A quick recap from our last blog: Making sure that you are prepared for your new Wet Nose Family Member is going to be monumental in ensuring early success. Knowing which areas are off limits and having a variety of toys will help keep your puppy occupied and out of trouble. Consistency, consistency and patience are the best practices for your puppy to understand what you are trying to teach. Accidents and mistakes are going to happen, and just like you wouldn’t discipline your baby for peeing on the changing table, you can’t discipline your puppy for having accidents inside, THEY WILL GROW OUT OF IT!
When I receive calls about training from new puppy parents, their tone of frustration and helplessness are all the same. The main reason I decided to write this Blog about training was because having a new puppy should be a fun experience for everyone, and when I hear owners feeling completely helpless with their puppy and second guessing if this was the right decision for them, I am happy they reached out for help and they are willing to keep trying with their Wet Nose Family Member, and almost all succeed. However, I am a realist and I know (and unfortunately so do many of the local shelters) that there are too many others who don’t pick up the phone and search for help in co-habituating with their new puppies. Again dogs are just like babies, we wouldn’t think about getting rid of a baby because it was too much work, we need to have the same mindset when it comes to our Wet Nose Family Members. Here are some of the most common struggles we hear from new dog owners and how we help them succeed.
Fluffy won’t stop peeing in the house – This is by far the most common scenario to overcome but consistency and patience is the key to fixing this problem.
Fluffy won’t stop chewing – This is in some part a phase that all dogs go through (to those of you who brought home a Lab puppy, the next 2 years is going to be tough) but having the right boundaries and toys in place will help this.
A great dog owner will be patient and consistent with their newest Wet Nose Family Member. The first week or so may be met with sleepless nights as the puppy and you adjust but consistency and patience will be key your success. If I did not answer a specific question you had about training, please email click here to send me an email and I will be more than happy to answer your question.