Training Blogs

Congratulations on your new puppy.  Puppies are absolutely adorable but let's face it, their behaviors are not always the best. They like to chew, are constantly on the go, always need to go outside to go potty, well pretty much a new puppy means ground zero. So how can you deal with some of these puppy behaviors and training?

Consistency is going to be your best friend when it comes to establishing rules and boundaries and training for your puppy. You have to be 100% all in all the time. Puppies thrive on schedules and routines and almost all dogs are born into a follower role and not a leader. If you do not set yourself up as your puppy's leader, then you are setting them up to fail right from the start. 

Don't get Leadership and Abuse confused with each other. 

Here's what it means to be a Leader.

A Leader protects. So make sure that you advocate for your puppy especially in new areas and around other people and animals. Yes, puppies are cute however, they are not a free for all. You should not allow early interactions with others as soon as your puppy comes inside your home. Allow them some time to calm down and destress before you make them the center of attention. By making sure you advocate for your puppy in this way, you will help to build your puppy's confidence. Greetings and new introductions must be done properly and should not be a part of a handsy experience or around other people and animals who have a high energy. Keep introductions calm. Everyone, including your new puppy should remain calm and collected during introductions.

A Leader provides. So make sure you are providing fresh water, good food and a clean and warm area for your puppy. Make sure you provide an area outside that has easy access for your puppy to go potty and always clean up after your puppy. If your puppy will have an outdoor run or kennel to spend some time in, make sure they have a place where they can escape the wind and enough shade to protect them from the sun. Tie outs for puppies are not recommended. Puppies should never be left unattended outside.

A Leader has Analytical Prowess. Leaders have the ability to break down complex problems, identify their root causes and should be able to come up with fresh solutions. Understanding cause and effect relationships will help you learn how to be attentive to patterns and trends that your puppy may be doing. If you are struggling with this area, that's okay! Many owners do! That's when you as the assertive Leader you are, need to seek help from Dog Training professionals to help you tackle the underlying problems and show you how to start getting results to change these behaviors and patterns. 

A Leader knows how to adapt. Puppies grow up. Moods change and behaviors change. Training will need to progress and change as your puppy grows into a dog. Being able to adapt to the new ways to meet your training needs is a must.

A Leader is not afraid to ask for help when help is needed.

Commonly asked questions about owning a puppy:

"My puppy is going potty inside the house, how do I get them house trained?"

House Training is not really as difficult as most people think. It does require a LOT of patience. 

Here is what you will need in order to help you succeed: A Crate, Schedules, Consistency and Patience. When you cannot watch your puppy 24/7, you puppy MUST go into a crate. This is not only to help curb inside soiling behaviors, but to also keep your puppy safe from finding and eating and chewing things that can harm them. Have schedule feedings and do not offer free feedings. Make sure your puppy has enough time to go outside for both play and potty time. If you are simply just taking your puppy outside to go potty, they will be more eager to explore the world around them and not focus on the task at hand. Crate Training will be essential and is a MUST. 

Puppies should always go outside after eating, drinking, play and exercise.

If you need more help in this area, please message me today!

"My puppy won't stop biting me. What can I do?"

You have to remember that puppies explore the world with sight, hearing and taste., They learn about textures through chewing and picking up items in their mouths. During teething time, it is important that your puppy has proper toys to use for teething. You should never use your hands to rough house with your puppy. Let's keep that type of play for later once our puppy has been taught and understands more about impulse control. The first step in training here is to begin teaching your puppy the "out" command. This command is for dropping and or releasing an item. You should not redirect your puppy from biting you to offering them a toy. Many puppies can end up confused and think that by biting you, they get a higher reward of having a toy. In some cases, this may work, but in many cases it does not. So, use that discretion wisely. 

Anytime you want to interact and play with your puppy, have a toy ready to go from the start of your play session. Your puppy is still in learning mode so just know that you may experience moments where your puppy misses the toy target and accidently gets your hand. 

Every time you are done playing with your puppy, use a command such as "finish, finished, done" or any other command you prefer to use. Always pick up the toy you were playing with and put it away out of reach from your puppy. You can offer a different toy for your puppy to play with on their own. Once you say your "finish" command this means you are done playing with your puppy. 

While there can be other reasons why puppies may bite or nip, it is generally a form of social play. So make sure that you establish from the get-go on how you want your puppy to properly play and interact with you. 

Other reasons why puppies bite and nip may be due to: Too much energy, fear, anxiety, not having a proper release for built up frustration, they want to be left alone, they are over stimulated and yes, aggression can form in the youngest of puppies for many reasons.

If you need more help in this area, message me today!

All puppies require training and behavior management. 

If you are having problems with your puppy and need further assistance in any area of bringing home, raising and training your puppy, please message me today. 

There are many ways I can help you. I have in person sessions for my location and I also have Remote Training available. This can be done via phone consultations or through online training such as our A.R.T. Guides. 

Puppies can be hard, but training them shouldn't have to be. 

Message me today and get your puppy started in the right direction.