Fact checked by a Hello Ralphie expert veterinarian
Congratulations on your new puppy! Don’t know how to train your puppy? If you have puppy training questions or don’t know where to start your puppy’s training, think about your new role as being your Puppy’s Life Coach instead!
Why Get Advice About Puppy Training?
Life coaching may be a fancy term for self-improvement for people, but we can take those principles and apply that to puppy training to create balanced, well-socialized dogs.
Take Time to Train Your Puppy
Know the life coach term, “Take time to work on you?” It’s the same puppy training principle for your pup! And when your puppy is young, the best investment you can make is in puppy play time.
What type of play behavior should I expect from a puppy? It is very important that you provide stimulating play for your puppy, especially during the first weeks at home. Stalking and pouncing are important play behaviors in puppies and are necessary for proper muscular development. Plus, if your puppy is playing with a good assortment of puppy-safe toys, your puppy will be less likely to use family members for these activities.
Puppy Life Coach Action Item: Get a wide array of toys for your puppy. The best toys are lightweight and movable. Any toy that is small enough to be swallowed should be avoided. Additionally, bones and rawhides pose a choking hazard and should be avoided.
A well-socialized puppy means a well-balanced dog. There is no better way to reduce potential problems like fear and anxiety than socializing your puppy to new situations, animals and people. It’s okay to be adventurous!
Why is socializing my new puppy important? To reduce the possibility of fearful responses as a puppy grows and matures, it is essential to expose young puppies to many stimuli (people, places and things) when they can most effectively socialize and habituate to these stimuli. Puppies that receive insufficient exposure during this time may develop irreversible fears, leading to anxiety and behavioral problems as an adult.
Puppy Life Coach Action Item: Enroll your new puppy in socialization/training classes! Puppy socialization class environments are safe and overseen by dog training professionals.
Change Can Be Painful
A good life coach will tell you that change can be difficult, and sometimes painful, but that’s when the most growth occurs. Your puppy is constantly growing and there are side effects to all the growth they are doing! One of those puppy habits is chewing.
Why do puppies constantly chew on things? Chewing is a normal puppy behavior. Just like people, puppies have baby teeth and will go through a period of teething where they tend to chew more. During this time, it is important to direct your puppy’s chewing toward acceptable objects.
Puppy Life Coach Action Item: You should provide puppy-safe items such as chew toys. Do not give your puppy old shoes, towels, or clothing to use as a puppy chew toy as your puppy will then be encouraged to chew all shoes, clothing, or pillows, as an adult. A virtual veterinarian can help you pick out the best chew toys for your puppy and offer tips on how to puppy-proof your home.
Make the Time for Self Care
It’s all about self care! Life coaches always remind their clients to take time to rest, revitalize and care for oneself. It’s the perfect time to train puppies on all the self care they will need as adults, like trimming nails or getting bathed.
Puppyhood is the most ideal time to get your puppy used to nail trims, teeth brushing, ear cleaning, and bathing. It is recommended to get your puppy used to all these things, using lots of praise and food rewards, so they are comfortable with these tasks as adults.
Puppy Life Coach Action Item: start small with self care. You don’t need to overwhelm your puppy with getting used to all these things at once. Pick one self care task and start with training sessions that last only one minute! Teeth brushing is a good place to start.
It's Okay to Ask for Help
Any life coach will tell you it’s okay to not have all the answers! It’s not about perfection, but the journey, right? If you have more questions about your puppy, think of Hello Ralphie virtual veterinarians as your personal pet care life coaches!
We can provide you with personalized advice and recommendations. Schedule an advice appointment with us at a day and time that best suits you. We look forward to helping you and your new puppy for years to come!