Puppy Potty Training

Potty Training your new puppy is an essential first step when purchasing or adopting a new dog into you home. While we commonly think of potty training as something that is done with puppies, often adult dogs that are adopted may also need this training depending on their background. A key tool in the potty training process is the dog crate. Dog crates should still be used in most cases, at least temporarily, to help train the dog, regardless if you dog will continue to use the crate once they are older and fully potty trained.

Dog Obedience Training

After potty training, obedience training is one of the next steps you should start to have your canine be a well behaved canine good citizen. While you don't have to get your dog certified in obedience as a family pet, if your looking for a challenge, their are many organizations who offer obedience certifications to recognize your progress while training your new dog. At a minimum, every dog should have a rock solid recall command and the ability to sit, down, stay, and come on command. For the advanced pet owner, you should consider performing some off-leash training drills and practicing obedience drills under heavy distractions.

Biting and Chewing

Dogs can often chew on people and things out of boredom and to help ease the pain during the teething process. Some breeds are more prone to biting than others. Biting is also common in puppies and it's another important training area to consider. When working with a new puppy it's important to show them what items it's ok to chew on and what items are not acceptable. Many pet owners still want to have nice things in their homes and an out of control puppy biting and chewing on everything in site is a road to trouble!

Leash Pulling

Dogs that pull on the leash can also cause tension in the home and can be difficult to take on walks in the neighborhood. Sometimes a simple solution to leash pulling is to put the dog on a training collar. Some collars are more effective than others and you need to be sure to pick the right collar for your dog. It's best to consult an expert trainer from K9-1 Kennels to help evaluate your dog and pick the right training collar for your pets temperament.

Reactive Dogs and Behavior Problems

Sometimes leash pulling can also be a gateway into dogs that are "leash reactive" to other dogs when going for a walk. Barking and other unwanted behaviors can occur when your pet is under a high level of arousal from being in proximity to other dogs. Maybe you dog gets frustrated because they want to play or perhaps they are starting to show signs of dog aggression. In any event, this is a problem you should consult an experienced dog trainer about.

Resource Guarding

Resource Guarding is a potentially dangerous behavior and can often result in a dog bite. Most rescue dogs are screened for this behavior but dogs adopted straight from a shelter are often not tested. This is not a behavior you should attempt to resolve with out the guidance of a veteran dog trainer. You can recognize a dog with resource guarding issues because they will often snarl or growl when you get near their food bowl or sometimes a dog might exhibit this behavior when a spouse goes to sit on a favorite couch or bed where the dog likes to rest. Any snarling or growling is a warning sign and should not be ignored.