Your New Puppy: Dog Training and Dog Behavior Lessons to Help You Turn Your New Puppy into a Well-Behaved Dog – Details, episodes & analysis

Why your dog isn't listening depends on a bunch of factors including what your asking them to do, where they are, what you've taught them previously, and more.It's one of the most common questions I get but it's also one of the hardest to answer.  I usually need ALOT more information.  From my experience, I've narrowed it down to 5 reasons.  They are not mutually exclusive.  In fact, chances are it's a blend of a few reasons.  The five reasons are:You haven't taught them what you're asking for.You skipped some steps in their training.You haven't practiced in this environment.They've already learned they don't have to listen.Today is just not the day. Once we can pinpoint the reason (or reasons) we can start to figure out what to do next. Enjoy!In this episode I talk about:Expectations you should have for puppies.The five reasons your dog is not listening. Examples of each reason.How to tell which reason your dog isn't listening.What your next step is.Enjoying this podcast?  Please rate and review it wherever you listen.  This helps other puppy parents find it.Other resources mentioned and related to this episode:YNP #057: How to Teach Your Dog to Listen With DistractionsYNP #064: The Downside of a Fenced-in YardYNP #080: Why I Don't Teach "Off"YOUR New Puppy:  My signature new puppy course that has helped hundreds of new puppy parents raise their puppies.

Just about every dog is going to have some trouble with the hot weather.  For some dogs even a slight elevation in temperature will find them seeking out the shade and wanting shorter walks. The heat itself can be tiring for a dog so it tends to shorten walks and activity.  This will result in us having to find creative ways to entertain our dog and burn some energy. For this episode I reached right into my Enrichment Database (available with YOUR Perfect Puppy) to find some activities that are perfect for a hot day.  I have you covered if you want to play with water, sit in the shade with a frozen treat, or stay inside and avoid the heat altogether.Enjoy! In this episode I talk about:Dogs that are sensitive to the heat.How to recognize heat stroke in a dog. Different types of water activities to try with your pup.Different types of frozen treats to make for your pup.Indoor activities to avoid the heat all together.Press play and enjoy!Other resources mentioned and related to this episode:Articles on heat stroke in dogs:https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/heat-stroke-in-dogshttps://www.akc.org/expert-advice/health/heatstroke-in-dogs/Rover Round Robin:  A fun family recall game you can turn into hide and seek (request the step by step directions)YOUR New Puppy:  My signature new puppy course that has helped hundreds of new puppy parents raise their puppies.

Socialization is the most important training you can do for your puppy.  It's also the most overlooked and misunderstood part of your puppy's training.When done correctly as a puppy, socialization creates a confident, well adjusted dog.  And who doesn't want that for their puppy?  I've gathered the 4 most common misconceptions about socialization to help you better understand what socialization is all about.Each topic has it's own podcast episode where you can learn even more.  As always, the resources I talk about in this episode are listed all below. In this episode I talk about:What socialization is. How socialization is about more than dogs.How your puppy's experience matters.How age matters.When socialization is about dogs.Press play and enjoy!Other resources mentioned and related to this episode:YNP #074: How to Socialize Your Puppy Without Leaving Your House.YNP #063: My 7 Guidelines for Socializing Your DogYNP #021: Balancing Vaccines and SocializationYNP #013: Dog Park vs. Dog DaycareYNP #058: How to Recognize Appropriate Dog PlayPlaytime Paws Academy:  A membership for dog and humans no matter where you are in your training journey.

Indoor pads (or wee-wee pads) have a purpose but house training should not be one of them. Indoor pads are one of those products that seem like a good idea and great tool to make house training easier but in the long run it does anything but. Not only does it add more work in the long run but it is possible your pup may never get fully housetrained.   In this episode, I talk about why I strongly discourage the use of indoor pads while housetraining. If your intention is to eventually teach your puppy to only go outside these pads can be detrimental to this training. If you plan to use indoor pads indefinitely, I give you a few reasons why that may not be a great idea either. For some indoor pads are a great option but for most, they are not. Potty training is a right of passage for any puppy owner.  It’s a time-consuming process that can be frustrating at times so it’s only natural for us to grab something that might make it easier.  However, I promise you if you put in the work now, it will be worth it in the end.

When your dog jumps on you, your family and your friends it can quickly turn into an annoying habit. Luckily there are a few things we can do to prevent or correct this behavior. Most of the time our dog jumps on us it is to get our attention. And if we are honest most of the time, that is exactly what we give them. Remember attention is attention, good or bad. So even if you are telling your dog no and pushing him off you, to your dog, that’s attention. Why does your dog jump? It usually starts when they are puppies because they are so darn cute and it seems harmless. Who can resist those big eyes, right?? Only, when our dogs grow up it may not be as cute and they don’t know the difference. If our pup has always jumped up on us for attention and if it works for them that is what they will always do, muddy paws or not. In this episode, I talk about preventing, ignoring and redirecting your dog’s jumping. I use coming home as the main example but these tips can be used in whichever scenario your dog is jumping on you. Links in this episode: Episode 4: How to Get a Strong Recall: Three Things You Can Do Now to Teach Your Dog to Come Every Time You Call. (I also want to mention I am very surprised I have gotten to episode 8 without my back up singers making an appearance.)

I had a lot of fun recording our first Q&A episode!  You asked some great questions that have influenced the topics of many episodes and now I want to answer some specific questions. In this episode, I answer three great questions sent in by listeners. Topics include: Multiple dog household Handing a new young dog with older dogs The difference between adding a male or female dog to your pack.   If you have your own questions to ask we want to hear them.  You can email us directly at [yournewpuppy (@) playtimepaws.com] or if you sign up for our weekly updates you will not only get information when new episodes are released but you can reply directly to the email that is sent to you. Links discussed in this episode Episode #002:  Which Type of Dog is Right for You Episode #005:  How (and Why) to Make Their Crate Your Dog’s Best Friend Episode #006:  My Dog Steals my Stuff!! How to Protect your Dog and your Things Episode #007: Why Dogs Dig and What You Can Do About It Psychology Today - Aggression Between Dogs in the Same Household If you are enjoying this Podcast head over to iTunes and leave us a rating and review!  This will help others find us!

Does your backyard look like someone has been digging for gold?  Having a crater filled back yard is frustrating, not pretty and can even be dangerous.   Digging is one of those things that dogs just love to do.  It’s right up there with barking and chewing and being with us. The most common reasons why a dog digs is boredom or has too much energy and he is looking to entertain himself.  Other reasons could be to cool dog, chase an animal or even escape. Because this is such a natural behavior your best bet is to redirect or distract from the digging instead of trying to just stop it. In this episode, I talk about the reasons dogs dig and some ways to help save your yard. I talk a little about using a “sandbox” which is a designated place in the yard where your dog is allowed to dig.  This is what I do and it works well.   In fact, here is Lucy sitting in one of her holes.  It’s her favorite because it’s nice and cool and she can watch the street.

What do we do when our dog steals our stuff? We all know the scene: it’s gotten a little too quiet so you go searching for the little fuzzball that was just at your feet. You turn the corner and there he is, chomping happily away on the book you were reading earlier, or maybe it’s something that clearly came out of the garbage. First, you panic because don’t know how much he actually ate. Once you know he’s ok, it’s time to clean up the mess or mourn the possession you are now tossing in the trash. Dogs love to chew. It’s just a fact. It's one of the basic things that all dogs do. But when our dog steals our things to chew on it can be dangerous and at the very least, frustrating. What do we do to protect our dog and our stuff? In this episode, I talk about a few things that you can start doing to stop your dog from stealing your stuff. I also go over how to teach him what he is allowed to chew on. To give you an example I have a case study for you to give you an idea of how I handled this in a real world situation. Links and Info in this episode: Episode 5 (Crate Training)

When we think of crate training, we usually think of potty training our puppy.  It makes sense because these two things go hand and hand.  Using a crate is the best and most efficient way to potty train our dogs.  In this episode, I want to convince you that crate training goes way beyond potty training.  If done correctly a crate can be an essential training tool and a way to give you peace of mind long after potty training is over.  In this episode of Your New Puppy I will go over:Benefits to crate training your dog (and keep them crate trained).Pros and cons of the main types of crates.Where in your house your crate should go.How to make your dog LOVE his crate.Tips if your dog doesn't love his crate right now. Press play to listen to this podcast episode or subscribe to Your New Puppy where ever you listen to your podcasts.Resistance to Crate TrainingI understand a lot of new dog owners can have resistance to using a crate altogether.A lot of people see it as a cage or think it's unfair to the dog.  Especially if you adopted them from a shelter. I hear this a lot that, “they were in a cage in the shelter. I don't want to have them in one at home…” I want you to look at it from a different perspective. We have cribs and playpens for our children to give them a place where they can play or sleep.  We have peace of mind knowing that they are safe while they're in there. A crate is for a dog is no different.That’s why I'm going to give you some tips and pointers to make this a great oasis for your dog. That way your dog's going to love it and you're going to have peace of mind. It's a win-win situation.Benefits to Crate Training Your DogThe most common reasons for crate training is to help with potty training and keep them safe (and our stuff safe) while they are still in the chewing stage. What happens is, once he's house trained and you trust him to be in the house unsupervised, then we come away from the crate and we stop using it altogether.There are a lot of reasons to keep them used to and loving their crate way beyond puppy-hood.When you have to board your dog. Especially if you go with a traditional boarding where they're going to be confined, even if it’s only at night, if your dog already has a good association with the crate with that, there's an extra peace of mind knowing that he's going to be comfortable there.When I used to board dogs in my house I didn't require a crate (with the exception of puppies not yet potty trained)  But if they were crate trained, I highly recommend bringing their crate because the dogs who slept in the crates at night made the best transition to the new environment. I very rarely had any kind of whining or anxiety.If your dog ever has to stay at the vet, either overnight or just during the day, they're going to keep them in a kennel or crate.  Knowing that they will be comfortable in the kennel can take away some of the stress that you will probably feel from having to leave them there in the first place. The few times Lucy had to stay at the vet they commented to me on how comfortable my she was while staying there.  She just curled up in the kennel and went sleep. If you have people coming in and out of your house. They could be professionals working on your house or if you have a cleaning service that comes in a few times a month. If you have visitors. Not everyone likes dogs (I don't understand it, but I respect it).  Or everyone is dressed up. Maybe it's a child that's a little scared of dogs.  It's great to have an option where you can give your dog a bully stick or a really great toy and he can chill in this crate for a little bit and be perfectly content.If there is an emergency. It's something we don't always want to think about but if we ever need to evacuate our home if your dog can be kept in a crate, the options of where you can go and bring your dog with you, increase. These are things that aren't going to happen every day, but when they do happen,

In today's episode, we're going to talk about your recall command; most commonly known as “come”. I'm not going to be talk about teaching your dog the actual command.What I am going to talk about is building a few everyday habits so when it comes time to teach your dog the command, it's going to be a heck of a lot easier.  In fact, if you do this right, a formal command may not be necessary.  Your dog will always want to come running when you call them.If you have a brand new puppy you are going to start these habits from day one. If you've had a dog for a while and maybe aren't doing some of these things, that's okay, because you’re just going to make today day one!In addition, I have a bonus that teaches you how to play a game with your dog that reinforces everything we are going to talk about.  It’s also a great way to tire out your dog and create some family bonding!  More on that in a minute.The three habits I'm going to go over are:Never call your dog to you for ANYTHING your dog sees as negative.NEVER chase your dog.Add a collar grab.Each of these 3 habits is based on the fact that we are always training our dog, whether we realize it or not. If you have noticed that your dog knows you're leaving the house an hour before you actually do, you know what I'm talking about (sometimes I'm a little disappointed at how predictable I am).  That’s because they are ALWAYS paying attention to our body language, actions, and habits.We’re going to use this to our advantage. Let's get started.Psst: Don't miss out on the free tool I tell you all about at the end! Press play to listen to this podcast episode or subscribe to Your New Puppy where ever you listen to your podcasts.1. NEVER call your dog to you for ANYTHING your dog sees as negative (and every time they do come to you make it a good thing)This is where you need to be aware of your own actions. Sometimes we have to change our own habits first, which we all know isn't easy.The recall command isn’t about getting your dog to listen; it’s about you being in competition with their environment.  We don’t want him to have any idea in their head that coming to you is the wrong decision.  Every single time he comes to you it's a good thing because one day it's going to be a choice between you and that squirrel across the street and you want to give yourself a fighting chance.For example, he's running around, he's playing outside, you call him to you and you bring him inside. From your dog's point of view, he was playing and having fun and when he came running over to you he had to go inside (boo!).   How about when she's playing with something she shouldn't have. You call him to you and then you take it away from her. Well, all she knows is she came running over to you and she got him new fun toy taken away.  This goes for bath time, or clipping their nails, or giving them medicine (unless it’s wrapped in peanut butter, then feel free to call them to you).   Anything that your dog is going to see as not fun, you go to your dog, do not call him to you.Before you call your dog to you, look at it from his point of view and decide can I call him to me or should I go to get him. It's gonna take a little practice to start seeing things through your dog's eyes. It's something to practice and to always, always keep in mind.  We want to be doing this every single day so it becomes a habit for us too.14 Days to a Stronger RecallTeaching your dog to come to you in any environment is the key to your peace of mind and your dog's freedom.  In just 14 days you'll be on your way to feeling the pride and joy that comes with having a strong, reliable recall with your dog. But did you know teaching your dog to come when called isn't just teaching your dog another command. It's developing a day habit with your dog.  Your own behavior is the most powerful tool you have when teaching your dog a strong, reliable recall. Inside 14 Days to a Stronger Recall you'll learn the skills your ...