I often hear from people who say,
“My dog nearly pulls me over on walks - he just won’t walk nicely”
Or
“My puppy is 5 months old and STILL won’t pee outside! There’s mess all over the house.”
Or this one:
“As soon as I let my dog off the lead he runs off. What can I do?”
Can you see a common thread to these cries for help?
You got it!
They’re all expecting the dog somehow - miraculously - to know what they expect of it. Wouldn’t that appear to be a teeny-tiny bit unreasonable?
We invite an animal of another species into our home, and expect it to know all the rules - automatically.
Why, we wouldn’t even expect a human guest to know that! To know which chair to sit in, how you behave at mealtimes, what subjects are taboo.
But somehow, our poor dog is expected to .. just know.
How to progress?
So how do we deal with those queries above?
Walking nicely on the lead
“My dog nearly pulls me over on walks - he just won’t walk nicely”
A thorough grounding in showing that you represent all good things, followed by a detailed program on how to walk nicely on lead is what’s wanted here. It’s not something that comes naturally to an eager young dog. And if the pulling is tolerated in a puppy (it often is), as the puppy becomes a full-grown dog, walks become a battleground, and the pulling has become a habit.
All habits can be broken - and this one is pretty easy to rectify, once you know how! You can start with our free Workshop on getting your Dog to LISTEN
Housetraining your puppy
“My puppy is 5 months old and STILL won’t pee outside! There’s mess all over the house.”
Now here is another confused dog. Think for a moment - how much work do you have to put into potty-training a child? Does it come overnight? Does the child know what to do? Does he just learn all by himself? Of course not! It requires patience and clarity.
So it is with your puppy. Puppies have a natural desire to keep the nest clean. And with a good breeder who has the right set-up you can see this happening from the age of about 3 weeks.
This is yet another reason to source your new companion carefully. There are FAR too many “greeders” who are just churning out puppies in their puppy farm or puppy mill with the least amount of care required just to keep them alive till they’ve got the money in their fat little hands.
So you need to have a reliable housetraining program from a good source. And hey! Isn’t it just amazing that you’re in the right place for just this! Here it is.
No more puddles! No more squabbles. No more frustration, for either of you.
My dog won’t come when called
And as for this one:
“As soon as I let my dog off the lead he runs off. What can I do?”
There’s a very quick and smart answer to that!
Don’t let your dog off lead till you’ve taught a stunning recall!
It’s obvious when you look at it coldly. How should the dog know that giving him his freedom means he has to pay attention to you unless you’ve already taught him?
Before you’re letting your dog run wild, he should already think the sun shines from your face, and want to be near you as much as possible. This doesn’t happen overnight - any more than for the other questions here. It’s a relationship you nurture slowly and carefully from the first day your new dog or puppy arrives with you.
It’s what it’s all about!
That companion you want, who will keep you company, be trustworthy and reliable, and be a credit to you: that takes time - and work! - to develop.
Here’s your shortcut to a stunning recall!
Where can I start with my new dog?
And for all these things, and a whole lot more you had no idea you could teach your dog, here’s a great place to start