{"id":1026,"date":"2017-02-18T20:09:33","date_gmt":"2017-02-19T03:09:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sitmeanssit.com\/dog-training-mu\/portland-dog-training\/?p=1026"},"modified":"2024-07-16T07:24:02","modified_gmt":"2024-07-16T14:24:02","slug":"sit-means-sits-head-start-puppy-program-sets-pups-up-for-success","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sitmeanssit.com\/dog-training-mu\/portland-dog-training\/blog\/sit-means-sits-head-start-puppy-program-sets-pups-up-for-success\/","title":{"rendered":"Sit Means Sit’s Head Start Puppy Program Sets Pups Up for Success"},"content":{"rendered":"

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So you got a puppy. Your puppy is probably pretty cute\u2014and good thing, too\u2014otherwise we\u2019d never forgive the stains on the carpet, the sharp little teeth grabbing onto our hands, the chewed-up socks, books, rugs, children\u2019s toys and wood trim, the new holes appearing in the backyard and the constant, inextinguishable energy. It\u2019s hard to keep up with a pup. She\u2019s so new to the world, she can hardly stop exploring.<\/p>\n

If you got your puppy around the 8- to 10-week mark, it\u2019s a good idea to teach her some basic commands. The sooner you start training, the sooner you get off on the right foot. The first few days the puppy spends away from her mother and litter-mates are often the hardest. It\u2019s a big transition for your new pup, and we want to use the training to help our dog understand her surroundings quickly and build a lasting bond with us.<\/p>\n

To help with this transition, Sit Means Sit of Portland now offers the Head Start Puppy Program\u2014a four-week class at our facility in Wilsonville. The class covers everything you need to know about owning your new puppy, including crate training, potty training, puppy socialization, basic commands, grooming and environmental socialization. Whether this is your first puppy ever, or a new addition to your four-legged family, everyone can benefit from learning important training techniques.<\/p>\n

\"Sit<\/a>
Sit Means Sit trainer Sam Elgin shows how to hold our puppies and keep them calm, getting them used to other people touching and petting them.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n

\u201cGetting started on our puppy\u2019s training early helps us avoid six months of hell,\u201d said Sit Means Sit Portland\u2019s head trainer, Brian Uyeno. \u201cDuring that time is when all the destructive behaviors can crop up because they don\u2019t know any better and they\u2019re exploring everything\u2014usually with their mouths.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s important to show our puppies expectations as soon as we can. That way we can prepare them with a foundation to start obedience. Ten to 13 weeks of age is the optimal time to start training. When they\u2019re younger than 10 weeks, they\u2019re mostly just sleepy puppies, but by four months and older, they\u2019re starting to tear everything up. Right now, they\u2019re fresh slates without too many bad habits and an eagerness to please.<\/p>\n

In our class, we teach pups a fundamental command called \u201cplace.\u201d Place can be anything with a boundary that dogs can fit all four paws on\u2014think: a dog bed, a park bench, a tree stump, etc. Place is an important command because it teaches our puppies impulse control. While they may want to run around your house like a crazy dog, or jump up on new people coming through the door, they instead have to stay on their place until we give them the release command. That way, they learn they can\u2019t just do whatever they want whenever they want. It will help them to become polite and well-mannered dogs we can share our house with happily.<\/p>\n

We also play games like Pass the Puppy, where each puppy is held by all the different puppy owners, getting them used to many people. We touch their ears, paws and teeth to condition them for vet visits and exams, as well as learning how to keep them calm and less squirmy while being held and touched.<\/p>\n

We practice exposure to grooming tools like brushes and nail clippers, showing the puppies that grooming is a routine and positive part of their lives. Doing this work when they\u2019re young will help us in the long-run, because they\u2019ll learn that getting brushed is no big deal. Otherwise, dogs who aren\u2019t used to being brushed are a hassle to groom.<\/p>\n

\"Sit<\/a>
Sit Means Sit Head Trainer Brian Uyeno demonstrates how to teach our puppies to walk beside us without pulling on the leash.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n

Loose-leash walking is another great habit to start teaching our puppies at a young age. We can\u2019t expect them to heel like an older dog, because they simply don\u2019t have the attention span for it yet. Abandon the idea of a walk around the block. Instead, stay in the backyard or the driveway and focus on keeping their attention on you in a distracting outside environment. Our puppy class teaches you how to walk your pup on a leash, rewarding them for giving you their attention.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a pro-tip: use a treat, be engaging with your voice, and throw them a little party when they\u2019re looking up at you. Avoid the trap of yelling their name over and over again to gain their attention, because it simply becomes meaningless white noise. Give them treats on the left side of your body, flush with your leg, so they learn that\u2019s where treats come from. If they\u2019re behind you, in front of you, or too far away from you, they don\u2019t get treats\u2014BUT when they\u2019re right next to your left leg, it\u2019s a Treat Jackpot.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also important to start conditioning the \u201ccome\u201d command. When we say the word \u201ccome,\u201d our dogs should come to us like it\u2019s a 911-emergency\u2014lights and sirens\u2014because having that level of reliable recall can someday help get our pup out of a dangerous situation or even save their\u00a0life.<\/p>\n

To start conditioning the \u201ccome\u201d command, clip your puppy to a long leash in the backyard and encourage her to come to you. If she isn\u2019t giving you her attention, try making a kissy sound, or patting your leg, or raising the pitch of your voice to entice her. If she still needs a little help, walk backwards holding the leash until she comes running over. When she does, make it a big, huge party for her full of treats and praise and love and affection. That way, we teach our dogs that coming to us when called is the best thing in the world.<\/p>\n

\"Bella's<\/a>
Bella’s owner teaches Bella how to “place” in Sit Means Sit’s Head Start Puppy Program.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n

Training our puppies is more than teaching them to sit or stay. It’s teaching them to\u00a0learn.\u00a0<\/em>Showing the pup little tasks like sit, come, down and how to walk on a leash gets him used to using his brain.\u00a0Training a puppy is different from training a full-grown dog. Their attention spans are so short, they’re not going to learn full obedience yet. You can teach them the sitting position, but the expectation for how long they can hold the sit, or how much distraction can go on around them, needs to be much lower. As he matures, he can use the little tasks he’s learned as building blocks to understand\u00a0how to use his commands in the real-world.\u00a0A puppy brain just isn’t developed enough yet to grasp that level of control yet\u2014so don’t get frustrated with your pup. Have fun, celebrate success and keep going. We are building the foundation they will carry for the rest of their lives.<\/p>\n

\"Duke<\/a>
Duke learns how to be calm and less squirmy when resting with his owner.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n

It’s important to understand that training doesn’t stop after puppy class is over. That is only the beginning. Training is a life-long part of owning a dog. The world around our dogs is constantly changing\u2014whether it\u2019s going from the living room to the backyard, the neighborhood park to the mountains, or doggie daycare to the beach. We are here to help them through each situation and show them the expectations and commands they learned in puppy class still apply wherever they go. As they grow older and more mature, we set them up for becoming well-mannered and exceptional companions for the next decade to come.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s the beauty of Sit Means Sit Dog Training\u2014we are here for you every step of the way. For those who further their training with us after puppy class, we offer a lifetime warranty. That means no matter what issues come up with your dog in the long-run, we are always here to help.<\/p>\n

To get started in our next Head Start Puppy Program, call Sit Means Sit at 503-395-4364 today.<\/p>\n

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So you got a puppy. Your puppy is probably pretty cute\u2014and good thing, too\u2014otherwise we\u2019d never forgive the stains on the carpet, the sharp little teeth grabbing onto our hands, the chewed-up socks, books, rugs, children\u2019s toys and wood trim, the new holes appearing in the backyard and the constant, inextinguishable energy. It\u2019s hard to…<\/p>\n

Read More <\/i><\/b><\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":51,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[135],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1026","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blog"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sitmeanssit.com\/dog-training-mu\/portland-dog-training\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1026","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sitmeanssit.com\/dog-training-mu\/portland-dog-training\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sitmeanssit.com\/dog-training-mu\/portland-dog-training\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sitmeanssit.com\/dog-training-mu\/portland-dog-training\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/51"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sitmeanssit.com\/dog-training-mu\/portland-dog-training\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1026"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/sitmeanssit.com\/dog-training-mu\/portland-dog-training\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1026\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3701,"href":"https:\/\/sitmeanssit.com\/dog-training-mu\/portland-dog-training\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1026\/revisions\/3701"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sitmeanssit.com\/dog-training-mu\/portland-dog-training\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1026"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sitmeanssit.com\/dog-training-mu\/portland-dog-training\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1026"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sitmeanssit.com\/dog-training-mu\/portland-dog-training\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1026"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}