22 Awesome Tips for New Puppy Owners

I'm Dale Buchanan, and this is Puppy Talk, the podcast that offers free advice and tips for raising a happy, healthy, and obedient puppy. For more information on this podcast, visit us online at puppytalkpodcast.com. Welcome to Puppytalk Episode Number 136. I'm your host, Dale Buchanan. This episode is called 22 Tips for New Puppy Owners. There are so many tips here that I can't get into great detail about each tip. I'm going to provide the tip with a little explanation in rapid fire format. You can listen to the podcast over again, and you can also read the transcript if you're on Apple Podcasts or some other devices. Let's get started. Number one, use a slip lead, which is a one piece leash, in the house at all times to prevent potty accidents, jumping on people, jumping on furniture, and countersurfing. Number two, keep your eyes on the puppy at all times. You would not leave a baby unsupervised out of the crib, so don't do that with your puppy. three, your puppy should not be free to roam around your house. They will get into trouble, chew on furniture, and potty on your carpet or floor. four, use a crate to confine the puppy if you cannot keep your eyes on them. Failure to use a crate will result in the puppy learning unwanted behaviors for life. five, do not repeat commands to your puppy. This confuses them and shows your lack of leadership skills. If your puppy is hyper and overstimulated, stop talking to them. Chit chatting with your puppy only makes them more hyper. Number seven, make sure your puppy is getting sixteen to eighteen hours of sleep per day. eight, do not free feed your puppy. Set the food bowl down. If they don't eat it, take the bowl up until their next meal. nine. Give your puppy one ounce of water per pound of body weight until they are completely potty trained. Use a measuring cup. Spread the water out throughout the day in even increments. ten. Do not leave toys throughout the house for them to use. Get the toys off the floor and give them one to play with at a time. Rotate the toys. eleven. If your puppy is play biting, stop overstimulating them. twelve. At four months old, get your puppy into a daycare at least two times per week. You will thank me for this tip later on. thirteen. This controls their space in the house and creates a sense of calm. Number fourteen, do not repeat commands to your puppy. I know I added this twice. It's a very important tip. fifteen If you notice your puppy becoming bored, remember they need exercise, mental stimulation, enrichment, socialization, and play in that order. Most new puppy owners focus only on play and affection. sixteen, keep training sessions short. Five minutes at first is enough. Make it productive. Include multiple short training sessions per day. seventeen do not overuse the puppy's name. Calling them by their name one hundred times per day does not teach them their name. It only reduces its value. eighteen, stop saying no to your puppy all the time. This does not teach them anything. Remember, no is not a cue. nineteen When starting leash training, teach your puppy to go outside on your driveway on the leash and sit or lie down and do nothing. They can observe but not react. This is socialization. twenty focus on stillness. Teaching a puppy downstay, which means to lie down and stay, will prevent almost every unwanted behavior, such as jumping on people, jumping on furniture, barking, running to the front door, reacting to distractions, and having potty accidents. Number twenty one, create structure. Make your house feel as calm as a yoga studio. This is where the puppy can relax and decompress. Make the backyard the play area. And make the front yard and the neighborhood where you walk the dog on the sidewalk field trip for training. This is the training zone. Number 22. Follow a strict schedule. I hope you enjoyed these puppy training tips. If you have any questions, you can contact me through the website puppytalkpodcast.com. Have a great day.