🐾 Raising a Confident Puppy: A Realistic Guide

Choosing a puppy, planning and preparing for bringing your new puppy home and collecting your new puppy is exciting. We sometimes have a very romantic notion of what owning a dog, especially a gundog breed, will be like. Long walks in the countryside, lying by an open fire or popping to the pub with a dog that just settles down without making a fuss.  

So, what is so difficult about having a puppy? Puppies can be very hard work. 

Usually, puppies leave their mum, siblings and first home at around eight weeks of age. A breeder plays an important role in raising the litter for the first eight weeks and you will hopefully have found a responsible breeder who brought the litter up to be well rounded pups. From there on, it is largely our influences that shape and build the puppy into what we will have as a grown-up dog.  

There is plenty of conflicting information, especially around when to start training. My view is that your puppy learns all the time, and training happens whether you do it intentionally or not, and what you say and do teaches your puppy lots. However, it is how training takes place that is important. Basically, your dog should be having fun while you teach it what you want.

The biggest mistake people make is expecting too much from the dog. They think because they’ve done it once or twice that the dog should retain all that information. Nope....you have to CONSISTENTLY teach and educate your puppy what you want hundreds of times before it is been learnt. Lots and lots of repetitions, patience, clarity and reinforcing when your puppy gets it right.  

This will continue until anywhere between 5-12 months of age, when you will feel like you are failing. The dog is not listening to you, it keeps clearing off to play with other dogs, runs and jumps up at people. You will feel like they are wild, jumping up and potentially regressing with biting. You’ll exercise them even more than you already do because you want to tire them out...but it will get worse.

They won’t settle in the home during the evening, so you do things around the house to stimulate them, to keep them occupied...but they will continue to get worse!   Why, oh why did we get a puppy? He hates us! She is so naughty! He doesn’t come back when we call him! Walks aren’t fun, all she does is run off, and at home she just jumps up and bites, but now she’s growling at me! Why is he humping my leg? He is stubborn.  

These are all common statements that puppy owners say on a regular basis! Sadly, we have the best of intentions when it comes to owning a dog, but it is really hard work to raise a puppy into the companion we dream of. It takes time, commitment, patience and a whole lot of consistency.  

Training your dog is a 24/7 thing. Most people are not prepared for the commitment, effort, and consistency that goes into training a dog. It’s not about doing a 6 week puppy course and then that’s that... A good puppy course will give you the skills and knowledge to train your dog, and then you can go away and continue teaching those exercises and reinforcing them in lots of different places.

You must be clear and fair, never harsh on a dog to get its maximum learning. Enjoy training your dog, it shouldn’t be a chore. It should be a family thing...with everyone singing from the same song sheet. If you don’t want it running off with things, make sure no one chases it, and get everyone to teach it that bringing the item to a human is a good thing. Encourage your dog, build that strong bond and relationship. Expect and accept setbacks, see them as a learning opportunity and then move forward.

Accept that it is going to be hard work; it is going to be a commitment for the next 14 years or so. Dogs are living, breathing creatures. An intelligent species that doesn’t think like a human. That can’t be reasoned with, yet it can be easily overstimulated through inappropriate and excessive exercise. They can become overstimulated through inappropriate play at home, a lack of rules, and a lack of mental stimulation. But above all, by a lack of appropriate forethought into what getting a dog entails. Research your breeds, their lines and what they are bred for! You’ll be surprised!!  

I would like to share some of the top tips for raising a confident puppy.  

1. A pup is a pup! They are crazy, lack impulse control, can be bitey, …but they are just canine babies and they need us to help them learn what’s what. They’re going to mess up, take steps forward, then backwards again, and make us doubt our training abilities at times. But the road is bumpy and long. I find it really helpful to mentally record any ‘big wins’ each day : just notice any behaviour they offered that was spot on - a willingness, a check in with me, a mastering of something you taught a day ago. Hold onto those and seek them out, and just shrug at the difficult stuff-‘oh well, that’s still to work on’.  

2. Don’t stop rewarding the awesome behaviour just because you think ‘oh, they know that now’. Still get totally over enthusiastic every time they run back to you in recall. Be over the moon and celebrate!. Tell them they are the best ever. Every time. Do this throughout puppyhood and teenage months – do not  rush dropping the reward too early because they are changing so much in these first couple of years that what was great one day may not stay great as their world expands and they become more interested and grow in independence.  

3. With recall, I recommend using high-value rewards and delivering the reward in a positive, welcoming manner. You need to reward them with it every time you call them and voluntary check ins need to be acknowledged and rewarded too.  

4. Loose lead walking is different to walking at heel. Loose lead walking is for your day to day walks, allowing some sniffy interaction with the world, but heel walking demands a lot of focus from the dog and is for more intense training for shorter periods.  Teach your puppy that slack in the lead is super and tension is not the way forward.

Please don’t put tension into the lead yourself by holding the lead tight with one hand. Learning to walk on the heel can be seen as a ‘location’ cue. First, teach them how to know where ‘heel’ is in a stationary position until they can be glued to your hip (!), only then start moving a step. That’s just one way to look at it, of course. There are many different methods of teaching your dog to walk calmly next to you. 

Puppy training is essential for raising a well-behaved dog, but there are many myths that can mislead new dog owners. Here are five common myths about puppy training: 

1. “Puppies Are Too Young to Start Training”   

Myth: Many people believe that puppies are too young to understand training and should only begin once they’re older.   

Reality: Puppies are highly impressionable; training should start as early as 8 weeks old, focusing on basic cues, socialisation, and engagement.

2. “You Need to Dominate Your Puppy to Train It”   

Myth: This outdated belief suggests that you must establish dominance over your puppy to ensure obedience.   

Reality: Modern training methods emphasise positive reinforcement, where good behaviour is rewarded. This approach builds trust and a strong bond between the puppy and owner, leading to better long-term results.   

3. “Puppies Will Grow Out of Bad Behaviours”   

Myth: Some owners assume that bad behaviours like biting, chewing, or barking excessively will naturally go away as the puppy matures.   

Reality: Without proper training and intervention, these behaviours can become ingrained and harder to correct later on. Early training is key to preventing bad habits from becoming permanent.   

4. “Puppies Can Only Focus on One Training Aspect at a Time”   

Myth: This myth suggests that you should only focus on one type of training at a time, such as either house training or obedience, not both.   

Reality: Puppies are capable of learning multiple things simultaneously. A relaxed, varied training regimen that includes a variety of skills can actually enhance the puppy’s ability to learn and adapt.   

5. “Using Treats Is the Only Effective Way to Train a Puppy”   

Myth: Some believe that treat-based training is the only effective method for teaching a puppy.   

Reality: Food rewards are a powerful motivator, and they should be used in conjunction with other forms of positive reinforcement, like praise, play, environment and affection. Timely delivery of the reward is essential.  

Exercising my puppy 

The main things to be avoided are jumping down from a height and tight turns at speed (e.g. lots of ball throwing/chasing). Stairs should be done with a little caution (like many things, slowly rather than at full speed)

Here’s a link explaining a bit more.  What is the Logic Behind Not Exercising Puppies Until the Growth Plates are Closed? 

Unlike with Hollie, I never carried Woody on walks. Sometimes I walked him separately (always a good plan with a second dog to work on relationship building anyway), other times I would pick routes that I knew were within his capabilities. Most of our daily walks are 30-45 mins and stopping to admire the views from the top of hills or to listen to the trees. The walks are mixed in with short daily training sessions.   

Here's one key thing that not everybody knows – you do not need to walk your dog, especially working dogs, for two hours a day, every day. As I mentioned above, mine are usually walked for 30-45 minutes most days. Sometimes they get less, even nothing, other days they get more. It all depends on my schedule, the weather, what other activities we have planned and so on. That said, if your lifestyle is such that you are out and about for hours every day, then that’s great too!

However, I’d definitely recommend building in rest days or slower days – lengthy walks every day is great, but if something happens that means you CAN’T get out (injury, illness, etc) it’s much easier if your dog is already used to some variety.   What I believe is more important is that they get some mental activity daily – I like kettle training. When I’m at home, every time I make a cup of coffee, I spend a few minutes training one or all of my dogs.

Maybe running through some cues, or perhaps a little fitness work. Where I have time we’ll go into the garden and train for a little longer (whilst my coffee cools enough for me to drink it) When I am busy with other stuff, the training usually happens at the start and end of the day – the rest of the time they just chill on their beds.   Even on walks, quality is more important than quantity. Your dog will be more tired after 30 minutes of sniff, sniff, sniff than an hour of chase, chase, chase! Definitely mix it up, but less really can be more.   

Puppy classes 

Your dog can learn “sit,” “down,” and “stay” at 3 months or even 3 years old - But socialisation is time-sensitive.   That’s why we encourage every puppy parent to join a puppy class. Not only will your pup learn essential training skills for a happy life with you, but they’ll also gain valuable exposure experiences.   In class, your puppy will be introduced to: 🐾 A new environment 🐾 Different surfaces 🐾 Other puppies 🐾 Friendly strangers 

Puppy Privileges  

People often talk about puppy privileges. A well-known "license" afforded to puppies by well-balanced adult dogs. A license which allows them to behave in ways that would be inappropriate in an older dog. No different than in humans where we hold different expectations for a 2 year old compared to a teenager. However, we as humans are not so good at affording puppy privileges. We see normal puppy behaviour as something that needs to be trained, changed or dissected and analysed.  

For sure, we need to be mindful and proactive in encouraging appropriate learning, but let them be puppies first and foremost! Whether you are rearing a sports dog or a family pet, just let them be.....let them be the babies they are, let them take in the wonders of the world without us putting expectations and pressure on them. Just let them be. 

It is not a race!

Your puppy may need more time in some subjects than other puppies, so what? Do not rush integration with your other dogs if any party is unsure. Do not rush teaching them manners if your puppy is naturally polite. Do not rush to teach them sit, stay, retrieve, or heelwork. Just let them be. Find out who they are first and start to build YOUR relationship. The other stuff will come, and you will do a better job of it by letting them be puppies first. Stop stressing about what you should or should not be doing with them. Just let them be.

In general, a lot of very young puppies tend to have a pretty decent recall. If that recall is nurtured and reinforced heavily, and if the puppy is not given too much freedom too soon, the recall will usually stick around as the months slip by. As the puppy grows and demonstrates reliability, their owner will tend to give it more freedom. And then, out of nowhere, the “teenage” phase hits hard, usually starting sometime between 7-11 months old.

The once reliable puppy decides to take advantage of their increasing freedom and their developing sense of independence, and stops responding to their recall cue (and probably a number of other cues as well). The newer dog owner is dumbfounded and confused - what happened? The experienced dog owner goes, “umps, here we go.”

With the combination of clear boundaries, ongoing relationship building, proactive strategies to restrict or allow freedom as the puppy’s new phase of maturity dictates, smart reinforcement strategies, and simple time and maturity, the recall will most likely come back. But it takes dedication and intentionality and TIME, and the young adolescent dog may miss out on opportunities for extra freedom because, for now, they cannot be safely trusted.  

Recall  for practice, not because it is necessary for safety. But… anytime you allow your dog to exist in an unenclosed space, free from any physical boundaries, there is some level of risk. And while there are SO many amazing benefits in allowing your dog to run off lead, the risk/reward balance ONLY makes sense if your dog has an extremely reliable recall  

Your pup's first 16 weeks are important for new learning!  Your training with a 16 week old puppy should include:

1. Home structure and managing behaviours inside the home

2. Exposure to sounds, smells, new places, surfaces, people ( a range of), manual handling, item exposure - all while building confidence  

3. Building a bond with your puppy  

4. Developing strong reward systems and luring  

5. Toy play  

6. Obedience and trick training   (exposure to other well behaved/socialised dogs should be at the bottom of your list) - and only done correctly! ( that does not mean dog parks, meeting strangers' dogs, off lead dogs rushing your puppy, or out of control puppy classes)   It’s time to spread the word about what people REALLY should be doing with their puppy! If it were done correctly from the start, imagine how many dogs as adults would live better lives and have fewer problems.   (If you are in a parvo prone area, there is no reason why you can’t CARRY your puppy) - Time to stop using diseases as excuses to lock puppies up and people, for that matter 😆  

So many treats."   "If my dog had that many treats, they'd get fat"   'You shouldn't have to give that dog so many treats"   "The dog is only doing it for treats"   

A treat - an item out of the ordinary that gives great pleasure.  Food is a great motivator, and motivation activates engagement. With engagement, we get focus. The food you see me using while training is not "treats." They are reinforcers, which are food. There's a difference. We see treating ourselves or giving ourselves a treat as an indulgence, something which is limited. Maybe there's a view that if we get too many treats, we get lazy, soft and spoiled.

A child who gets too many treats ruins their appetite, rots their teeth, gets spoiled, and their behaviour may change for the worse because of all the "treats." Those who help themselves to treats are greedy, etc.   We often see dog treats marketed the same way. They are something special for the dog. We see them called "training treats" with some implication or prejudice that they are for especially good behaviour.  

But that's not what's going on here. When you are building a relationship with anyone, you may do fun things together in order to get to know them. That might include going for coffee (is that a treat), dinner, or the movies. Other activities may or may not involve food. We care about getting to know that person, finding out if enough of their behaviour is reinforcing to us.   

Getting paid for our job is not a treat. We wouldn't do it without it. Taking satisfaction in the work we've done is not a treat; it reinforces our behaviour and makes it more likely in the future.   When we start training our dogs, we are reinforcing the behaviours we want to see more of - proximity, attention, and movement. We reinforce those behaviours with a piece of food (there are many other things we can use too).

We are not "giving the dog a treat," even though that might be what it looks like. We strengthen a behaviour, when it's stronger, we can ask for more (when you lift weights, you get stronger, you can lift more).   We use language to explain and understand concepts. Sometimes our language doesn't always serve us because of our history with that word. "Treat" can be one of those words.  

Lastly, to stop our dogs from gaining weight or becoming unhealthy, use a portion of their daily food calories for training. This doesn't necessarily (and often shouldn't be) mean their daily food. Use meat based, soft, smelly food like sausages, chicken, liver, etc. These are not treats, even though your dog likes them; they are pieces of food used to reinforce behaviour.