Regardless of anything you read here, or any of the rules and suggestions other people give you, always remember that your dog will only be a puppy once, so enjoy it! Training should enhance and make managing your puppy easier in these early stages, letting you spend more time enjoying puppyhood, rather than navigating constant frustration. If you find yourself stressing over the nuances of obedience, or getting upset that your puppy constantly gets into trouble, then you're in the right place.
Approaching this stage of your new dog's life can either set you up perfectly for success, or end up building bad habits that only get worse with time. Ultimately, we want to build our puppy's drive for work, engagement with us, and respect for the basic rules we put in place. The way we do that is just like any other dog, no matter the age: a balance of reward and correction. The difference with your puppy is experience.
Right now, our main goal is to make the obedience training side of things as fun as possible. I want your dog to be begging you to train them. At the same time, we need to be allowing them to fail and do the bad behaviors so that they can learn to respect your corrections. A correction does not make your dog hate you. Inconsistency does. If you consistently and fairly correct a behavior, your puppy will not only learn to respect you, but also find confidence in your balance of reward and correction. By showing them both what is wrong, and what is right, the rules become consistent and predictable, and they learn to trust that you will guide them through any stress that comes their way.
Your puppy learns to check in with you by default, not because they have to, but because they want to.
Building an endless desire to pay attention and work for you. This is the engine behind every skill that follows.
Fair boundaries taught early so your puppy understands that actions have consequences. This is what keeps them safe.
Structured exposure to the world. People, dogs, sounds, surfaces, environments. All while they are still in their critical window.
A safe space that prevents destruction and builds independence.
A structured schedule and clear system so accidents stop altogether.
Not heeling. Just learning to walk without pulling you around the block.
Getting your puppy to pay attention and come running when you say their name.
A vital management skill that allows you to keep your puppy under control.
Introducing basic positions through shaping and gestures.
You come to us. Controlled environment with distraction setups and a structured space built for training.
We come to you. Work in the actual environment where your puppy lives and where the habits need to stick.
If you would rather have us handle the groundwork, our 3-week Puppy Foundations program covers everything above in a structured, immersive environment. Your puppy lives with us, trains with us daily, and comes home with a head start that most dogs never get. It is the fast track version of everything on this page.
The earlier you start, the easier everything gets. Consultations are free, and we would love to meet your puppy. Call us anytime so we can see if we're the right fit for you.
Schedule a Free Consultation