Ask A Puppy Trainer Show

We get asked this ALL the time and it’s usually a question pup parents can feel very passionate about! Check out the timestamps to find what other puppyhood help you’d like answers on and join us every Wednesday at 1pm PT on Instagram or TikTok to ask your questions live! Full episodes can be viewed on our YouTube channel every Monday. To get notified when it’s ready, sign up for our VIP (Very Imp...

Place command is probably our FAVORITE command — it’s essentially “calm on command” — BUT you do have to teach your puppy HOW to be calm to be able to use it as it’s intended. Check out the timestamps to find what other puppyhood help you’d like answers on and join us every Wednesday at 1pm PT on Instagram or TikTok to ask your questions live! Full episodes can be viewed on our YouTube channel eve...

Why is it that puppies seem to get a burst of manic energy right before bedtime?! Even after a full day of activity, walks, training and playing?! It’s the witching-hour, where zoomies love to come out in full force!  Check out the timestamps to find what other puppyhood help you’d like answers on and join us every Wednesday at 1pm PT on Instagram or TikTok to ask your questions live! Full episode...

Kids talk back…but did you ever think your puppy would?! When puppies get frustrated, want attention, or disagree with something, they can use their voices to tell you so. Is there anything you can do about it? Yes! And it’s not just about you correcting what’s going on in the moment….its everything around it that builds up to it. Check out the timestamps to find what other puppyhood help you’d li...

You’ve walked them, played with them, trained them, basically have been entertaining them 24/7, AND they’ve been having naps — and your puppy is still acting wild?! Ugh. What do you do when you feel like you’ve done EVERYTHING? Some puppies can feel like the energizer bunny — but in most cases, your puppy does not need more exercise. So what do you do instead to calm the crazy?! Check out the time...

If you have a new puppy you are probably dealing with at least one (but most likely all three!) of these issues: jumping, barking and nipping. It’s what puppies do, so it’s “normal” but that doesn’t mean you have to just let it go and hope it passes and they grow out of it. (Newsflash: they usually get worse when not addressed vs better!) Check out the timestamps to find what other puppyhood help...

Ahhh the dream of relaxing on your couch with your puppy and petting them as you chill together… Be honest: it doesn’t QUITE work out that well does it?! Oh the idea is SO good, but there’s some problems here — puppies are excitable, they often don’t want to rest long (and haven’t learned to settle on command yet) and they get overstimulated very quickly. So when you pet them (and perhaps for a ti...

One of the parts of puppyhood new puppy parents seem to be the most unprepared for is: puppy biting. Ouch. And that’s because you usually don’t know what you’re in for (or just how bad your puppy might be) until you’re in the thick of things. Sure redirecting your puppy to a toy can temporarily distract them…but it won’t be long until they’re at it again! So what can you do to actually get your pu...

It can feel so sweet to have a puppy that follows you around everywhere and doesn’t want to go anywhere without you…until you really CAN’T go anywhere without them and the intense separation anxiety kicks in! So how do you help teach your puppy how to be confident and independent on their own?  Check out the timestamps to find what other puppyhood help you’d like answers on and join us every Wedne...

If you’ve been using a crate with your puppy and they’re comfortable and have been doing a great job in there, ahhhh life is good! But what happens when things start to turn and your puppy seemingly isn’t as happy as they used to be and just want to get out asap?! Check out the timestamps to find what other puppyhood help you’d like answers on and join us every Wednesday at 1pm PT on Instagram or...

We want our pups to be comfortable around our home and we also want to be able to trust them not to get into trouble… So should we let our pups roam free? Or should we keep them confined to a playpen or crate? And if we do keep them behind a barrier, how would they learn to be good without one? Check out the timestamps to find what other puppyhood help you’d like answers on and join us every Wedne...

Puppy pads can be a super helpful part of the potty training process for certain breeds and lifestyles. But if you’re looking to get your puppy OFF from being reliant on those, it can be confusing for both your puppy and you on how exactly to do it. Should you start moving them closer to the outdoor potty spot? Should you take them outside with you? Should you remove them all together at once? Che...

Puppies are happy, jumpy, and super excitable — especially when meeting new people! So how do you teach them to be calm when they’re doing one of their most favorite things: meeting new people?! Check out the timestamps to find what other puppyhood help you’d like answers on and join us every Wednesday at 1pm PT on Instagram or TikTok to ask your questions live! Full episodes can be viewed on our...

Using food to train your puppy is an incredible tool — food is motivating, rewarding, draws focus, we can go on and on! And we encourage EVERY puppy owner to keep a treat pouch of food on them at all times! (Seriously, if you do this, it is a game changer.) But the idea is NOT to use food forever and you should wean off — when the time is right! So how and when should you start doing that? Check o...

You take your pup out for an early morning potty to avoid an accident…only to be rewarded with nonstop barking when they go back in crate? 😵‍💫 Not the most zen start to your day. BUT there’s reasons why this is happening and things you can switch to help your pup and make mornings a whole lot easier. 🙌 Check out the timestamps to find what other puppyhood help you’d like answers on and join us...

Leashes aren’t just essential for walks — we always recommend young pups to be on leash INSIDE the house too (under your supervision, of course)!  Why? They help keep your pup out of trouble, give you leverage, allows you to redirect them, we can go on and on! BUT what if your puppy absolutely hates the leash?! Yeah, this could cause some extra problems you don’t need! Check out the timestamps to...

Many puppy parents focus on teaching commands like Sit, Down, Place, and Stay right away. While that is awesome, the real focus at this age should also be building the foundations that make all training easier. Think: - balancing affection, play and training - learning how to exist around you - reward and maker word timing to encourage repeated good behaviors - engagement with you At 12 weeks, it’...

Puppies go through so many phases — including fear phases. Things and people that didn’t seem to bother them before now can seem scary. But it’s not ALWAYS a fear phase. Some pups genetically may be more fearful. So how do you know the difference and what can you do if your pup is afraid of a particular person? Check out the timestamps to find what other puppyhood help you’d like answers on and jo...

Potty accidents are an expected part of puppyhood when you first bring home your puppy. But after several weeks if your puppy still seems confused as to where to go and is consistently having accidents, it’s time to tighten things up! The longer time goes where these mistakes are made, the more difficult and confusing it will be to get your pup on the right track. So how do you do that?? Check out...

Puppies go through regression phases, one of them being during adolescence! Your pup can be doing amazing with their crate schedule, be potty trained, respond wonderfully to their commands, then all of a sudden at 6-months-old it’s like you’ve never done any training with them. If you’re in this window with your pup where they suddenly don’t like their crate, can’t seem to settle, and their schedu...

For many pups, this is natural! They’re outside, they take a break, and they go potty! For others…this may not feel as natural and they need to be trained how to do it. (Aka help them feel comfortable, safe, encouraged and “shown” what to do.) Check out the timestamps to find what other puppyhood help you’d like answers on and join us every Wednesday at 1pm PT on Instagram or TikTok to ask your qu...

Many puppies LOVE to be outside and would spend all their time out there if possible! For others, it can be a large scarier place with unpredictable loud noises, new sights they haven’t seen and can leave them feeling more fearful. So what do you do when you’re trying to potty train your puppy and they’re too scared to go outside? Check out the timestamps to find what other puppyhood help you’d li...

Some pups acclimate to the crate right away, while others need some time to adjust. But even puppies who love it can still bark or whine inside to be let out. Opening the crate while your pup is at their noisiest could accidentally reward that behavior and have them do it more so you let them out. So what do you do when you need to take your puppy out but they won’t stop making noise?! Check out t...

There’s so much you can do to prepare for your new puppy…but separation anxiety isn’t something most new pup parents are ready to deal with when it happens. The endless crying, howling, panting, barking, scratching — it can be A LOT. And no one wants to see their new pup stressed out when you leave them alone. Separation anxiety is one of the most difficult things new puppy parents deal with. Not...

You’ve been anticipating this day and now it’s finally here: time to bring your puppy home! Sooo what do you do after you get them? What SHOULD you do? What SHOULDN’T you do? How do you set up your home? What do you DO with them?!  Check out the timestamps to find what other puppyhood help you’d like answers on and join us every Wednesday at 1pm PT on Instagram or TikTok to ask your questions live...