That little furry bundle of joy you just brought home is loving his new family, playing, and hopping around, but then he stops to use your beautiful carpet as a bathroom, and continues to play like nothing ever happened. Along with potty training, using basic commands to make sure they should do something is very important, as it is likely for his safety, and makes for an easier life.

Only by using positive reinforcement will you train your puppy. They need to feel good when they do something they are supposed to do, not feel bad when they do something they do not even know is bad. Take the puppy to the designated potty area immediately after their accident in the house and keep saying the word potty. Use phrases like, "go potty outside,” and try to keep it short. It takes consistency. When you do take them outside, which should be very often, praise them when they potty outside, give them a treat immediately after. The routine will start to sink in sooner than later, and you will have a potty trained puppy in no time.

For learning tricks or commands use signs to signal a certain command. Try and physically roll them over, or when they sit, say "sit", so they associate the word with what they are doing. Use commands like stop, heel, and stay to ensure their safety while out on a walk or at the dog park.

Training dogs is all about consistency. Dogs are very smart, and they can learn far more than you think they can, you just have to put the effort in to do so. If you have any questions, please call our office!