Training & Socialization
Right now you are in a state of bliss with your brand new puppy. Life is rainbows and unicorns; enjoy it! He will grow so fast you won’t even believe it! In just a few short months, your kiddo will look like an adult dog but still have all the spunk of his puppyhood.
You will get frustrated, you will lose shoes, and you will probably lose your temper. Raising a puppy is not for the weak of spirit. Put the work in on the front end and you will be able to enjoy the fruits of your labor later.
I’ve raised hundreds of puppies; here is your recipe for success.
Table of Contents
Exercise your puppy everyday!
Make sure your kiddo is getting adequate exercise every single day. And no, a large backyard doesn’t count! Exercise will engage their mind, socialize and physically drain your pup so they are less likely to get bored at home and chew on your table legs.
Keep in mind, I said less likely! If you are not the exercise type (guilty!) than be creative! A faster paced activity means less time is needed. Ten minutes of jogging next to your bike or a Lime Scooter will replace an hour walk! A tired pup is a happy owner!
Socialize your puppy everyday!
It is your job to expose your puppy to as many sights, sounds, smells, feels and experiences as you can during this precious and short puppyhood. If you are concerned about taking your puppy out before he is fully vaccinated, he is protected at over 90% with three Parvo vaccines on board; don’t wait to start socializing or you will miss a vital window of puppy development.
A puppy who is well socialized and experiences lots of new things becomes a well adjusted, balanced adult dog. A dog kept in a house or back yard becomes a fearful dog who is terrified of everything.
Would you rather a child who never left his home or a child who was exposed to all the beautiful parts of our world? Change up your routine to include new things: concrete, tile, grass, sand, traffic, fields, wildlife, dirt trails, bicycles, urban noises, airplanes, lawn mowers, crowds of people; I could go on and on! Take your puppy with you to as many places as you can.
My first dog, Elsa went with me everywhere: to the mall, the post office, the bank, outside restaurant patios, and more. The only place I’ve ever been kicked out of was the Dollar Store! Though I never lied, people assumed she was a service dog because she was calm in all environments. And that is because of the effort I put in during her puppyhood to expose her to everything I could. I have followed the same philosophy with my new puppy, Luca, who is training to replace Elsa as PHR’s new Mentor Dog.
When it comes to puppies, I’m always a proponent of ‘asking forgiveness instead of permission’. Puppies defy all rules and I am rarely asked to leave any establishment because I have one with me. On the contrary, I usually attract a mob of people, including the employees! Which is a great time to tell people about how you rescued your baby from Texas and the great Rescue you adopted from!
Train your puppy everyday!
I don’t mean formal obedience training, though you know I’m a huge proponent of that too! Your puppy is learning, even if you aren’t teaching!
He is learning what he can and can’t get away with. He is learning that if he cries just long enough that Daddy will let him out of the crate. He is learning that he can get away with being on the couch, or eating out of the garbage, or making a game out of stealing your stuff.
Ask yourself, would you allow this behavior if your dog was 80 pounds and not the adorable 8 pounds he is now? When a lesson presents itself, take the time to follow through on that lesson. It will not be convenient, but it will be worth it.
Why does training matter?
Having a puppy that knows basic commands like ‘sit’ and ‘come’ is not just important, it can be lifesaving.
Imagine your puppy slips his collar and immediately turns to run across a busy intersection; or you come across broken glass on the sidewalk, or worse yet, a porcupine!
A puppy that is trained and responds to commands like ‘come’, ‘leave it’, ‘around’, and ‘wait’ can all save a puppy’s life, or at the very least prevent an expensive vet visit! If you are properly socializing your puppy, you will come across situations every day that require some level of basic training.
Finding the Right Trainer
Most adopters acknowledge that they need to go to training but it can be confusing on where to go. Here’s our philosophy: pick a “balanced” or a “behavioral” trainer. A “balanced” trainer is one who acknowledges that all dogs are different and can learn with different methods. A “behavioral” trainer will approach the dog with how a dog naturally behaves instead of forcing them into the way humans think.
A trainer who purports to be a “Positive Only” trainer can sound great, until your dog goes after your cat, or worse, has inappropriate boundaries with your baby and the trainer tries to distract him with treats instead of correcting him. Dogs are like kids, you want to praise them as much as you can, but when they sneak out of the house and stay out with their boyfriend, there should be consequences! We are not talking about hitting your dog, but there are methods like slip collars, prong collars, e-collars, a two-finger poke, and the old ‘mom voice’ that are effective and should be part of any professional trainers toolbox.
At the end of the day, we don’t care where you go. A professional who does this for a living will always be able to teach you something that you didn’t know before. Bottom line is, your puppy will enter the “I will not murder him stage” within just a few short months, and you will get through it faster with the help of a professional. You don’t fill your own cavities or fix your washing machine when it breaks, so let a professional help you with your puppy’s training too.
Training Refund
We believe in training so much that we are willing to incentivize you with help to offset the cost with $100 Training Refund. So how do you qualify for it?
When you receive a minimum of six hours instruction, fill out the Voucher. It’s that simple!
We will celebrate your achievement and send you a $100 check to thank you for being such a great dog parent! Our hope is that you fall in love with training and that you will use the money to continue your puppy’s training journey, but there are no official strings attached.
PHR's Preferred Trainers Program
Path of Hope Rescue believes strongly in the power of training and has always encouraged our adopters to seek out trainers and classes. Though we know that training should be a life long endeavor, we believe that even one quality training class can give you foundational tools and a relationship with a professional to fall back on when needed.
PHR Preferred Trainers:
- Adhere to business professionalism and ethics
- Offer a balanced and behavioral training approach
- Make every effort to prioritize PHR Adopters to be included in classes as quickly as possible
- Donate a portion of their PHR clients' fees back to PHR (amount varies by business)
Your $100 training voucher is not limited to our Preferred Trainers, we will honor that wherever you chose to go. However, we know you will have a great experience with one of our Preferred Trainers and will get your monies worth.
“We know the importance of helping heal dogs as a whole; mind, body and obedience.”
“Pet training isn’t just about your pet. In fact, the most integral part of the training process is you.”
