Frequently Asked Questions

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Should I crate train my new puppy?

A crate is a very helpful training tool. A crate offers a safe place for your puppy. The crate can become your puppy's "room." Crating a new puppy helps cut down on chewing problems as well as potty accidents around the house. Too much freedom for a puppy who isn't fully trained can cause undesirable habits and behaviors to form. It's easier to train a good habit than break a bad habit. Right from the start, don't let the bad habits and behaviors take hold.

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Socialization - When, Why and How

My training program follows the recommendations of the AKC (American Kennel Club) guidelines for puppy socialization.

When: From 7 weeks to 4 months of age, your puppy goes through a socialization period that permanently shapes it's future personality and how it will react to things in the environment as an adult. Gently exposing your puppy to a wide variety of people, places and situations now makes a huge, permanent difference. It's important to note that when you buy a puppy from a responsible breeder, the process can start even earlier. Gentle handling by the breeder in the first several weeks of your puppy's life is helpful in the development of a friendly, confident adult dog.

Why: Socialization helps your puppy become accustomed to many types of sights, sounds and smells in a positive manner. Proper socialization can prevent a dog from behaving in a fear-based manner. Proper socialization will help your puppy develop into a well-mannered happy companion.

How: When the puppy comes home with you, the crucial socialization period begins.

1. Introduce new sights, sounds and smells: To a puppy, the whole world is new, so think of everything your puppy encounters as an opportunity to make a new positive association. Try to come up with as many different types of people, places, noises and textures as you can and help your puppy be exposed to them in a controlled manner. For instance, have your puppy walk on carpet, hardwood, tile and linoleum floors; have your puppy meet an old person, a young person, a person wearing sunglasses, a person carrying crutches.
2. Make it positive: Most importantly, when introducing all of these new experiences to your puppy, make sure there is plenty of praise so that your puppy associates pleasure with what it is being exposed to and the feeling of seeing something new as a fun thing. Treats are also an effective form of positive reinforcement. Break the treats into small pieces that will be easy for your puppy to digest. Also, don't be stressed yourself! Dogs can read our emotions. For example, if you are anxious while introducing your puppy to a larger dog, your puppy will be nervous too and may become fearful of larger dogs in the future.
3. Involve the family: By having different people taking part in the socialization process, you're continuously taking the puppy out of it's comfort zone and letting it know that it might experience something new no matter who your puppy is with. If you have kids, this will also teach them how to properly interact with your family's new companion.
4. Take baby steps: Try to avoid doing too much too fast. Example: if you want your puppy to get accustomed to being handled by multiple people it doesn't know, start with a few family members and slowly integrate one stranger, then two and so on.
5. Take it public: Once your puppy is used to the small amounts of stimuli, move outside of it's comfort zone to expand the types of new experiences it will have. Take your puppy to the pet store (after it's started the vaccination series), over to a friends house for a puppy play date, on different streets in the neighborhood. Also include other experiences your puppy will need to become accustomed to in order to become a part of your lifestyle and activities.
6. Go to puppy classes: Once your puppy has started the vaccination series, attend puppy classes. These classes not only help your puppy begin to understand basic commands, but also help expose it to other dogs and people in a safe, monitored environment. Puppy classes are offered through A Common Language dog training.

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