5 Essential Skills to Teach Your New Puppy

5 Essential Skills To Teach Your New Puppy

Whew! Now that we’ve been through, not one, but TWO foundation posts, here are 5 things that are essential for new puppies – other than potty/crate training of course. It feels like there are a million things to teach a new puppy. And that’s kind of true, but I consider these 5 to be of utmost importance for living with the puppy. It’s all part of basic obedience – even if it isn’t sit, stay, or down.

1. The Name of the Game Is… The Name Game

The very first thing I teach any new puppy is their name. You would be at surprised how many adult dogs don’t actually know their name and/or don’t respond properly to their name. Names are probably the most misused command – don’t be fooled, their name is a command – followed by “sit” and “come”. You might be surprised that sit isn’t on this list. I do teach it early on, but it’s not something I work on the second the pup comes home. Their name is.

How to Play the Name Game

Following the V.E.R. protocol, my vision for the behavior is nearly instantaneous eye contact. If the eye contact is not nearly instantaneous, I do not repeat their name in quick succession. That wears out the name – or for an adult that responds properly to their name, it can be overstimulating. Anyway, you do NOT want your dog’s name to lose significance. Your dog’s name should mean “Look at me and pay attention right now.”

For the execution part, you say your puppy’s name and your puppy looks at you. It helps if they know you have treats at first. If they don’t look immediately, wait until they do. You must say it crisply and clearly. No baby talk. If the puppy still hasn’t looked at you after 10-15 seconds, say the name again, once. As soon as the puppy looks at your face, it’s time for the “R” part. Say “yes” or click and then give them the treat. The name game also introduces the puppy to marker words and rewards. The process is:

1. You say the Name.
2. Dog looks.
3. “Yes.”
4. Treat.
5. Repeat Steps 1-4, for at least 5 reps.

Winning the Name Game

Do this several times a day until your pup is consistently offering eye contact. You don’t need to lure this one. Most puppies will instinctively look toward a noise, so it’s easy to reward them. Make sure they don’t look at the hand that has treats. If they do, use your negative marker word and try again. You can start spacing out the rewards and weaning off of them once the puppy gets really good at the game. Start making it even more interesting by building in terminal markers and releases and doing it in different scenarios. Make the puppy work for it! Get creative!

For most puppies, this should take a couple of days to a couple of weeks. Consistency is key. The end goal is for you to be able to say the dog’s name and no matter what they are doing, they stop and look at you. This is also key to cute photos in case you were wondering.

2. To Be Handled

Learning to be handled is one of the most important skills a puppy can learn. And yes, I’m probably going to say that about something else on this list. This one is less about V.E.R. and more about just getting them used to it. You can counter-condition some things if you want. Like I said in the previous post, behaving while being handled is a “have to” behavior. Learning to be handled helps them behave for the vet, groomer, dog sports, kids, etc.

You should start teaching your puppy to accept physical touch and manipulation as soon as possible. All dogs need to be able to:

1. Have their ears touched and cleaned.
2. Stand still for the vet.
3. Allow the vet to manipulate their legs, head, and tail (if applicable).
4. Allow the vet to take their temperature.
5. Have their nails trimmed.
6. Have their teeth brushed.
7. Stand still for grooming.
8. Stand still in the bathtub.

All without being a jerk.

You might have to manhandle them a bit for things they usually don’t like, such as nail trimming and behaving on the grooming table. Be gentle of course, but firm. They have to learn that being a jerk doesn’t make it go faster, but being still does.

Depending on how bossy your puppy is (Lord, was Eevee bossy…), this could go quickly and easily or it could be a battle of wills. And it could take a long time. Like several months. Your will must be stronger than the puppy’s will.

Side Note…

Speaking of bossy puppies, remember posts 4 and 5 in the reputable breeder series? The ones where I told you to be honest with the breeder multiple times? If you can’t be strong willed with a bossy puppy, the breeder needs to know this so they can match you with the right puppy. Sending the bossy puppy home with the pushover owner is a recipe for disaster. And by disaster I mean future behavioral issues or a returned puppy.

Back to Being Handled

These are all things that you just have to do. You have to suck it up and make them behave. You have to touch their ears and clean them. And you have to physically make them be still for this. You also need to start early and do it often. It’s ok to ask another person to help you. The same rules apply to all of the others.

For what it’s worth, Eevee and I still fight over trimming whiskers. She HATES it. But, she has gotten better over the last two years.

I do typically bribe (reward/distract/counter-condition) them for tolerating the blow-dryer and getting their nails done in the very beginning. For the first few weeks, I will put them up on the grooming table and put squeeze cheese or peanut butter on the grooming arm. While they lick it off, I dry them and do their nails. Over time, the cheese/peanut butter is reduced until you don’t need it anymore. You might still have to fight them a bit, but they will eventually become compliant.

3. No means… Wait, what does it mean?

One of the most common mistakes that new owners make is saying “no” without giving it a meaning. You might be wondering “how is this a skill?”

Well, think of it through the lens of V.E.R.: Vision – You say no, dog stops doing something bad.

If you want “no” to result in the stoppage of bad behavior, then you have to pair the word with a correction. For most puppies anyway. This is the execution part. The end of the correction is the reward.

Time For Another Stop at Misinformation Station

Additionally, most Dog People correct their puppies in some form or fashion. It’s primarily Pet People that end up with nuisance behaviors and badly behaved dogs. Yes, I’m calling you out Pet People, don’t @ me. But it’s not entirely your fault. You’ve been flooded with misinformation.

The Pet World is full of misinformation about “redirecting” bad behaviors. “Redirecting” is a fancy way to say “rewarding bad behavior in a new direction” or “distracting from bad behavior with a new behavior”. You’re not actually teaching the dog not to do the bad thing. I honestly don’t have the skill as a trainer to redirect a puppy in such a way that it actually understands not to do the bad thing. Very, very few people are that good.

How To Give “No” Meaning

Yes, we’re back to correcting your puppies.

Remember: the object of a correction is to stop bad behavior. Should it cause discomfort? Yes. Healthy fear? Yes. Stress? Yes. Significant pain? No.

For example, if your puppy is barking in their crate for no reason, you say “NO!” in a loud, stern voice and simultaneously hit the crate with your hand. The object here, is to startle the puppy into silence. Wait a second or two after they stop barking and then tell them what an ooey gooey good puppy they are.

You should only say no once per correction. If you say “oh no no no no no” in a sweet baby voice, the puppy is NEVER going to learn what it means.

DO NOT reward the end of bad behavior with food. You will teach them to do the behavior more and then stop and wait for a reward. Ask me how I know this.

Depending on your puppy’s personality, using a scary, loud tone might be enough to deter them from chewing on your coffee table or pulling the toilet paper off the roll. I haven’t had a puppy that was soft enough for only a verbal correction to work, but I know they exist.

Use a Ruff Correction

I discussed this type of correction in my previous post. Ruff corrections are one of the most important tools in your toolbox as a trainer. I would like to reiterate this: ruff corrections do not hurt the puppy. Pair a ruff correction with scary voice “NO!” and eventually, you won’t need the correction as often.

The best thing about the ruff correction is that you can use it on adult dogs too. Some breeds might grow brains faster, but Golden sometimes take a couple of years to really mature mentally. Which of course means that they can still be turkeys at 18 months old and need to be reminded not to counter surf and shred paper. I like to call this “selective amnesia”.

What No Actually Means

Pairing “no” with a correction is what gives it meaning. The dog associates “No!” with a physical correction. They learn that “NO!” means “stop doing what you are doing right now before you die.” Not literally die… But… Anyway, in my house, “NO!” is a serious verbal correction. It’s not a negative marker, it means you made an egregious error. Now that “no” has a meaning because you have consistently corrected your puppy, your scary dog trainer voice will eventually be enough to stop bad behavior.

4. Total Recall

I love teaching new puppies to come when called. Sometimes it’s hard for me to understand why people have so much trouble with recalls (Dog World term for coming when called). While I do consider this to be a “have to” behavior, I don’t start correcting for refusals until they are older and fully understand the command.

From the day the puppy comes home, I start playing recall games with them. Infant puppies are highly distractible, so while they are running around playing with toys, I sit on the floor and call to them. I might squeak a fun toy in the beginning. When they come running with ears flying, I give food and lots of praise for being the best puppy ever. I make myself the most fun thing in the room.

Recall Games

Once the puppy gets pretty good at living room recalls, my husband and I will start playing games with the puppy together. We begin by playing a yo-yo game. He calls, puppy comes, reward. Then I call, puppy comes running, reward. Golden puppies in particular love this game. After they get good at the yo-yo game, we transition it to hide-and-seek. We set up in different rooms and repeat the same procedure as the yo-yo game. Calling the puppy back and forth and rewarding. After a few successful reps, we’ll move to different spots so the puppy has to actually look for us. They LOVE this game!

Playing recall games helps them get into the habit of coming when called because something good is going to happen! You won’t have as much need for the next subsection if you build a lot of drive for the recall at a young age.

Adolescent Accountability

Puppies are generally very good at coming when called while you are still in the game stage and they are young. However, when they start to hit their “teenage years” – from about 5 months to about 12 months – they might start refusing to come when called. This is when you must hold them accountable. If your dog refuses a recall on purpose (meaning they heard you and decided not to come), walk out to them calmly, grab them by the ruff and bring them back to where you were. For the love of dog, don’t run to them. It will turn into a game that you will not win.

Another way to hold them accountable is to put them on a long-line or flexi-lead (ONLY to be used for training) in your yard or wherever you usually train and give a short, sharp pop on the line after the refused command. When they return to you, praise them, but don’t give them food. The dog has to learn that refusing that command results in trouble, not fun. You have to be very careful that refusing a recall doesn’t become a self-rewarding behavior.

5. Mother May I?

“Mother, May I?” is another of the essential skills to teach your puppy.

This game is all about impulse control. Keep in mind that puppies are infants of another species and they are largely controlled by their instincts and impulses. “Mother, May I?” teaches puppies to wait until you give them permission to do the following things:

1. Go through an open door. Especially to outside.
2. Eat your dinner.
3. Exit your crate.
4. Jump off of the grooming table.
5. Get on the furniture.
6. Get a treat from your hand.
7. Eat random things on the ground/floor – AKA Leave It.

These are all things for which the puppy must have permission. Inherent to the Mother, May I? games is learning the “wait” command – as opposed to “stay”. Wait means “hold your position until I release you or give you another task”.

Your version of “yes, you may” should be a release word like “ok” or “go ahead”. This becomes a marker for them to associate with being allowed to do everything on the list.

Wait to go through doors.

It is a cardinal sin to go outside without permission at my house. I live in a busy neighborhood with little distance from the front door to the street. You need to teach this for all doors that go outside. If you don’t, they will go out the door you didn’t teach. This is 100% about the puppy’s safety. Teaching your puppy to wait for permission helps them to understand when you are going outside, but they are not.

Puppies are amazingly good at learning body language. Teaching this skill is all about your body language, which is different when you open a door to leave without them than when they are allowed to go through the door – whether you realize it or not.

“You Shall Not Pass!”

In the beginning, put them on leash to teach this so that you have a way to physically prevent them from going out the door without permission. Open the door wide, when they try to rush through, give them a little pop on the leash with your negative marker word. Invade their space (pressure) so they back up. Repeat this process until you can open the door and step out of the way without them rushing through it. Once they understand not to rush through, give some sort of signal that they are now allowed to exit. It typically takes just a few corrections (2-3) before they will wait for permission.

Do this EVERY TIME you go through a door to outside. Correct it EVERY TIME the dog does it without permission. Your vision should be a dog that doesn’t go through a door even if it is left wide open. My dogs have learned this because my body language is always different if I open a door for myself versus if I open it for them.

Wait to eat your dinner.

Just a couple negative markers coupled with physically preventing them from eating and they will start waiting for permission. Step in front them, pick up the bowl, cover the bowl with your hand, etc. They might test you every now and then, so again, be consistent and correct them for being wrong.

I love teaching this because it is wonderful for helping with impulse control. The concept can also be applied to getting treats from your hand. Waiting for permission, which is just “get it” or “ok” in this scenario, teaches them to be polite and not snatch food out of your hand or make a mad rush to their food bowl. Another advantage is that you can make them do tricks and obedience tasks before hand, building drive and speed for those tasks. I like to drill position changes (sit-down-stand, down-sit-stand, stand-sit-down, etc.), do recall drills, ask for tricks and focus, etc.

Be Polite

Waiting to exit the crate and get on furniture is mostly just about being polite. No one wants a 70-lb dog barreling out of their crate and knocking you over. To teach them to wait for permission, just push the door of the crate closed when they try to leave. A few of those and they will get the point. Again, you need to start working on this the moment your puppy comes home. Habits formed when they are young can last a lifetime. Teach them good habits!

As for the furniture, if you are consistent with this from the very beginning, you won’t have problems with your dogs getting on furniture. If you don’t want them up there at all, then correct them for even trying to get up. If you do allow your dogs on the furniture, treat it like a privilege. Cuddle time on the couch is earned not given. It makes the cuddles all the more special when you do allow them up there. Real talk though, my two beg to be on the couch pretty regularly.

Safety First

Waiting for permission to jump off the grooming table is about safety and being polite. First, you don’t want baby puppies jumping off the grooming table. Second, it’s a good habit for them to be in when they are older. Teach this in the same way you would many of the others: physically prevent them from jumping off without permission. For young puppies, give them their release word while simultaneously helping them down. That way, they associate the release word with getting down. When they are older and you can let them jump (if they’re big enough), make sure they give you a legitimate pause and you are ready before giving them permission to jump off the table.

“Leave it” is also about safety. Especially if you have a breed that likes to put everything in their mouths. And I mean everything. Rocks, cigarette butts, random bits of trash, poisonous plants, etc. “Leave It” means that they can never have whatever it is. If you use treats to teach this, then they basically never get the specific treat that you tell them to leave. Or a least, they think they never get it. I really like how the AKC explains “Leave It”, so check it out here.

Here is the Conclusion for this Article

The skills I’ve discussed here really are essential. You might think that competition skills are more important to the competition trainer, than domestic skills, but that’s not true. If I allow my dogs to be turkeys in my home, what do you think they are going to do when we go to a show or trial? Besides, several exercises that are part of competition obedience are derived from being essential to good behavior inside and outside of your home. Recalls are one of them.

Remember how I said in the previous article that it’s all about the relationship? Teaching your puppy these essential skills plus other rules of your household will strengthen your relationship with your puppy. The quicker your puppy learns how to be a dog in a human world, the happier they will be.