Puppy Training
Where to start, what order to work in, and every article from Scott Lovel, 35 in total.
Most of what people call puppy training is really two things happening at once: teaching a few skills, and setting up a household where the wrong habits never get practiced. The second one matters more in the first six months than almost anything else. Below is the order I put things in with new owners, with the articles that go deeper on each piece.
Before the puppy comes home
Nearly every problem I get called about in week three was decided in week zero. Agree the rules before the puppy arrives, buy the few things that matter, and know what a good breeder actually looks like.
Crate, confinement and house training
This is the foundation. A puppy who sleeps well and has a small, well-managed world potty trains faster and chews less, and the crate is the tool that makes both possible. My usual approach is to start with a genuinely small space and expand it room by room as the puppy earns it.
- How to crate train a puppy in 7 days
- Crate vs playpen for a puppy: which is better?
- How to potty train a puppy and fix potty training regression
- How much freedom should a puppy have in the house?
- Where should a new puppy sleep the first week?
- How to get a puppy to sleep through the night
- How long can a dog stay in a crate?
- How to stop a dog from barking in the crate at night
Socialization done properly
Socialization is not a headcount of dogs met. It is controlled exposure at a distance the puppy can handle, and a lot of the best work involves your puppy watching the world go by rather than meeting it. Getting this wrong is where a good number of the reactive dogs I later work with started.
First obedience skills
You can start the day the puppy comes home. Short, frequent, low pressure. Name, marker word, a release word and a place to settle will carry more weight over the next two years than any trick.
Biting, chewing and the wild hours
Nipping and the evening crazies are normal developmental behavior, not a temperament problem. Most of the fix is management, sleep and giving the mouth a legal job. When I see a puppy who is genuinely unmanageable in the evening, an overtired puppy is the first thing I check.
Adolescence, which is where most people quit
Somewhere between seven and fourteen months a well-trained puppy often appears to forget everything. This is the stage where owners give up, and it is almost always temporary if you hold the structure rather than loosen it.
Every puppy training article
All 35 articles in this section, newest first.
Crate vs Playpen for a Puppy: Which Is Better?
Use both, for different jobs. The crate is for sleep and short confinement, the pen is for supervised awake time. Here i…
4 min read
How Much Freedom Should a Puppy Have in the House?
Only as much space as you can actively watch. Here is how to expand room by room, what has to be proven first, and when …
4 min read
Should You Cover a Dog Crate?
Often yes, for dogs who settle better with less to look at. Here is when a cover helps, when it makes things worse, and …
4 min read
Should a Puppy Nap in the Crate During the Day?
Yes, and most puppies need two or three a day. Enforced naps stop the biting and the wildness that owners usually blame …
4 min read
How to Set the House Rules Before Your New Dog Comes Home
Settle the rules before the dog arrives, not after. Here are the nine decisions to make, how to get everyone to agree, a…
4 min read
Where Should a New Puppy Sleep the First Week?
In a crate, right next to your bed, for the first week or two. Here is why, what the first three nights look like, and h…
4 min read
Is Littermate Syndrome Real?
The label is overblown, the risk is real. Here is what actually goes wrong with two puppies at once and the separation s…
4 min read
How to Tell If a Dog Breeder Is Legit
Health testing, seeing the mother, and a waitlist are the three that matter most. Here are the questions to ask and the …
4 min read
What Is the Best Age to Bring a Puppy Home?
Eight weeks is the right age for most puppies, and nine is often better. Here is what changes at each week and why earli…
4 min read
Should You Get a Puppy or an Adult Dog?
For most households an adult dog is the better choice. Here is an honest breakdown of the work, the risk, and who should…
4 min read
Is Puppy Class Actually Worth It?
Yes, and I say that as someone who sells online courses. Here is what a good puppy class does that no video can, and how…
4 min read
Should You Teach a Puppy to Ring a Bell to Go Outside?
No for most puppies. Bells turn into a demand button within a month. Here is the schedule that replaces it and the one c…
4 min read
Why Does My Puppy Go Crazy at Night?
Evening puppy zoomies are overtiredness, not extra energy. Here is the nap schedule that fixes it in about five days and…
4 min read
How to Pick a Puppy From a Litter
Skip the boldest puppy and the one hiding in the corner. Here are the temperament tests that predict adult behavior and …
4 min read
How to Introduce a Puppy to an Older Dog That Wants Nothing to Do With It
Your older dog does not have to like the puppy. Here is how to protect the adult, referee the pestering, and what the re…
4 min read
What to Buy Before Bringing a Puppy Home, and What to Skip
A dog trainer's honest list of what to actually buy before your puppy comes home, what to skip entirely, and where the m…
4 min read
When Do Puppies Calm Down?
Most dogs settle between two and three years old, not at one. Here is what actually changes, when it changes, and what y…
4 min read
How Much Exercise Does a Puppy Actually Need?
The five minute per month rule was never based on research. Here is how much a puppy actually needs, what to avoid, and …
4 min read
How to Teach a Dog to Potty on Command
Teach your dog to go on cue in about three weeks. Exact timing, the words to use, and why most people attach the cue at …
4 min read
How to Get a Puppy to Sleep Through the Night
Most puppies sleep through the night by 12 to 16 weeks. Here is the crate setup, water and feeding schedule, and night r…
4 min read
How to Stop a Puppy From Nipping at Kids and Herding Them
Puppies nip kids because kids move fast and squeal. Here is how to stop the chasing and ankle biting in two weeks with l…
4 min read
When Can a Puppy Go Outside and Be Around Other Dogs
You can take a puppy out before the final shot, with rules. Here is what is safe at 8, 12, and 16 weeks and why waiting …
4 min read
Why Does My Dog Pee When He Gets Excited or Nervous?
Excitement and submissive urination are involuntary, not disobedience. Here is how to handle greetings so most puppies o…
4 min read
How Long Can a Dog Stay in a Crate?
Real numbers by age: how long a puppy or adult dog can be crated during the day, overnight, and in total per day, plus w…
4 min read
Will My Dog Grow Out of It?
Some behaviors fade with age and some get worse. Here is an honest list of what dogs outgrow, what they never do, and th…
4 min read
Why Won't My Puppy Walk on the Leash?
Puppies plant, freeze, or bite the leash for two reasons. Here is how to tell which one you have and a five day fix that…
4 min read
How to Stop a Dog From Barking in the Crate at Night
First work out whether he needs to go out or is just protesting, because the fix is opposite for each. Here is the 3 to …
5 min read
How to Trim a Dog's Nails Without a Fight
Do one nail a day and pay heavily for it. Here is the desensitizing plan, how to avoid the quick, and what to do with a …
5 min read
How to Potty Train a Puppy and Fix Potty Training Regression
Most puppies are reliable in 4 to 8 weeks on a strict schedule. Here is the timing, the crate rules, and how to fix a su…
4 min read
What Age Should You Start Training a Puppy?
The day you bring him home, usually 8 weeks. Here is what to train at each age from 8 weeks to 6 months, with session le…
4 min read
How to Stop a Dog From Chewing Everything
Most destructive chewing is understimulation, teething, or anxiety. Here is how to tell which one you are dealing with, …
4 min read
How To Crate Train A Puppy In 7 Days
A crate should feel like a den, not a punishment. Follow this seven day plan to crate train your puppy without the overn…
5 min read
How To Stop Puppy Biting (And When It Ends)
Puppy biting is normal, not a behavior problem. Learn how to redirect it, what to stop doing, and roughly when your pupp…
4 min read
Puppy Socialization Checklist (And What It Really Means)
Socialization is not just meeting dogs. Use this checklist to expose your puppy to the world in a way that builds confid…
5 min read
Why Your Teenage Dog Suddenly Forgot Everything
Adolescence undoes a lot of early training. Here is why your teenage dog stopped listening, what is actually happening, …
4 min readYour best dog is closer than you think.
Every drill in these articles comes from the Worldwide K9 Academy course library. Start today.
Start Training Today