Week 1
Focus: Engagement • Name Recognition
Engagement Training
Goal: Teach your dog that paying attention to you—instead of people, animals, or distractions—is rewarding and
worth repeating. Engagement is the foundation of all other training. When your dog learns that focusing on you
leads to good things, they’ll begin to redirect their energy away from distractions and onto you.
Your Role as the Handler: Stay vigilant and protect your dog from overwhelming situations or triggers. Build trust by helping them feel safe and successful in training sessions.
Strategies for Success
Pre-Training Prep
• Kennel your dog for at least 2 hours before training to ensure they are rested and bored.
• Your dog should be hungry and motivated to work.
• No socializing: Do not allow people or animals to approach your dog during your session.
• Use high-value, soft, easy-to-swallow food that your dog loves, like Redbarn, BilJac, Happy Howie’s, or Vital Fresh Pet.
• If motivation is low or your dog has dietary restrictions, use meal portions for training.
• Measure your dog’s meal, place it in your training pouch, and use it for engagement exercises.
Engagement Exercise
• Stand still and hold the leash firmly while waiting for offered eye contact.
• Do nothing—no talking, leash jiggling, or pocket rustling.
• The moment your dog offers unsolicited eye contact, mark it (“YES!”) and start your reward event. Deliver 7–15
rapid treats in a row while your dog maintains focus.
• Add excitement by moving AWAY from your dog.
• Keep one hand feeding while reloading with the other.
• Freeze when your dog disengages—wait for focus to return before rewarding.
Name Recognition
• Say your dog’s name once.
• When they look at you, mark (“YES!”) immediately.
• Offer a treat and praise warmly.
• Practice in low-distraction areas before moving to more difficult environments.
• Keep sessions short (2–3 minutes) and frequent throughout the day.
Week 2
Marker Training
Marker training means using designated words or sounds to “MARK” the correct behavior when training our dog.
In our system of training, we use two markers: “good” and “yes”.
“Good” is our duration marker. It tells your dog they are doing the right thing and should continue doing it as you bring them their reward. For example, we ask our dog to sit, say “good” to indicate they did sit, but expect them to stay seated as we deliver the food.
“Yes” is our terminal marker. It tells your dog they did the behavior correctly, but allows them to end it. For example, if we ask our dog to sit and mark it with “yes,” the dog may get up to collect their food reward.
Why do markers matter? Clear marker training allows us to better communicate with our dogs!
Settle Exercise
This exercise teaches leadership, acceptance, and patience. It gives your dog an opportunity to learn to self-soothe and relax by lying down on their own. Complete this exercise for at least 30 minutes each day for the next 30 days to see major improvements in calm behavior.
To begin, sit on or step on your dog’s leash so they only have enough slack to lie down. Do not give a command—this is not a ‘down-stay.’ Your dog should wear a fitted collar attached to a six-foot leash. They should not have enough leash to wander. Don’t get up and leave your dog back-tied. You are required to be present during the entire exercise. Your dog may get up and lie down several times during this exercise, but they must lie
down at least once during the 30-minute period, or you need to keep sitting. There is no maximum duration for this exercise. If you want to sit for longer than 30 minutes, or need to because your dog hasn’t gone down, feel free.
Ignore your dog for the entire exercise. Ignoring your dog means don’t look at, touch, or talk to your dog. Just relax, and your dog will too. The first few days may be challenging. Stay calm and consistent. If your dog barks, digs, or chews, correct the behavior calmly without frustration. With practice, your dog will begin to accept and even enjoy the Settle.
Once they can relax easily at home, practice in new environments like your porch or a quiet park.
Luring Sit
Take a piece of food and put it directly to your dogs nose. Raise it slightly above their head, keeping the food slightly accessible. Once they sit, mark with “yes” and reward. BONUS: Reward EVENTS (multiple pieces of food in a row) will help keep your puppy in position.
Luring Down
Sit on the floor with your dog. Hold food to their nose and slowly move it toward the ground so they follow it into a down position. Mark and reward when they reach the position. If they hesitate, reward smaller steps—such as lowering their head or bending elbows—until they can perform the full down comfortably.
Week 3
Adding Words to Sit and Down
Begin by asking for a sit or a down. Pause, then lure using food. Mark with “yes” and reward upon the correct behavior.
Loose Leash Walking on a Long Line (15 ft)
Purpose: Teach your dog to walk calmly on a loose leash while maintaining awareness of you.
• Hold the end of the leash firmly with a “thumb lock” grip.
• Keep a consistent leash length—do not reel in or let out slack.
• Walk continuously, rewarding your dog while in motion on the trainer-recommended side.
• Avoid areas with distractions or hazards (people, dogs, etc.).
Week 4
Take your puppy to a novel location and practice your training skills ON A LONG LEASH. Remember, we shouldn’t be “walking” our puppies on a six foot leash much at this age… our focus is good behavior on a long line. You can utilize all of the skills we’ve worked on thus far; settle while sitting on a bench, engagement in the middle of a grassy field, capture heel position on a long line, and sits/downs.
Crate Training
Crate training is a crucial part of raising a well-behaved and adaptable puppy. By following the recommendations from a professional dog trainer below, your new puppy can learn to enjoy their crate, making new situations (like boarding, vet visits, grooming, and more) less stressful for all parties. In this guide, we’ll explore the key principles of crate training to ensure a smooth and successful experience for both you and your new pup.
Exposure to Different Types of Crates
To help puppies generalize crates as a positive space to be, expose them to various types of kennels including wire, plastic, and fabric travel crates. These can be of different sizes (remembering that if a puppy is having potty accidents inside of their crate, the kennel is too large for now) from a small sleeping crate all the way up to a large x-pen for playtime. We recommend that you move the crates to different areas of your home, allowing your puppy to associate positive experiences with each type in various locations, both busy areas and more secluded ones. This preparation will prove invaluable when your puppy faces situations like boarding, vet visits, or stays away from home with friends, family members, or pet sitters.
Addressing Crying in the Crate
It’s natural for puppies to cry initially when introduced to a crate. However, giving them more freedom in response to their cries can actually exacerbate the problem and create full-blown separation anxiety. Puppies need to learn to self soothe and adjust to being alone, and the more time they spend loose in the house, the more likely it is that they will begin escalating their barking in protest (and eventually panic). Over time, they will become more comfortable in the crate — as long as we’re following the rules in this guide. Make sure your puppy is well exercised, pottied, and given something to occupy their time and energy such as a frozen stuffed kong, nylabone, or bully stick. Soon enough, you’ll have a relaxed, content pup!
Mealtime in the Crate
Eating meals in the crate creates a positive association and occupies the puppy during the initial first few minutes of crate time. To stretch that time further, consider feeding using a slow feeder, stuffed toy, snufflemat, or even scattering the food in the crate (like feeding chickens!). Puppies should eat all of their meals in the crate, unless they are being trained with their food for that session. Feeding in the crate can also help prevent potty training accidents by letting them digest in a calmer state. Done consistently, puppies should WANT to run into their crate as soon as they hear food being prepared!
Balancing Schedules and Flexibility
While schedules can be extremely beneficial, being too strict can create stress for both the puppy and the owner. As a general rule, puppies should spend a few hours each day in the crate, broken into different periods. During their time outside the crate, direct supervision is crucial. Use this time for training, exercising, playing, and teaching your puppy to settle at your feet. Keeping a leash on the puppy when they are out of the crate is important during their first few months in their new home, as it makes it easier to enforce what we ask of our puppies, and prevents mistakes such as potty accidents, chewing on inappropriate items, and behaving unruly in the home.
Earning Freedom Gradually
Freedom should be granted based on your puppy’s behavior. Only allow more freedom (time loose in the house, SUPERVISED) when the puppy demonstrates consistent good behavior, such as successful potty training, not chewing on inappropriate items, and settling during their downtime. This process requires commitment, consistency, and structure to establish a dog that can be trusted loose in the house unsupervised, and may take months to years, depending on the effort of the dog owner and the personality of the puppy.
Crate training is an essential tool in shaping a well-behaved and adaptable puppy. By exposing them to various crate types, addressing (and expecting) crying in a fair way, gradually granting freedom as it is earned, incorporating meals into crate time, and maintaining a balanced schedule, you set the foundation for a positive crate training experience. Consistency, patience, and positive reinforcement are key elements in creating a happy puppy who loves their kennel.
Tips for Socialization
- Focus on long-term doggy relationships (friend, neighbor, and family dogs). Monitor their play and intervene when things appear to be getting too amped. Don’t wait until there is aggressive behavior. Monitor their body language and step in early. If you need additional guidance, contact a dog trainer.
- Avoid meeting strange dogs your dog will never see again.
- Reward your dog for ignoring other dogs on walks. I know…. That doesn’t sound right!? If you want your dog to like other dogs, isn’t ignoring them the opposite? NO, not in dog psychology! Pairing a reward event with the presence of other dogs helps build that positive association, without the adrenaline and cortisol rush, or the potential for the interaction to go south!
- If you feel like your dog isn’t getting enough exercise, treadmill train, teach them how to tug, and/or hire a dog walker or dog hiker, instead of doggy daycare or dog parks.
Potty Training
Potty training puppies can be relatively simple, or cause us a lot of grief. This guide will cover some of the best techniques that simplify the potty training process, and some of the common reasons it can be a ruff time for new puppy owners. The main concept is that PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT in all aspects of puppy training, whether it’s a habit we want our puppy to develop, or one that we don’t.
Potty Training Habits Start Early
First and foremost, the way that the litter was raised will have a profound effect on potty training your puppy. Crazy, right? Training is training, amiright? I wish… If the area your puppy was raised in was not kept clean, and the puppies soiled the same area they slept in, they already have a dirty habit. Puppies whose sleeping area is kept very clean early on, and have access to a separate area for pottying, and an area for playing, eating and sleeping that is done far from their excrement, are MUCH easier to potty train. So if you buy a puppy from a breeder or a rescue who keeps the puppies contained in the same area for sleeping, pooping and eating, what those puppies are learning is that it’s okay to poop wherever they can. The puppies that have an opportunity to have distance from their poop and pee are much cleaner puppies, and will be fussier (in a good way) about needing to use the bathroom away from their sleeping, eating and play-places.
Potty training habits start when puppies are very young. Puppies raised in a small space (whether from a breeder, in a shelter, or puppies out of a pet store (face-palm)) are much more likely to be difficult to potty train simply because there isn’t the space for them to ‘practice’ sanitary potty training behavior.
Schedules are a Good Thing!
Timing the feeding routine, access to water, and potty breaks is critical. Puppies need to poop and pee right when they wake up, after eating, and after playing. While confined in a crate and at rest, most puppies can ‘hold it’ for 2 hours for every month of age. You will likely need to do one or two middle of the night let outs for an 8 week old puppy. Your feeding routine should be on a schedule. In order to predict the timing and quantity of what should be coming out, you need to monitor when the food is going IN. You will need to adjust your schedule based on the success of the routine.
Pro-Tip: If you REALLY want to get the most bang for your buck, you should feed your meals via a simple training routine, or puppy preschool style session. You will be surprised how quickly you can feed an entire meal practicing and rewarding some manners and good social puppy behavior.
Most dogs (see above) understand near or far from their own poop and pee. Inside or outside is less important on their list — which is also a big reason small breeds, such as yorkies and maltese, can be more difficult to potty train. To really instill that concept you must supervise and confine your puppy. Allowing them to wander out of your sight, even for a second, will likely result in an accident in the house. Opportunities to play and really get the zips out need to be outside. Not only will they likely need to potty if they are really getting some energy out, but they will also quickly associate indoors and the calm space, where they don’t use the bathroom, and that outside is the exciting place, where play and pottying are encouraged. Pro-tip – When your puppy goes potty outside, take AT LEAST 3 more minutes to play with them or do little walk about with them. This will teach your puppy to potty outside quickly, instead of dilly-dallying about. Puppies will quickly make the association that their walk or outing ends as soon as they use the bathroom, and they will hold it outside to maximize their ‘fun time.’
You may notice they have certain body language that indicates they are looking for a place to go potty. This is why it’s so important that you keep an eagle-eye on them.
Potty Training and Diet
Feeding your puppy a high quality diet can ensure that they will develop properly mentally and physically, and are less likely to have digestion or urinary tract upset. Poor quality dog food has a lot of ‘fillers’ and materials that dogs don’t need and can’t digest, just read the label. All those fillers and preservatives will cause your puppy to poop more, needing more frequent potty breaks. Most kibble is the equivalent of fast food for dogs. Yes, you can survive on processed foods, but there will be a host of maladies that are possible with poor nutrition, and added chemicals and preservatives. Diets can certainly be customized to a breed’s needs factoring in growth rate and body type, and optimized for each individual. The gold standard of canine nutrition is feeding a balanced raw diet. Whether you feed a raw diet or kibble, do some research on canine nutrition, to aid you in potty training a puppy.
If you are following the schedule, supervising and confining your puppy, feeding a high quality diet, and they are still having accidents (especially if in the crate) the next step is to rule out a GI or Urinary Tract issue. It is incredibly common for puppies to have Giardia, or other parasites, and to get Urinary Tract Infections. Even if your puppy was previously de-wormed, you should still take a stool sample to your vet to be sure of a clean bill of health, or a urine sample to rule out UTI (both should be available to you without an appointment). Before you can solve potty training problems, you need to rule out any medical condition.
Tips from Your Dog Trainer
When clients are struggling with their own puppies it’s usually pretty easy to guess the root of the problem: too much freedom and attention.
I know, I know… you got a puppy because you wanted a pal. You don’t want to keep them in a box. You took two weeks off of work so you could make every crate experience the puppies own choice and bonded by hanging out on the couch. But now, that two weeks is up and you HAVE to put the puppy in the box… and the puppy isn’t having it. Yikes, what went wrong?
I love my puppies just as much as the next person. But loving them means understanding that what *I* want to do with my puppy isn’t always what is best for them.
If I want my puppy to get used to being in a crate when I’m out of the house, I need to make that a normal part of their life as soon as possible. I feed every meal in the crate, have them spend plenty of time in them both when I am home and when I leave, and I have multiple crates/pens set up around the house so they don’t get too accustomed to a certain environment/amount of activity. My time spent with my puppies is intentional and always directly supervised.
Potty training is also less complicated if you aren’t letting your puppy run around loose all day while you’re home. Baby puppies have baby bladders… and they need to physically mature a bit before they can learn to hold it. Too much freedom in the house means a high risk of accidents, and a more difficult time potty training. Puppies need to go outside regularly and have no opportunities to make a mistake inside. That’s the secret to it. How do you accomplish that? By using a crate, making a schedule, observing your puppy closely, and understanding that any mistakes they DO make are probably human error. With time, physical maturity, and structure, healthy puppies will potty train. But a puppy with too much freedom, no schedule, and inconsistent owners will struggle for much, much longer.
Jumping/biting/counter surfing/stealing household items/etc… don’t let them do that! Again, too much freedom is happening if your puppy is able to jump all over your house guests or run off with a sock. Keeping your puppy on a leash in the house, using your crate when you can’t directly supervise, and making sure all inappropriate items are out of reach when the puppy is out will prevent those normal-puppy-issues from spiraling out of control as they grow.
Puppies are hard. I get it! But they’re WAY harder if you don’t look at restricting their freedom as a temporary (necessary) state of existence. Preventing bad behavior now will save you a LOT of trouble later… do right by your puppy and your family by raising your puppy like a dog trainer would!
Recommended Equipment for Puppies
Back clip harness
- For “walks”, vet visits, etc. until the puppy is old enough to learn leash skills
15ft and 30ft long leashes
- We recommend always taking a puppy out to potty & explore on a long line clipped to their harness, instead of letting them pull you on a short leash
6ft leash
- Used on the harness for outings where you are not focusing on good leash behavior, vet visits, grooming appointments, and similar.
- Used on the collar ONLY when training “heel” on a loose leash per trainer instructions
Treat pouch (we LOVE Voila! Treat pouches)
- Treat pouch allows easy access to a LOT of food. We like Voila! as they are easy to clean, close so treats don’t fall out when you bend over, and have a hinge to keep it open when you want a lot of food accessible at a time.
Meal-replacement treats ie Rawbble, Vital Essentials, Honest Kitchen Clusters, Red Barn, etc.
- Using high quality food replacement options means we are feeding our puppy healthy food, and we can decrease their actual mealtime on heavy training days.
Crate for house and vehicle
Interactive toys: Flirt Pole, Chuck It frisbees, Coachi tugs
- These toys should NOT be left with the puppy to chew on! ONLY FOR PLAY!
Chews for crate ie Beef Cheek chews, BetterBones, Pupsicles, Kongs, or similar
- Freezing food inside of Kongs/Pupsicles makes them last longer.
