Puppy My Training Journey: 4 Tips for Raising a Social Dog

Let me tell you about my journey training Daisy. It wasn't easy, and I made plenty of mistakes along the way, but I learned a lot.

It takes time and effort to raise a happy, social pup.

These four puppy training principles will kickstart the process.

The Myth: Puppies are sweet little balls of furry fun who magically follow you around, quietly occupy themselves while you work from home, and automatically know when to sit and stay when out in public..

The Reality: Puppies are mini-raptors capable of great destruction, noisy opinions, and reactive leash behaviors in front of other people or dogs.

Luckily, the puppy reality phase is temporary..

I wish I had known this sooner.

with a little guidance from experts and consistent at-home training, little puppy-raptors can become the dream companion you were expecting when you brought your dog home..

I learned this the hard way, but at least Daisy is okay now.

2) Keep it positive. Make training fun so your puppy loves to work with you. Use lots of food and toy rewards.

I wish I had known this sooner.

3) build on natural behaviors.

4) Document the journey. Keep records of what you work on and regularly review progress and areas that need more attention.

Yes, it takes time and effort to raise a well-behaved, furry family member.

But your little pup wants nothing more than to work and play with you in pursuit of that goal..

I felt so guilty when I realized what was happening.

many people adopted a puppy during the pandemic and many were not expecting the amount of time it takes to responsibly raise a “new baby.” combined with pandemic restrictions and fewer in-person puppy classes, some young dogs missed out on vital training and socialization opportunities..

I learned this the hard way, but at least Daisy is okay now.

“socialization of new puppies is critical to developing any dog as a confident dog,” said stacey west, a manager with the american kennel club’s (akc) patriotic puppy program.

I learned this the hard way, but at least Daisy is okay now.

the foundational training program that west uses for her pups is now available to everyone for free through the akc.

This was definitely a learning experience for me. Daisy depends on me to keep him safe, and I'm trying to do better every day.