 There is no denying that a new puppy is exciting and fun — but also a lot of work. What you do now makes a big difference in your dog’s behavior later in life. So, if you are getting ready to bring a new puppy home, here is my list of what you need to be successful.
Food and Treats - This is the fuel your puppy uses to grow big and strong. Food designed specifically for puppies — This is a must. It’s ideal to get a small bag of food from the breeder and use it to transition to the food you plan to feed long-term. Feed the best food you can afford, and take time to educate yourself about nutrition. Treats for training — Training starts the moment you get home, so have treats ready to go. Keep them small and reward everything your puppy does right. Before long, they’ll be doing more right things than wrong ones. Look for treats with ingredients you can pronounce and avoid inferior treats with added colors.
1 Comment
 We have all heard the advice to “Socialize! Socialize! Socialize!” your puppy. But what exactly does that mean? When I ask this to new puppy owners, invariably the response I get is, “Expose them to lots of different things.” And they are right — at least partially. The one key component that they are missing is that it should be POSITIVE exposure to the world around them.
The socialization window is the time to say to your puppy, “Welcome to the world! It’s a great place, and you don’t need to be scared because I have your back.” The biggest and most common mistake I see new puppy guardians make is that, in an effort to socialize their puppy, they allow a multitude of inappropriate interactions to occur repeatedly, which can create behavior problems. Imagine for a moment that every time you went out in public, every single person you saw touched you. How would that make you feel? Some people would love that much attention, but the vast majority of people would hate having their space invaded every single time they go out — and puppies are the same.  Many years ago, my brother gave me a tiny, practical gift: a set of clip-on lights for my dogs’ collars. Nothing fancy. Nothing that belonged on a shopping guide or under a spotlight. But it was the first time someone gave me something that reflected who I was — a person whose life revolves, in the best way, around dogs.
That small gesture said, “I see how much they mean to you.” And that made it unforgettable. When you love a dog, gifts that acknowledge that love can feel incredibly personal. They support the bond that shapes your days — your routines, your laughter, the reason you go outside in weather that makes the mailman question your sanity. A gift for a dog is really a gift for the person who builds their world around them. Which brings me to winter break.  As a dog trainer who has lived through more than a few “creative holiday dog moments,” I wrote this to help you avoid the ones I didn’t. This is real-life advice from my home to yours — plaster sheep included.
I love Christmas. I do. As a kid, it was pure magic: cookies, hymns, twinkle lights… the whole holly-jolly package. And somewhere between childhood wonder and adult responsibility, the holidays shifted from magical fun to hair-on-fire chaos. Our dogs feel that shift too — but without any understanding of what the heck is happening. More guests, more food, more tempting decorations, fewer walks, and a stressed-out human who suddenly expects perfect behavior? It's a lot.  Many dog owners find summer to be less enjoyable than it could be, and for some, it's even terrible due to fireworks. This blog has two goals:
1. Provide tips for owners of sound-phobic dogs to help them and their pets get through the summer, especially 4th of July. 2. Educate people about what it’s like to live with a sound-phobic dog. Every time I mention that fireworks are impactful, I am met with people who dismiss my concerns by saying things like, "Oh, your dog is afraid of fireworks? That sucks." But it's not just about my dog—it's about showing compassion for all pets. It feels like an unwinnable battle, but I am hoping that by working together with collective action, we might actually begin to move the needle towards more compassion for each other. By putting a face to "firework fear" people might begin to understand how their "fun" impacts others. Surely, if they knew how hard it is on so many dogs and their owners, they might consider not lighting them off. Or at least, only doing so on the holiday.  If your dog is being “naughty,” and you look for help on a social media site, you are looking in the wrong place! There are two main reasons why social media is the last place to look for advice.
 As you can expect, the comments ran the gamut of answers. Use a “vibrating collar,” give them more exercise, squirt them with vinegar water; they need training and the usual “I had this problem, and this is what I did.”
 We have committed. We found our breeder and we have put a deposit down on a puppy so there is no turning back now. We chose to get a puppy from a responsible breeder. I’ve already been asked by a few friends “Why didn’t you rescue a dog? There are SO many homeless dogs!” So, if you are secretly wondering the same thing here’s a list of why we chose a buy from a breeder instead of buying a dog from a rescue.
 You have planned, prepared, and dreamed about adding a dog to your life and today is the day they come home with you. You are so excited! On the other hand, your new dog has no idea who you are. All they know is that they have left their last “home” (whether it’s the breeder, a shelter, or a foster, it was still “home” to them), and now everything they know is gone.
Homecoming can be pretty stressful for everyone in the family, most of all the dog. This is especially true if the dog comes from a shelter or rescue situation. What can you do to help your dog handle the stress of this transition? Utilize these ten tips to help them ease into their new life with you. 1. Let them decompress Younger dogs, especially puppies, will take less time to decompress than adult dogs. Adult dogs from a shelter can exhibit fear, occasional aggression, or completely shut down. Your primary job is to allow the dog to settle into their new surroundings and explore their new home on their terms at their own pace. This does NOT mean leaving them unsupervised in your home – if you do, accidents will happen, things will get chewed on, and mistakes will be made. I recommend allowing your dog to explore the home while you hang back, following them to guide them. Our dogs don't have a choice in the training methods we use but we do it's our responsibility as loving guardians to teach them without hurting them or damaging the potential of our lifelong relationship with them.
I believe that dogs have an amazing culture and communication system. I believe that just because it is different than ours does not make it inferior to ours, simply different. Because we have different cultures we have to each learn about the other. Our dogs have to learn our human culture and we should learn some dog culture. It is our job to bridge the communication gap between species. We shouldn’t punish them for being dogs when we haven’t taken the time to teach them what behaviors we do want. We must show them how to function best in this human world. I believe that when we are teaching our dog something new positive teaching methods are best. However, I am NOT afraid to tell a dog “no”. When I do tell a dog no it is after I have thoroughly taught the dog what behaviors they can do. I do not have to hurt a dog to tell then no and I don’t. I don’t use choke chains, pinch collars, shock collars, or alpha rolls. When I have to learn something new I hope that my teacher is patient, clear, shows me exactly what they want me to do and makes learning fun. I don't want a teacher who yells at me, makes me feel stupid, or hurts me to teach me and our dogs are the same way. I also believe that
Using humane, scientific learning theories, I’ll show you how to communicate with your dog so they become a happy, well-behaved, and reliable companion. I will teach you how to listen to your dog and build a relationship based on trust and love. I will show you both how to work together as a team. |
AuthorI have been working with dogs for over 15 years-soon to be over 20. I have two dogs currently - Stanley and Walter and two dogs waiting for me at the rainbow bridge - Maverick & Jasper. My dogs have been profound teachers and I want to share what I have learned with you. Archives
December 2025
Categories |
RSS Feed