RECOMMENDED TRAINING PROGRAMS
DUNBAR ACADEMY
Ian Dunbar is considered the father of modern dog training and his classic FREE ebook guides Before You Get Your Puppy and After You Get Your Puppy are fantastic for laying the foundations of crate training, house training, bite inhibition, and socialization. Even if you don’t follow every instruction to the letter, understanding the principles he talks about are extremely helpful.
His “error-free housetraining”, especially, is an invaluable resource that helps firmly lay the foundation for a peaceful and enjoyable future with your pet. PDF Schedule
They also offer a Zoom-based four week Virtual Puppy Kindergarten course through Sirius Pup Training for $160.
BAXTER AND BELLA
Baxter and Bella is an amazing newer, popular all-online training program. It has lifetime access to lots of printables, checklists, timelines, a library of training videos, and live support from their trainers. If you have never raised a puppy or it has been a long time, they have a step by step straightforward method to guide you through the path to a well behaved dog. Check out their curriculum checklist.
Use code CELEBRITYDOODLES25 at checkout for 25% off ($180 total).
CONSCIOUS DOG TRAINING
"Puppies in the Wild" Course
If you really want to invest in your relationship with your dog and go to the next level in your communication, I highly, highly recommend Conscious Dog Training. Their online Puppies in the Wild Course is a comprehensive training program that comes with self-paced video lessons, weekly live coaching lessons, and methods that allow you to truly communicate with your dog rather than just teach them to be well behaved. It is inspiring to see what is possible with positive reward based methods done correctly. The course comes with lifetime access to the materials and 9 months of free access to a private coaching group with an award winning & certified professional dog trainer.
Use code CELEBRITYDOODLES for 40% off of the lifetime course! ($450 total). Or, subscribe for $60/month.
23 TOP TRAINING TIPS!
Believe in your dog’s desire to understand and please you
Learn how to read your dog’s moods/body language
Use your body language to communicate (turn away and ignore them if they play too rough, jump, or do something you don’t like. Clap your hands, cheer, and jump up and down when they poop outside!)
Teach bite inhibition by yelping like a hurt puppy when your puppy mouths you. This is so incredibly effective at communicating to your dog “that hurts me!”
Be more exciting than distractions. If you need to catch your puppy, get their attention and then run away! Let them chase you, not the other way around.
Socialize your puppy as much as possible in the first two months they are home. Expose them to as many people, animals, sights, sounds, and experiences as possible, just remember “four off the floor” until fully vaccinated so use a wagon, dog stroller, shopping cart, or sling to carry your puppy.
Take your puppy to kindergarten! It is guaranteed weekly socialization, and they learn to do things with distractions around them.
Don’t expect too much of your dog - dogs can’t generalize so be patient, teach each new behavior from scratch if in a new place, and slowly add distractions.
Talk to your dog. Explain things to them. It calms them and it helps more than you would think - plus they will pick up the meanings of their favorite words!
Randomly reward good/calm behavior. It helps make these things inherently rewarding and they will offer behaviors that they think you will like! My dogs lie down out of the way and wag their tails happily when they see me cooking because they know I will toss them treats rewarding that behavior.
Instead of punishing bad behavior, show them positively what you want them to do in various situations. (Ex go to your mat and lie down when the doorbell rings)
Crate train, even if you are at home with the puppy - more restriction now means total freedom later!
Set your puppy up for success - for example, make sure they don’t have access to things they can destroy (crate or pen if you can’t supervise), give them enough opportunities to go outside, etc
Leash your puppy to you indoors so they can’t run off and pee/poop without you realizing
Only play indoors unleashed if they’ve just pooped and peed outside
Trade your puppy for things you take away from him. (treats or a toy)
Build your puppy’s confidence. Let him win tug. Pretend to be knocked over by him. Make him believe he is so incredibly powerful and strong that he must be gentle so he doesn’t hurt you. (tip from Nat Schoemer - a Youtube dog trainer)
Play crate games, focus games, and impulse control games
Exercise your dog! A tired dog is a well behaved dog! Do a burst of activity first like fetch or something that allows them to run and zoom or jog very quickly at first (always at their pace) to burn off their pent up energy before expecting a calm walk.
Mental exercise is exercise - training, snuffle mats, fetch, puzzles, treat dispensing toys and hollow chew toys stuffed with kibble
Understand developmental periods - for example, puppies are still teething until 9 months old, so they have a normal need to chew intensely to relieve their mouth pain during this phase.
Do some training “just for fun!” It takes the pressure off and works wonders for your relationship with your dog. This can be trick training, canine freestyle, talking with Fluent Pet buttons, disc dog, parkour dog, therapy dog or whatever is fun for the both of you!
Have fun with your puppy! Dogs are meant to be loved and enjoyed. Play, cuddle on the couch, go to a dog friendly restaurant, take silly pictures together & go out for adventures.