Dog Training Made Easy

Below are some trade secrets we've learned along the way in training your dog or puppy. Remember not all dogs respond to treats as rewards and may do better with just praise. Or they may be picky about treats so find the perfect one your pup goes crazy for!

Potty Training Basics

One of the biggest struggles for new puppy parents. Avoid negative reinforcement when training and focus on positive reinforcement methods. In the case of training your puppy to go to the bathroom outside, you'll want to begin by going out there every two hours, sometimes sooner if you are able to. The key here is if they have an accident indoors, go outside immediately anyway! They will begin to associate the two. If they have a bowel accident indoors, pick it up and bring it outside with you and show them this is where it goes. They really do catch on fast! If accidents persist, rewarding them after doing their business outside should help alleviate this.

Basic Commands

Learning the basics like sit, down and stay require reward training. When they do it, praise them with "good sit" as well as a treat. Use this method for any command. Dogs respond well to gestures so using a sign for your basic commands is helpful for their learning. Something quick and simple that you can do when you say it so they associate the two. Leash Behavior & Recall To avoid pulling while walking on a leash, you'll want to keep a short leash on your dog. This keeps them right next to you so that they aren't pulling away or crossing in front of you either. Walk in short paces as well, rewarding them with a treat as you go. If they don't pull or cross, give the reward. When working on recall you'll want to essentially play hide and seek. Have someone keep your dog on the leash. Then you go and call your dog from further away where they can't see you. When they arrive to you, paise them and reward them with a treat.