Puppy Training – Dog Training – Dog Trainer – Behaviorist

What Kind Of Training Does Your Puppy Require? – Dog Training – Dog Trainer – Behaviorist

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Sam Basso
PHOENIX , AZ AREA: (602) 708-4531
OR, if you are out of this area, inquire about a telephone or e-Lesson
Email: Sam@SamTheDogTrainer.com

Locations Serviced: Ahwatukee, Anthem, Avondale, Buckeye, Cave Creek, Chandler, Chandler Heights, DC Ranch, Fountain Hills, Gilbert, Glendale, Goodyear, Laveen, Litchfield Park, Mesa, Paradise Valley, Peoria, Phoenix, Queen Creek, Scottsdale, Sun City, Sun Lakes, Surprise, Tempe, Tolleson

[PLEASE READ: My Puppy Resents Corrections ]
[PLEASE READ: My Puppy Bit Me Trying To Take Away A Toy / Food / Bone / Rawhide ]
[PLEASE ALSO READ: Why Does My Puppy Not Like Socializing? ]

Puppies are supposed to be FUN!

They also have different training and behavior requirements than older dogs.

ALL PUPPIES SHOULD BEGIN TRAINING AS SOON AS THEY COME HOME. Puppies are learning every waking moment. If they are socially isolated, and not using their brains, then they become warped, and sometimes dangerous. If they are teased and roughed up, they grow up to be wild and sometimes aggressive. If they are coddled and left to do whatever they please, well, of course, they become bratty. If they are given lots of good early socialization, properly supervised, contained, handled, trained, and house trained from the very start, ONLY THEN do they turn out to be really excellent adult dogs.

There are a number of scientific studies that have proven that what you do with the young dog determines what the adult dog becomes. One part is getting a dog with good temperament. That’s the genetic part of behavior. The other part is what the dog is exposed to and what they learn or don’t learn. That’s the learning part of behavior. Some things must be done early, such as getting the puppy to imprint and bond to humans. You don’t want the puppy to bond to other dogs more than you. The puppy that bonds to other dogs in the home will never be as obedient or intelligent as the puppy that primarily bonds to humans. Puppies that aren’t encouraged to play, especially learning how to entertain themselves, and if at all possible, learning to fetch, will have more behavioral problems as adults. Puppies that don’t learn their name and learn the command word associations (sit, down, heel, come, leave it, etc), won’t be as obedient as adults. And on and on. So, why get a puppy and then not do the foundation work to make them the best dog they can be?

Puppy programs need to be tailored to the specific breed, age of puppy, and specific puppy. They also need to fit the schedule, needs and expectations of the owner. From biting; whining; teething; crate training; house training; play; growling; chewing; jumping; leash and collar training; fetch, tug of war and other games; or early obedience, this is the program you need.

So, do you need ideas on how to train your new puppy? Or, solve a problem? Do you know how to properly socialize your puppy? Do you need tips and advice on how to pick a puppy? Call me. I’d be glad to talk with you. Some information is free, some I have to charge for. For example, I have ideas on Choosing a Veterinarian, Dogs Need Dental Care, Dogs Should Be Fun, and serious stuff, such as when the dog is becoming the center of fights between a couple considering marriage: Dog Ownership and Relationship Deal Breakers, or How to Build and Operate A Home Kennel) Follow my lead and you’ll get a better pup! Here are Programs you should consider:

Manners: All puppies need to be taught Manners, starting from the first day they come home. A rowdy puppy can become miserable to live with. A once cute puppy can become a little alligator within as little as a week. Worse yet, is when a dog owner doesn’t know what to do in these circumstances. One mistake is to ignore these annoying problems thinking that the pup will outgrow them. Wrong! If it starts going badly, then it can get worse… a lot worse. The other mistake is for the owner to get overly tough on the puppy. A very active and curious puppy can be made into a very undesirable adult dog. I’ve seen owners who were way too harsh on their puppies, causing some to become overly shy or overly aggressive, or both. The best way is to get on these annoying things, using proper methods, from Day One. If you have puppy under 16 weeks of age, you should enroll in my Puppy Manners class immediately. Better yet, take the class BEFORE you bring your puppy home, so you are doing things right from the very start.

House Training: All dogs should be taught to be clean in the home, and to eliminate on command outdoors. All dog owners should learn how to properly potty train their dogs without using fear or harsh methods. It is unacceptable to allow a puppy to learn to continually urinate and defecate in the home. When a dog has an accident in the home, it is ALWAYS the fault of the owner. This is another lesson that needs to go well. This is also a lesson that can be commenced prior to the puppy coming home, so you can start right from the very first hour in the door.

Puppy FastStart Program: All professional dog trainers start training their pups from the first day home. Young puppies can learn a lot more than just Manners and House Training. You can start a foundation of obedience even at 8 weeks of age, provided that the lessons are geared towards the age of the puppy. You can start teaching the meanings of the commands, such as Sit, Down, Come, and Heel. You can begin teaching Fetch and Tug. And there are important handler skills that can be developed while working with a puppy, as you discover how your individual puppy is programmed. Puppy FastStart is for puppy owners who want more out of their adult dogs.

Behavioral Intervention: Millions upon millions of normal and healthy dogs are put to death every year. Most of those dogs end up in shelters because of behavioral problems that could be easily solved by a competent dog trainer and a motivated and committed dog owner. You don’t want your dog to be one of those dogs that will be eventually put to death. Every dog deserves a good home and good training. Every dog owner deserves a good, healthy, trainable dog. Puppies should be happy and fun. A normal puppy is outgoing, but not confident in every circumstance. A normal puppy adapts to reasonable amounts of change and new things every day, and improves over time. A normal puppy gets along with friendly animals and people. A normal puppy bonds to its family and wants to be with, and handled by, them. However, there is no such thing as the perfect puppy. All puppies need purposeful human guidance and interaction in order to become acceptable adult companions. If you neglect the basic needs of your puppy, or abuse your puppy, then don’t blame the breeder if your dog grows up to be a mess. Sometimes I get calls from people wondering if there’s something wrong with their puppy. For example, if you’ve never seen a puppy do Doggy Racetrack (bursting into a senseless run around the house), you might think your puppy is going nuts! I have to assure them that this kind of thing is normal, and I tell them how to view it and how to redirect the dog into another acceptable activity. With respect to aggression, even a well-bred and properly raised puppy might, at times, growl, bite, or bark at people, animals, or objects. Aggression is a normal part of a being a dog.

The question arises as to whether you have a puppy with a problem that might make your adult dog unsafe to own. I got the idea to write this article after I was bitten on the thumb! I was evaluating a fearful biting 3 month old Australian Shepherd, and pushed the dog just a little too much. The bite wasn’t anything serious (I wouldn’t have pushed an older dog that way), but that pup was a loaded gun ready to go off someday. I recommended that the owner give the dog back to the breeder. She did, even though it was a hard thing to do, and she got a nice pup in exchange. It was the right thing to do.

WARNING SIGNS: I would recommend that you get professional advice if any puppy displayed any of the following behaviors. Sometimes, if you catch these things early, you can save the pup. Other times, you have a real problem brewing, and it will be better to give the pup back to the breeder. Some problems portend a vicious adult dog.

Guarding Territory Inside The House

Guarding Objects From Family

Growling When Being Picked Up

Growling When Being Handled

Hiding And Growling

Mounting Children

Refusal To Allow Handling By Strangers

Animal Aggression

Obsessive/ Compulsive Behaviors

Fearfulness

Spookiness

All of these need a look by a professional dog trainer. These are not “do it yourself” types of issues. You shouldn’t be trying things like an Alpha Roll, or other such things. You don’t know what you are doing or what the long term affects will be. It’s not any fun for me to tell someone that his or her pup is too dangerous to own. Dogs are supposed to be fun. Dogs must conform to the standards of behavior set by the owner and society, or the dog will eventually be given away or put down anyway. If you know of a person getting a puppy, or you have questions about a certain puppy, and you want an opinion, give me a call. I’ll be glad to evaluate the dog for you. I won’t candy coat or put a sales pitch on you. I’ll tell you honestly what I think you’re dealing with.

PLEASE READ:

Why Should You Choose Sam Basso To Train Your Dog? (What To Expect)
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