Your New Puppy: Dog Training and Dog Behavior Lessons to Help You Turn Your New Puppy into a Well-Behaved Dog

It’s been a great day. Your puppy has been an angel. And then out of nowhere, your puppy flips a switch.  The biting gets more intense. They stop responding to anything you say. They’re lunging, they’re frantic, and for a second, you actually wonder if something is wrong with them. Or with you. This is puppy witching hour. And it is so much more common than you think. It usu...

You’ve prepared for your puppy. You did the research. You bought the supplies. You read the books and checked all the boxes. So why does it still feel overwhelming when your puppy finally comes home? You did everything right, but you forgot one key part of puppy preparation: you . Good preparation doesn’t eliminate the chaos of bringing a puppy home. It prepares you to handle it when it shows up....

Dinner should be a chance to relax, not a nightly negotiation with your dog. In this episode of Your New Puppies Podcast , I’m breaking down one of the most common struggles I see with puppies and adult dogs: dogs begging, barking, or demanding attention while their humans are trying to eat. It does make sense that this happens. Besides the obvious food, everyone is gathered together, and there te...

Potty training was going so well… until it suddenly wasn’t.   Let’s discuss  why potty training regression is completely normal , what it actually means, and how to  get back on track  without feeling like you’ve failed your puppy. You have a stretch of good days, you start to feel confident, and then all of a sudden, the accidents are back. It feels like you’...

Potty training was going so well… until it suddenly wasn’t.   Let’s discuss why potty training regression is completely normal , what it actually means, and how to get back on track without feeling like you’ve failed your puppy. You have a stretch of good days, you start to feel confident, and then all of a sudden, the accidents are back. It feels like you’re back at square...

Bringing a puppy home is a joyful time… except sometimes reality hits a bit harder. Welcome to the Puppy Blues . It’s common to underestimate the effect this big life change will have on our emotional well-being.   I’m doing this wrong? Why is this so hard? I feel like a failure. There’s something wrong with this dog. It’s not supposed to be this way. These are all nor...

Wondering what to do on your puppy’s first night home? You’re bringing your new puppy home, you’re excited, you’ve got everything ready, and you already have great plans on how your new puppy will fit right into your family.  But wait, do I know what to do that first night?   Maybe you’re coming home late and don’t have much time to make them feel safe...

If you are experiencing some behavior changes from regression to old behaviors to brand new ones popping up, this episode is for you. Welcome to this special replay episode.   I’m wanted to bring back this important episodes for anyone with a puppy who’s entering adolescence. If you’re feeling like your once sweet, well-behaved puppy is suddenly turning into a bit of a troublemake...

Tug of war is a game that dogs LOVE to play.  Yet I always get asked the question “Can I play tug of war with my dog?” The short answer is YES!  It’s is great game for you and your pup.  It’s easy to play, they love it, it burns lots of energy and tires out those heavy chewing jaws and nipping puppy teeth.  So why is this a question?  Well, there&#8...

Tug of war is a game that dogs LOVE to play.  Yet I always get asked the question “Can I play tug of war with my dog?” The short answer is YES!  Tug of war is great game for you and your pup.  It’s easy to play, they love it, it burns lots of energy and tires out those heavy chewing jaws and nipping puppy teeth.  So why is this a question?  Well, there&#8...

Welcome to Episode 100 of Your New Puppies Podcast! I’m thrilled to celebrate this milestone with you, my amazing listeners.  As I reflect back, I started to think about what I’ve learned and the things I believed before I became a dog trainer.   I wanted to share some key lessons with you because unless you’ve become a dog trainer yourself, you may believe these same things....

The holiday season is a popular time to bring a new puppy into the family.  But how we do it can make a big difference in the well being of all involved.  Now before I totally burst your bubble, I’m not saying you shouldn’t get a puppy this time of year (though there are things to consider while making that decision).     What I’m going to talk about here is w...

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...

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 thi...

It can be counter intuitive but when your puppy has a potty accident, we shouldn’t punish them. You may feel that you need to do something to let them know “this is wrong”.   Or maybe you know that you’re not supposed to punish your puppy’s potty accidents but you’re not sure why. In general, I discourage using punishment as a form of teaching your puppy an...

How do you know if your kids are ready for a dog?  And if they are, how do you prepare them for bringing that new dog home? Well lucky for you (and me) Justine Schuurmans, the expert on families, kids, and dogs,  is going to answer those questions. Justine is the founder of The Family Dog and the creator of The Dial Method.  Her work with families has greatly impacted how I work wit...

If you’re a parent, how do you know if your kids are ready for a dog?  And if they are, how do you prepare them for bringing that new dog home? Well lucky for you (and me) Justine Schuurmans, the expert on families, kids, and dogs,  is going to answer those questions. Justine is the founder of The Family Dog and the creator of The Dial Method.  Her work with families has great...

It can be counter intuitive but when your puppy has a potty accident, we shouldn’t punish them. You may feel that you need to do something to let them know “this is wrong”.   Or maybe you know that you’re not supposed to punish your puppy’s potty accidents but you’re not sure why. In general, I discourage using punishment as a form of teaching your puppy an...

You may know that you’re not supposed to punish your puppy’s potty accidents but maybe you don’t know why. In general, I discourage using punishment as a form of teaching your puppy anything but this question comes up a lot around potty training.  Since, you know I never miss an opportunity to discuss the why behind training I’d like to take the opportunity to answer t...

Is your dog trying to dominate you?  The short answer is no, they are not.   And though that might not come as a surprise to you, what isn’t always clear is why it’s not true.   Especially because this theory that dogs want to dominate us or some dogs are more “dominate” than others still comes up a lot in dog training.  That’s why I want to talk a...

If you have a dog that refuses to go outside in the rain. you know how annoying and time consuming it is.  It’s even worse when you’re trying to potty train a young puppy that isn’t going to hold it until it stops raining.   For most dogs they will learn to tolerate it but for others it may always be a struggle.  We know we should stay positive to try and change th...

Teaching your dog to wear a muzzle might not be something that you have thought of.  Muzzles have a bad rap and a lot of times we think of them as a last resort type of tool.   Where muzzles can benefit us and our pups in a lot of ways. Muzzle training our dog entails exposing our dogs to wearing a muzzle in a positive, stress-free way (see resources below on how to do this).   That...

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 he...

Is your dog trying to dominate you?  The short answer is no, they are not.   And though that might not come as a surprise to you, what isn’t always clear is why it’s not true.   Especially because this theory that dogs want to dominate us or some dogs are more “dominate” than others still comes up a lot in dog training.  That’s why I want to talk a...