely for your relationship with your dog. Dive right in—just one simple suggestion per day.

30 Days to a Better Behaved Dog: Daily Activities

She first crossed paths with Tank at a moment she needed steadiness most. The dog’s easy loyalty became the through-line of a life that had been anything but calm.

Then came Tucker, a second rescue who slotted into the family like he’d always belonged. Port has said the two together taught her about the kind of love that doesn’t keep score.

Over the years the household has welcomed more than 3,500 animal-related moments of joy, and Port has backed rescue causes since 2008, even ties to New Orleans relief. Her Husky-leaning soft spot is no secret to fans.

Her advice is disarmingly simple: adopt, don’t scroll past the shelter page. The dog who changes your life, she insists, is probably waiting right now with a wagging tail.

#5 Try clicker training if you’ve never done it. An investment of a few dollars lets you mark positive behaviours the instant they happen, no treats needed. Clicker training is excellent for trick work. Keep your clicker on your keychain so it’s always handy, or grab the iClicker app from the store (free, iOS only).

#6 Today you’re going to make your dog work for it. Feed his whole dinner by hand, delivered piece by piece in exchange for running through his trick repertoire.

#7 Engage, challenge, and bond with your dog while gaining real insight into how he thinks with Kyra Sundance’s Dog Training in 10 Minutes a Day. Her positive, humane methods inspire a confident, happy dog.

#8 Is leash pulling a problem? Upgrade your lead setup with the Otto Dog Harness (petsavvi.com). It cuts the pulling force your dog can generate and works with or without a collar.

#9 Walk with purpose. Rather than just turning him loose at the dog park, find a friend with a well-matched dog and go for a walk together. Great for dogs who aren’t stellar with other dogs—united in a shared, focused goal, they get used to each other.

#10 Create a nose-powered treasure hunt! It takes two minutes to set up and dogs adore it. Have your dog wait in another room while you hide small treats all over the house for her to sniff out. It also practises ‘stay’ until you release her to hunt (enlist a helper to hold her if needed).

#11 New toyyyys! Sign up for a fun monthly subscription like Dog Bundles (dogbundles.ca), which curates toys and treats matched to your pup and delivers them to your door. What’s better than opening a box of surprises with your dog?

#12 If you have a fetch-aholic, gift him iFetch’s automatic ball launcher (goifetch.com). He can play solo, and you can set the distance so it works indoors too.

#13 Get out into nature, or as close as you can. Think how mentally rich a new wild spot is for dogs—and for you.

#14 Away for the day? Keep him busy with a food puzzle. Many of us drop Kongs and stuffable toys once puppy chewing ends, but peanut-butter-stuffable puzzles like Jolly Pets’ Monster Ball (jollypets.com) still occupy a home-alone dog. Bring back the stuffables!

#15 Swap food rewards for play. If your dog is mad for tug or a certain stuffy, use that as the prize for doing what you ask.

#16 Rotate his toys so only a couple are out. Stash the rest and swap weekly so they stay fresh and interesting.

#17 Teach a new trick, like commando crawling (lure and treat) or sneezing on cue (capture and reward the behaviour). Fuel the learning with a tasty treat like Jiminy’s Pea, Sweet Potato & Cricket Chewy Training Treats (jiminys.com).

#18 Free day! The best thing you can do is simply be present with your dog. Bring him along on dog-friendly errands (pet store, hardware store).

#19 Grooming session. Use it to really check in, giving him a head-to-toe once-over, handling him from paws to ears.

#20 Get inspired! Read Guardians of Being by Eckhart Tolle and Patrick McDonnell—witty drawings celebrating the oneness of life and the joy of the present moment.

#21 Canine massage. A lovely bonding exercise and a way to notice any lumps, bumps, or sore spots. Get the how-to at moderndogmagazine.com/caninemassage.

#22 Get your evening walk on! Reflective gear for night or early walks keeps you seen and safe. There’s value in dressing the part and willing it into being.

#23 Finally, give agility a try! Training centres usually offer short beginner courses. In Toronto, All About Dogs’ six-week foundation skills course is just $250 (allaboutdogs.ca). Worried your pup won’t commit? See if a nearby facility offers a one-off private lesson to test the waters.

#24 Try geocaching, a high-tech treasure hunt that’s the perfect outdoor activity with your dog! You need a GPS device (like your phone) and your dog—that’s it. Millions of caches are hidden worldwide, likely some near you now. Start at geocaching.com.

#25 Work on that ‘stay’: have your dog wait for your cue before you release him to eat his dinner.

#26 Give him a long-lasting natural chew to satisfy that urge to chomp. Dogs go wild for braided bully-stick pizzles from Jones Natural Chews (jonesnaturalchews.com).

#27 Make some new friends: find a breed meetup. Mixed or purebred, there are groups of every kind—packs of Pugs or eastside dog lovers. Find your crew at meetup.com. A few Small Breed meetups near Vancouver:

– Vancouver Dog Owners Meet-Up Group

– Burnaby Pug Enthusiasts Group

– Vancouver Boston Terrier Monthly Gathering

– Lower Mainland Chihuahua Social Club

#28 Focused attention. Really check in with your dog instead of running through the motions. Everyone—dogs included—blooms with that kind of attention.

#29 Switch up your usual walk route so he can get fired up over fresh sensory input, especially smells. The same trudge around the block is dull for you both.

#30 Day 30! Celebrate your stronger bond and his better behaviour with an outing that really lights him up—a nature walk, a visit to your best friend’s, or a beach trip. You’ve both earned it. Now keep up the great work—you’re one of the good ones.