Dogs need regular mealtimes, bathroom breaks, lots of playtime, and a good night’s sleep! Teaching them when, where, and how to do these daily activities gives their life structure and helps them establish good behaviors
if you’re planning on training an adult or senior dog, there’s no better time to start than now. You can teach an older dog new tricks – you just need patience, consistency, and lots of their favorite treats
Routine is the name of the training game. Establishing a strong, reliable routine early on will make training your dog easier in the long run. Allocating consistent time for feeding, potty training, playtime, obedience training, and sleep
When your dog is young, puppy potty training (or house training) is a key skill to teach. It’s important that your dog knows when and where it’s appropriate to go to the bathroom so you can maintain a clean and sanitary space whether you’re at home or on the go.
– First thing in the morning – At night before going to bed – After a long play session – First thing after time in their crate – First thing after a nap
1. Take frequent outdoor potty breaks and move them to the potty area if they seem like they need to go. Dogs usually start sniffing around and/or circling right before they are going to go – this is your cue to take them outside!
2. Use positive reinforcement for good behavior – reward them right after they go successfully with a praise party! A handful of tiny treats and lots of petting will do.
3. Use special high value potty treats only for potty training – a.k.a. stinky treats! Think bits of cheese, shredded deli meat or hot dogs, liver training treats, etc.
3 Supervise your puppy at all times when they are ‘loose’ inside the house until you are 100% certain they are potty trained. Otherwise, keep them in the crate when you can’t supervise them.
4. Take frequent outdoor potty breaks and move them to the potty area if they seem like they need to go. Dogs usually start sniffing around and/or circling right before they are going to go – this is your cue to take them outside!