Explore Breeder Network's 76 photos on Flickr!
Puppy biting is typical, expected, and an essential part of puppy behavior. Here is a detailed guide to training your puppy to stop nipping and biting.
Barking and howling is normal canine behavior and their way of vocalizing themselves. Especially puppies communicate via these sounds alongside whining or yelping. However, once a puppy recognizes this as an opportunity to seek attention,
This comprehensive new puppy checklist will help you gather all the necessary items for your new pup's arrival.
A complete guide for new puppy parents on what essentials you need (a full shopping list!), things you should know and prepare before your puppy comes home, and all the best training resources (obedience training, handling, how to socialize your puppy) and tips on how to train a puppy. Feeding, pott
Discover effective techniques to curb puppy biting behavior and improve impulse control. Learn how to train your furry friend and foster a bite-free bond.
How to stop puppy biting, why puppies bite, and Susan Garrett’s protocol for acquired bite inhibition.
Puppy biting is typical, expected, and an essential part of puppy behavior. Here is a detailed guide to training your puppy to stop nipping and biting.
May 30, 2024 - Signs that your puppy is responding to parvovirus treatment and how to help speed up the recovery.
Here are 8 tips to best taking care of young puppies. Got a new puppy and don't know what to do? Do these 8 things and you will raise a strong healthy pup.
Surviving Puppy Overwhelm, 15 Lifesaving Tips To Help You Are you suffering from puppy overwhelm? Please believe me when I say that you are not alone. It is very common to suffer from the ‘pu…
Help, my puppy wants to be held all the time and he cries when I put him down! If that sounds familiar, don't worry, we've got you covered.
Here are 8 tips to best taking care of young puppies. Got a new puppy and don't know what to do? Do these 8 things and you will raise a strong healthy pup.
Like clockwork your puppy gets the zoomies every night. Now you're wondering why does my puppy go crazy in the evening?
Do you make these common mistakes when training your puppy? Here are 5 common puppy training mistakes many dog owners make.
Puppy biting is an inevitable part of having a puppy. But it can also be one of the most frustrating and painful. Today, you'll learn ho...
Looking for a step by step guide on how to potty train your puppy? Look no further than this detailed walkthrough guide that shows you just how to do it.
In this article, we'll discuss the reasons why puppies bark and how to stop your puppy barking. Includes free, step-by-step tutorial by Doggy Dan!
Are you struggling to deal with your furry friend's nipping and biting behavior? Don't worry; you're not alone. This common issue is faced by many puppy
Ali Smith, founder of Rebarkable shares all about her new dog training business and her best tips for puppy training in this post.
Just so we are clear, our dogs showed no interest whatsoever in reading any of the books below, so here's our take on the 5 Best Puppy Training Books for 2020
Just like babies, hearing your puppy cry at night and call for you is heartbreaking. While you may have the energy to take care of your puppy every time he
Are playpens good for puppies? Discover the pros and cons of using puppy pens, find out how you can use them properly and how to help your pup settle in faster.
Welcoming your puppy to a safe environment is very important. Learn how to puppy proof your home & yard with this helpful checklist from Sparkles and Sunshine Blog.
Being a first time puppy parent can be a wonderful time in your life and seeing your new puppy fills your heart with love. Then comes the reality of how to raise your puppy well and make the right decisions.
This golden retriever puppy chasing bubbles may just be having the best day ever. Brought to you by your friends at BuzzFeed BFF.
Your sweet, playful, adorable puppy suddenly becomes tense and growls when you approach him while he’s eating. What caused your furry bundle to act this way? Resource guarding. Resource guarding in puppies is a natural
By Potty Buddy Team Published September 22, 2021 4 min Is your puppy chewing everything in sight? Hands. Feet. Pants. Shoes. Laces. Their Crate. Will it ever end? To survive the puppy chewing phase, you’re going to need a lot of patience, a little practice and these top tips for prevention. This combination will be your best bet to prevent your puppy chewing problems from escalating, or continuing into adulthood. Puppy chewing is a common issue faced by most owners, so you definitely aren’t alone. To protect your house (and your hands) from these sharp little teeth, first let's try to understand the basics. Why do puppies chew? Here are the main factors driving those little gnashers: Curiosity - Dogs interact with the world through their mouths, and puppies are very keen to get to know this new world! Teething - Just like human babies, new teeth mean sore gums. Chewing helps pups feel more comfortable and relieves some of this painful pressure. Strength - Puppies also chew to begin to strengthen those powerful jaw muscles. This drive helps to keep their mouths functioning and healthy into adulthood and beyond. Play - Chewing and biting are natural play behaviors for dogs. Through engaging in this way, puppies learn cause and effect. What’s acceptable and what’s reciprocated in different social contexts. Boredom - Sometimes, chewing is a response to boredom, as mouthing stimulates puppies physically and mentally. It can also sometimes get them attention from humans…! So, it’s important to understand that chewing is a natural and healthy behavior for puppies, and older dogs, to engage in. Cutting it out completely isn’t your goal. But there are ways to survive the puppy chewing phase, and keep your possessions intact, while you wait for maturity (and training) to kick in. Managing Puppy Chewing 1. Environment As is often the case, prevention can be the best cure. For puppy chewing, this is definitely true. A new puppy does not yet know what objects are ok to chew, and what are mommy’s special shoes never to be touched! So your first line of defense is to manage your pup’s environment. Proofing - It’s a good idea to move chewable objects up high or out of your puppy’s reach. Playpen - When you are not able to watch your furry little pal, you should aim to keep them in an area which is anti-chew. Either in a playpen or leashed to something secure. Puppy chewing spray - Making items unattractive to your puppy is another option, such as commercially available puppy sprays that use naturally repellent smells. 2. ‘Yes’ Places It’s vital to provide your puppy with plenty of appropriate things for them to chew on. As well as keeping them occupied, this allows your little buddy to exhibit natural, healthy behaviors and let off some excess steam. Many owners choose puppy chewing toys or a puppy chewing bone, and you can get recommendations from your vet on what they think works best. The following are popular with many puppy owners: Antlers Pig or cow ears Nylabones A stuffed Kong (frozen works well for sore gums!) Top tip - be sure to rotate these chewing objects, so that they stay exciting and absorbing for your pup. 3. Redirection As much as we try, our puppies will always manage to get their paws on something they aren’t supposed to. That’s basically a puppy’s job, right? Generally, it’s wise to not to get mad with your pup if you find them chewing an inappropriate object. Firstly, because their drive is so strong that they really can’t help it. Secondly, this could lead to further behavioral issues - like hiding or guarding objects. The best way to deal with an ‘oops’ moment is with redirection. Gain your puppy's attention, either with exciting noises, a toy or some treats. Better yet, engage them with their chew toy of choice, teaching them that this is the place they are supposed to bite on. Make these chewable objects super fun, by playing a little tug of war or rewarding your pup with treats for chewing there. Again, it’s best not to take the inappropriate object directly from your puppy. Take it out of reach once they are fully absorbed elsewhere, to avoid resource guarding in the future. 4. ‘Leave It’ Training Building a ‘leave’ or ‘drop’ command into your puppy training is going to really help you with inappropriate chewing in the long term. Start by holding out your hand with a treat and close your hand. The moment your pup leaves it alone, reward with the treat. Repeat this until your pup has really got the hang of it, and start adding the command in too. Timing is key here, try to anticipate your dog’s next move and reward quickly when your dog backs off. Don't progress to harder levels (like an open hand or treats on the floor) until your puppy has this first stage down to a fine art. Top tip - The puppy equation for leave it = reward ≥ the thing. In other words, leaving fun stuff is really hard for puppies, so make sure your rewards are at least as valuable or more valuable than the thing you want them to leave. While there is no overnight fix for puppy biting, with consistency on these 4 key areas, you WILL survive the puppy chewing phase. Stay positive and proactive, we promise we have all been there too!
There are hundreds of things to know before getting a puppy. In this post, I have shared all my tips for first-time dog owners, what mistakes to avoid and what to focus on.
Not sure what to buy for your first puppy? This blog post shares 10 quick and easy puppy essentials that will have you feeling prepared and excited!
Looking for tips on how to calm an aggressive puppy? How about nine tips? Read on to find out how you can get your rowdy pooch to mellow out!
So, you're thinking about bringing a new puppy home, huh? Buckle up, because I've got some truths to spill. Sure, it's an exhilarating time filled with dreams of cuddles and cuteness overload. But let's keep it real – it's not all sunshine and rainbows
This post contains affiliate links, which means I’ll earn a commission from any purchase made by you through my link at no extra cost to ...
Are you looking for a comprehensive dog training checklist? If you bring home a puppy or older dog, the training bit is something you want to get right. You have to teach your puppy to be what you envision as a cultured adult dog. Training is part of the proper growth and development of your new dog. You may never get to experience the intelligent, friendly and sweet side of your fluffy buddy if you don't get training right. To succeed in dog training, you have to have all the needed items at a given stage and know when and how to impart a skill. And it's always better to start early, do not wait until it's too late. If you are looking to train your new dog, there is nothing more to worry about. It may come out as an intensive activity, but we got you covered in this article. This training puppy checklist should get you a well-cultured and well-socialized dog. Shall we get started on how to train a puppy? Dog Training Checklist Essential Items Before you bring home a new pet, you need to shop for all the essential items. Here are dog training checklist items you need to get: Dog treats such as food rewards, Dog toys such as chew toys, Dog crate, Long leash, collar and harness, Dog car seat covers, Your dog’s favorite dog food, Toothbrush and toothpaste, Nail clippers, Brush, Shampoo and conditioner , Dog training book or resources. Basic Commands Basic obedience commands are the foundation of training your puppy (1). The goal should be to teach your dog to obey simple, short and basic commands such as: Come(the most important in this category) Sit ( for when they have their meals) Leave it Stop Lay down It would be ideal to start training your puppy in simple basic commands as soon as you bring them home. They learn this command best when they are typically around 7-8 weeks old. Basic obedience Commands Training Tips for Puppy parents You can demonstrate the position you want your dog to be in. For example, you can sit while holding a food reward in your hand. As the dog attempts to get the food reward, pull it lower so that your dog gets in the sitting position to obtain the food reward. Always repeat the word as your dog does the action. The secret to succeeding in making your puppy learn simple commands is making sessions very short and fun. Training should last 5-10 minutes but spread out throughout the day. As Chad Mackin would say, any dog and puppy training goal should be to always challenge and never overwhelm. Always remember this as you train puppies; they have a short concentration span. Also, for this reason, you need to choose an area in your house with no distractions. Tip: Ensure the entire session is full of positive energy, praises and dog rewards or toys. Potty Training Potty training needs to begin as soon as you bring your new canine buddy home. First, you will have to start using absorbent house pads, which your puppy can use in between potty breaks. As a new puppy parent, you will have to be patient to successfully potty train your dog. Besides, you will need to create a schedule for potty breaks. For young puppies, you can take them out every two hours. You can, however, increase the time as your puppy grows old. Remember: Puppies have small bladders; they may not hold it in for longer like older dogs. This is why we recommend that you use a timer to keep up with potty breaks. At 3 months old, you can start taking your puppy after 3 hours, and so on until your puppy is 7 months old. After that, it's ideal to keep taking your dog for walks and potty breaks after 7-8 hours. Crate Training Crate training is essential because it helps you protect your dog when you are not around to watch over them. Besides, crate training will save the destruction of your items such as rugs, carpets, sofas, cables, shoes and furniture. If left alone, without proper crate training, they may chew on anything they find around. Dogs take crates as their safe haven or a spot to chill when they want some alone time. They also learn to hold in while. So, this goes hand in hand with potty training. Just remember to take them out after every few hours. Also, learning to associate the crate with happiness will help solve separation anxiety. They will happily spend time in the crate when you ask them to. To build this association, consider giving food rewards and food while the pup is in the crate. Leash Training Pups are not used to walking on a leash yet. This is why they will dart in different directions when you first walk them on a leash. Luckily, if they receive leash training, they will keep good manners all through their lifetime. When you bring your new puppy home, put on his collar and harness when he is in the house. Allow him to play and run around with his leash on. It's good to have it on during play sessions. Just allow him to drag the leash until he does not mind it anymore. When they seem to not mind it, you can take them on a short walk around your house. From then, you can move to your yard. If you hold the leash and he starts following you, then it's time to try a walk in the neighborhood. If he doesn't, you can try simple commands they already know like,
Are you bringing a puppy home for the first time? Follow these tips, and have a stress-free puppy who will show you love for years to come.
Find out how fast puppies grow, especially if you want to know how big your mixed breed will be. Several growth spurts take place before puppies stop growing.
Have you thought about what you need for your new puppy or dog? Read this New Puppy Shopping Checklist plus free download.
How do I make my house safe for my puppy? Bringing home your new puppy is incredibly exciting for both you and your family. Ensuring ...