YNP #063: My 7 Guidelines for Socializing Your Dog

Something exciting is happening!!  I've just finished two major changes to YOUR Perfect Puppy, my 4 week new puppy course.  It's the same 4-week course that has helped hundreds of new puppy owners get through those first few months with their puppy but I've added an entire skills and cues section, both expanded lessons that were already […] The post Join YOUR Perfect Puppy – Limited Time Offer appeared first on Playtime Paws.

It can be counter intuitive but when your puppy has a potty accident, we shouldn't punish them. You may feel that you need to do something to let them know "this is wrong".   Or maybe you know that you're not supposed to punish your puppy's potty accidents but you're not sure why. In general, I discourage using […] The post YNP #092: Why Not to Punish Puppy Potty Accidents appeared first on Playtime Paws.

When I receive multiple questions from my listeners around the same topic I know it's time to do a podcast episode about it.   But not all questions warrant a full episode but can still be useful to answer. So that's exactly what I did in this episode.  I gathered 5 questions that came from you, my […] The post YNP #091: Listener Questions appeared first on Playtime Paws.

When your dog refuses to go outside in the rain, it can be annoying and time consuming.  It's even worse when you're trying to potty train a young puppy that isn't going to hold it until the rain stops.   For most dogs they will learn to tolerate it but for others it may always be […] The post YNP #090: When Your Dog Hates the Rain appeared first on Playtime Paws.

Muzzle training your dog means exposing your dogs to wearing a muzzle in a positive, stress-free way (see resources below on how to do this). This is something that most of us never think (or want to think) about doing with our dog.  It's understandable because muzzles have a bad rap and are thought of as a […] The post YNP #089: Reasons to Muzzle Train Your Dog appeared first on Playtime Paws.

Socialization is the most important training you can do for your puppy.  It's also the most overlooked and misunderstood part of your puppy's training. When done correctly as a puppy, socialization creates a confident, well adjusted dog.  And who doesn't want that for their puppy?   I've gathered the 4 things I think are the most misunderstood about […] The post YNP #088: Four Things You May Not Know About Socialization appeared first on Playtime Paws.

Is your dog trying to dominate you?  The short answer is no, they are not.   And though that might not come as a surprise to you, what isn't always clear is why it's not true.   Especially because this theory that dogs want to dominate us or some dogs are more "dominate" than others still comes […] The post YNP #087: Is Your Dog Trying to Dominate You? appeared first on Playtime Paws.

Teaching your dog to come when called (recall) is arguably the most important skill you can teach your dog.  It's also one that we struggle with the most.  That's because we try and teach it like we would any other cue like sit, down or stay. But that only gives us half the picture.  Recall is a habit […] The post YNP #086: Why We Struggle with Recall appeared first on Playtime Paws.

Potty training can be overwhelming.  The good news is, one of the first things we can check off the list is getting our puppy to sleep through the night.   Potty training overnight is a little different than during the day.  Even though they can hold it longer overnight, they still aren't going to make more than […] The post YNP #085: How to Handle Potty Training Overnight appeared first on Playtime Paws.

I love puzzle feeders as a way to "ditch the bowl" and make mealtime an event.   If you search "puzzle feeder" or "slow feeders" online countless options come up.  I have my favorite store bought feeders (see my Supplies page) but there's also many ways to DIY it! In fact, I have three that you can […] The post YNP #084: My Favorite DIY Puzzle Feeders appeared first on Playtime Paws.