3 Management Tips For New Puppy Parents
When speaking to new puppy parents one common theme is “I took my eye off of them for one second and”…. what comes after can vary from very funny to very scary! Positive Reinforcement dog trainers know that one essential key to success in coexisting with a new puppy is managing their environment so they can’t get into too much trouble, or danger, while they are learning about the world. This may sounds simple but when there are a million other things to think about with a puppy, this simple task can often fall off of the list of things to do. Never fear, I’m here to provide you with some ways to manage your dogs environment around the house and while out in the world so they don’t pick up bad habits and dangerous items!
“I’ll also let you in on a little secret that good positive reinforcement trainers have been hiding (not really) - management can also lead to good habits created all on their own without a gazillion hours of training! ”
**I’ll also let you in on a little secret that good positive reinforcement trainers have been hiding (not really) - management can also lead to good habits created all on their own without a gazillion hours of training!
Baby Gates: Puppies are curious tiny baby shark creatures. They will eat, swallow, pee on, shred, hide under, hide on top of and basically terrorize all the things you don’t want them too in seconds! Nothing is safe. UNLESS you manage their space! Crate training can take time, confinement isn’t super fun for a lot of puppies at first, but you need to do things like shower, use the bathroom, eat etc. So using baby gates to gate off rooms that aren’t puppy proofed or create a larger space that has all of your puppies toys, food/water, bully sticks, enrichment options and more can give you time to still safely leave puppy semi unsupervised for short periods while you take the first shower since he came home last week! Also you can put dangerous objects on the other side so you aren’t constantly taking things away from your new puppy, which is not a great way to start your relationship! Hint - You are also teaching your puppy good habits by not leaving items around that you don’t want destroyed from the start, and if your puppy has access to fun things when you step away for brief periods, you are working on gradual alone time desensitization.
Snuffle Mats/Licki Mats: It’s 2021 so I’m assuming that 85% of you are still working from home. You will get away with your puppy interrupting meetings for about 1-3 weeks. It takes longer than that to teach a baby puppy the skills necessary to stay entertained and quiet for more than 10 seconds, sadly. In comes enrichment! Enrichment will help puppy fulfill basic needs such as licking, chewing, foraging, shredding and more and teaches problem solving skills and uses mental energy all at once! Snuffle Mats and Licki Mats are 2 of my faves but the list goes on and on: bully sticks, Kong Original, West Paw Toppl, Snoop ….. Teaching your puppy that when you need a little time to yourself they get something amazing will help them learn to self entertain. You can use portions of their every day meal with some yummy treats mixed in. Wet dog food, pumpkin, a little peanut butter etc. Remember that puppies need a lot of attention between naps so dog expect them to stay entertained for long! Enrichment isn’t about jut keeping your puppy busy so you can ignore them, but when you need go about life lets ensure your puppy is happily engaged in an activity that helps them fulfill their needs. By having enrichment items on hand when you have meetings or other activities you will manage your puppy and set yourself up for success!
Always Carry Treats! Puppies are taking in new experiences rapidly and some of these can be overwhelming. Whether its a new sound, person, animal or sight. These experiences might be scary or exciting and cause your puppy to react in a way that you don’t understand like Barking, lunging, wigging, jumping, biting (puppy bites are common). Part of a quality socialization process is pairing new experiences with positive outcomes. Having some yummy, high value treats such as beef liver or chicken jerky can help you refocus their brains or simply help you tell them everything is ok if they become frightened. For example if you are out for walk and big loud vehicle goes by and puppy becomes a little overwhelmed but you immediately give them a very yummy treat and comfort them after, they think OH scary truck = Yummy Treat! These are the laws of learning! Other situations where treats help puppies:
If they pick up something off the ground that is dangerous or gross - trade for a treat instead of pulling it out of their mouth
Give treats when you see other people and dogs and puppy will learn that exciting things equal good things coming from you
Give a treat when your puppy goes potty or walks nicely on leash
Hint - You're already well on your way to training if you do these things!!!
Extra Tip - Remember to avoid punishment in your management and training. Puppies are just learning everything they need to know and its your job to help them learn the skills needed to be successful. Management is the first step to living a happy and healthy life! Dogs don’t need to be corrected, yelled at, or to know “who is alpha” to learn. They do need to be rewarded for doing the right things, a loving environment, a chance to thrive and be allowed to be dogs!
Please share this with any and all dog and puppy guardians who might find it useful. If you need help with puppy training - please check out my services!
Happy Training,
Melissa