Episodes

Puppy Training Series: The Watch Me Command

March 15, 2023

This is a great exercise to build the relationship between the handler and the puppy. We start this in the house with no distractions, then move it outside with distractions so she can get focused back on me when she has rea…

Puppy Training Series: No is Not a Cue

March 12, 2023

I found this post on another dog trainer Olivia Mergl of Mannered Mutts Dog Training on Instagram. Below is her post text. The image that goes with the post will be placed on a blog post here . No is not a cue!! No is not a …

Be Patient With Your Puppy

March 3, 2023

There are two ways to be more patient with your puppy, and I will discuss both in this episode. Patience will go a long way when raising a puppy. Give your puppy time to learn and adapt to your lifestyle. Be patient when t…

Should Your Puppy Sleep in Your Bed?

Feb. 26, 2023

In this episode, I discuss the pros and cons of having your puppy sleep with you in your bed. Remember, that is my opinion, and the opinions of other dog trainers and vets will vary. The Complete Puppy Training Manual is no…

The First Day With Your New Puppy

Feb. 21, 2023

In this episode, I share what I did during my dog Dixie's First Day Home on May 5, 2020. I immediately taught Dixie her name, leash acclimation, and set boundaries in the apartment. Notice my tone, words, and leadership ski…

Leash Training Your Puppy - Part 2

Feb. 19, 2023

I use three types of walks for puppies that I train. Each of these walks is unique and can be combined to achieve multiple goals in one outing. The Training Walk The Enrichment Walk The Potty Break Walk Roughly 40% of your w…

Why Your Puppies Behavior Is Not Improving

Feb. 5, 2023

The top 3 reasons why your puppy's behavior is not improving: You are reinforcing the unwanted behavior. You are trying to "fix" your puppy instead of teaching your puppy. You are not being consistent. Use this FREE chart be…

Leash Training Your Puppy - Part 1

Jan. 29, 2023

In this episode, I discuss one of the chapters of my new book, Leash Training Your Puppy , which will be available by the end of February 2023. To get on my mailing list for updates on the book release date, go to PuppyTrain…

Puppy Behavior Modification

Jan. 4, 2023

Use this FREE chart below to help identify unwanted minor puppy behaviors and teach a replacement behavior. Practice reinforcing the replacement behaviors without reinforcing the unwanted behaviors. Download the chart here h…

How Old is Your Dog in Human Years?

Dec. 7, 2022

I recently received an email from Dr. Leslie Brooks DVM, MPH, and a Vet Advisor for Betterpet. She sent me some information on a new tool that she helped create called The Dog Age Calculator. She went on to say that many pe…

Potty Training and Puppy Vaccines

Nov. 6, 2022

This is a great question that was a comment on one of my YouTube videos. The short answer is "Yes, But Follow These Rules To Stay Safe." Links to supporting articles and Podcasts: PawsGeek.com article: https://www.pawsgeek.…

Top 3 Reasons Why Puppy Potty Training is Failing

Nov. 2, 2022

Our most popular episode has been #3 from January 12, 2021, on How to Potty Train Your Puppy . I continue to receive comments on social media posts and daily emails from local clients of Top Gun Dog Training who are having t…

Using Corrections With Puppy Training

Oct. 23, 2022

In this episode, I am going to discuss important details about using corrections with young puppies. This information is a companion to the past episode #56 on The Benefits of Positive Reinforcement Training. When to use cor…

The Benefits of Positive Reinforcement Training

Oct. 19, 2022

This episode is from an article written by Taylor Andrews for my website. You can read the entire article here https://topgundogtraining.com/blog/f/the-benefits-of-positive-reinforcement-training Dale's dog training website …

Setting Rules and Boundaries for Your Puppy

Aug. 14, 2022

Everyone in your family, including dogs, has to have rules and boundaries in the house. You should start teaching the puppy rules and boundaries as soon as you bring them home. Giving a puppy too much freedom and the ability…

The First 5 Things to Teach Your New Puppy

July 4, 2022

These 5 things need to begin even before the basic obedience training command such as sit, down, stay, etc. Potty Training - Episode #3 Crate Training - Episode #21 Rules and Boundaries Puppies Name Stopping Play Biting - Ep…

How to Stop Submissive or Excitement Peeing in Puppies

June 23, 2022

I have a lot of clients with puppies that pee when they get excited. This is a huge issue with some new puppy owners, and in this episode I will provide some tips to help you deal with excited or submissive urination in pupp…

Setting Realistic Puppy Training Goals

June 15, 2022

Setting unrealistic goals for your new puppy is a huge mistake. This is just as bad as trying to “fix” all of your puppies unwanted behaviors. As discussed in the last episode, we always want to focus on what we want the pu…

How to Fix Your Puppies Bad Behavior

April 17, 2022

There is one secret to raising your puppy so that they continue to do what you ask from them, and stop doing the behaviors that you don’t want such as barking, jumping, play biting, and chewing. Listen to this entire episode…

Training Puppies Using Hand Signals

March 27, 2022

In this episode I discuss the importance of using hand signals in addition to vocal commands for foundational work such as sit, down, stay, come, etc. 3 reasons to use hand signals: Dogs easily habituate vocal commands when …