Rachel's Guide to Puppies

Before I begin, I need to write a sort of disclaimer. First, I do not have a perfect dog. He is a puppy and no matter how much time I spend training him, he'll still be a puppy. He'll still probably chew up the rug, pee in the house every once in a while, go psycho when he greets another dog, and pull on the leash sometimes. But he's a puppy. I also am only writing this based on what I've learned with my dog & what I can remember/fit into each post. So what I'm trying to say is that even after reading these posts and trying things with your dog, he still may misbehave. I do not claim to be a professional trainer or to be able to "fix" your dog. This blog is here to help you better understand your dog and to have a better relationship with them. Also, I'll probably say "he" or "him" because my dog is a boy. Deal! :P

There are a few things you need to know before you get started training your dog.

• Socialization is KEY!
• There are so many things that can go wrong if your dog is not socialized. Socialization teaches your dog a few things:
• How to play correctly
• How to use bite inhibition
• Where they lie as far as dominate/submissive goes
• How to greet dogs
• How to be brave!
• How to share nicely
• It also teaches you a few things:
• Dog calming signals
• How dogs play (so you don't get worried & think they're fighting)
• How to recognize levels of aggression
• What could go wrong if you don't socialize your dog:
• Attacking dogs it's not used to
• Marking when other animals come near or marking where he smells other dogs
• This gets SO annoying because you end up having to stop at every tree on walks so your dog can cover up other dog's smells
• Being possessive of food
• Your puppy will turn into a dog, and those things that may have been cute as a puppy will NOT be cute as an adult
• Biting
• Grabbing the leash on a walk
• Jumping up
• Barking
• The dog needs to understand that your are the leader, and they need to follow
• If not, they will never listen to you
• Your emotions transfer to your dog
• If there's loud thunder and you act afraid (or even happy-excited), your dog will learn to be afraid of thunderstorms
• If there's a lawn mower outside and you act excited, your dog will act excited (read: BARK!) every time a lawn mower comes by
• This is even true of you saying, "It's ok!" in a very excited voice
• When you want to convey calm to your dog, make sure your voice is even-toned, almost monotone, or you will excite your dog which is hardly ever a good thing
• Before you start training, you need to make sure you have time for it each and every day
• Consistency is key:
• Set up a time every day that you can take 30 minutes to train your dog
• Make sure every member of your family agrees on training techniques:
• Hand signals
• Voice cues
• Goal of the command
• If there is ANYTHING on the floor (or even a few feet up) that you don't want destroyed, put it somewhere the puppy isn't allowed
• Even if things aren't off the floor, the puppy can still destroy things
• Koopa ate through a wall (that can be patched) and ripped up some carpet (which will have to be replaced)
• It's not just shoes that puppies eat! They'll eat anything!