© kym dunbar -  Soul Wolf Journey™

You are excited with the new addition to your family and cannot wait to take puppy for a walk. That is great but you need to leash train puppy first or you can end up with all sorts of problems. Puppy does not come automatically trained so you need to teach it what you expect, and how to wear a collar and lead before you go anywhere. 
What you teach puppy now sets its behaviour for the rest of its life. There is nothing worse than a dog that walks you that you need to continually hang on to and pull back.
While puppies may seem they play for hours and hours, in fact they often fall asleep in the middle of what they are doing. Walking a puppy is not necessary until they are older other than to socialise and get them used to being out in the world. Do not walk puppy for more than 15 minutes at a time.
Puppies naturally follow their leader until around 8 months old. When puppy comes to live with you, you replace its mother as its new pack leader. Puppies are raised with their mother’s calm assertive energy. If you continue using this energy, puppy will soon follow you around naturally.
This is what you want when you are out in public, but puppy needs to be on a leash. Apart from the laws prohibiting walking a dog in public without one, there are far too many distractions for a puppy to stay safe if not under control.
The best way to train puppy is right from when it comes home as a natural progression and part of puppy’s every day. Make it a positive experience and it will strengthen the bond between you.

Step 1
Start with getting puppy used to a collar. Some breeders may have already done this. Put a lightweight collar on your pup when playing and at meal times to get it used to wearing it around its neck.
Puppy may not like this and try to remove it. Do not remove it but wait for puppy to settle down. You can use a toy or treat as a distraction and reward. Do this a few times a day for very short periods and gradually build up how long puppy wears a collar.

Step 2
Once puppy is used to the new collar it is time to introduce the leash. Use the same technique to familiarise puppy with a new distraction by attaching a light leash to puppy’s collar. Let puppy check it out. Even let the lead drag along as puppy plays. Make sure you supervise and puppy will soon learn not to fear it, and forget it is there.

Step 3
Once puppy is comfortable with the lead, pick it up and walk around the house. Make these training sessions short and fun. Your puppy probably loves to follow you anyway so build on that. Remember to praise when puppy walks nicely beside you.
When puppy accepts this nicely you are ready to take puppy for short walks. Keep the excitement level low and wait for puppy to be clam before leaving the house. And you should always walk through doors and gates before your dog.
Avoid allowing puppy to walk or pull out in front as you walk. If this happens, stop and call puppy back to you. Give lavish praise when puppy comes. Do not keep walking as this teaches puppy it is alright to pull you down the street.
Same thing if puppy becomes distracted by another dog. Stop. Wait for calm behaviour. Even put puppy onto a sit and only walk off once puppy calms down.

Remember
Whatever you feel transfers down the leash to your dog. If you are nervous it will make your dog nervous. Always walk with confidence, even if you do not feel it, and always praise your pup to reinforce good behaviour.
Giving freedom to sniff around can be a great reward for your pup for walking nicely on its leash.
Teaching your puppy to walk on a leash is a lifetime asset, and strengthens the bond and trust between you. 

© kym dunbar -  Soul Wolf Journey™

Are you struggling with toilet training your new puppy or dog? You have followed the training consistently yet still you find wet puddles throughout the house?

This can be frustrating, particularly when you think you have done everything right. But think about it. Have you really? Have you always used the same word, taken your dog to the same toilet spot or listened when your pup asked to go outside? These are all things that can distract from solid results when toilet training a puppy or adult dog.

If having toilet training problems, go back to the basics. Here are some things to help you train a pup (the same applies to training an adult dog).

Back to basics

Puppies learn at different rates so it is important to design toilet training to suit your puppy. Set boundaries and have a schedule to help avoid those nasty accidents in the house.

Puppies and dogs do not want to mess up their house. Pups raised in a den environment naturally move away from their environment to do their business. It is up to you as the pack leader to guide your puppy along this natural process in its new home.

Forget the old newspaper on the floor in the laundry our ancestors used to use for accidents. This actually teaches your dog to use the floor and your house as a toilet.

If your puppy is having accidents in the house, remember to take puppy outside:

• at least once an hour until puppy is 3 months old
• when puppy wakes up
• when puppy finishes playing
• after any excitement
• after every meal
• last thing at night
• first thing in the morning.

It takes commitment and time during the puppy stage, but the rewards are endless.

Things to do and not do

What makes training a puppy harder?

1. Rubbing puppy’s nose in its mess. All this achieves is fear of you.
2. Punishing puppy for accidents in the house. If you catch puppy using the house as a toilet, use a sharp no to distract it and take puppy outside. Punishing puppy for toilet accidents in the house for this can teach it to be secretive and only go to the toilet behind your back. This you do not want as you will forever come across nasty surprises.
3. Ignoring puppy’s pleas to go outside. This will teach puppy that there is no point asking and it will relieve itself wherever it can.

What makes training a puppy easier?

1. Consistently give your puppy toilet opportunities by taking it outside.
2. Give your puppy a toilet spot and teach it to relieve itself on command. Choose words like ‘toilet’ or ‘go potty’ and use it every time you want puppy to go potty. And, remember to lavish praise on your dog when it responds to your command.
3. Always positively reward good behaviour.
4. Do not punish if your pup does not get it yet. Be patient. Use your command when puppy actually relieves itself, reinforce the command and praise. Be consistent and soon puppy will associate actions with your words.

Consider when and why accidents happen

Accidents in the house are frustrating, but they may mean more than a naughty puppy or dog. Watch for the following to help you assess your problem:

• Your dog may be sick. If your puppy frequently needs to go and there is not much urine each time, it may have a urinary tract infection.
• Your dog may be anxious and urinate out of fear at loud noises or when you come home. This can be a behavioural problem so talk to your trainer for help.
• Does your dog come into the house and lift his leg anywhere and everywhere? This may be marking his territory and is another behavioural problem you may need help to correct.
• Confusion. Maybe your pup does not understand what you want so you may have to go back to the basics and start again.

Using love, persistence, consistence and patience when training a puppy will give the results you want.

If you are worried about your pup’s health see a vet or have other problems, contact your trainer for help.