Kourtney Spak
Bringing a new puppy home is an exciting time—new adventures, tons of memories, and of course, wild puppy antics!
No matter how old your puppy is when you bring them home, the best time to begin training is now. And training early on will rapidly build the bond between you and your dog.
Read on to learn:
There’s nothing worse than holding a pile of treats in your hand or squished in your pocket during a training session—especially when you’re on the go.
Our new treat dispenser clips to your belt, pocket, or leash to allow you to be more hands-on when training your pup.
The dispenser holds 100 bite-sized treats and treats come out with a quick press of the button, falling effortlessly into your palm.
It’s easy to fill, easy-to-use, and it’s a game-changer for positive reinforcement. Your dog will love how quickly you can hand them a treat after a job well done!
Here are our top three skills that will help your new puppy adjust to their new home, but before we begin don’t forget to fill and clip on your treat dispenser:
Teaching your puppy to respond to their name is the first step in effective communication. A puppy’s name can take the place of a “here” or “come” command—and that’s the goal.
The down command is another that teaches your dog two skills at once:
To teach a puppy ‘down’, you’ll begin with luring them into position. Dispense a treat, hold it near their nose and lead your puppy slowly to the floor.
After luring with a teat several times, slowly fade the lure and switch to a hand signal or verbal cue (or both!).
Introducing the verbal cue is best done after your puppy gets the hang of the new skill. After maybe the fifth time using the lure, once your dog fully lays down with back legs and belly touching the floor, say ‘down.’
Repeat and reward!
The place command orients your puppy to their crate as a safe place to settle down. ‘Place’ is also dead useful for you when you’d like to reclaim your space or stop them from jumping on guests.
Place might be a slow skill to learn for some puppies, but it’s worth it in the end.
One final note: Never use your dog’s place as a punishment—the last thing you want is for them to associate anything negative with their safe place.
If your puppy struggles when you advance a skill, regress to the point where they were most successful. Repeat and reward several times and then try to advance the skill once more.
All puppies learn at different rates, so be patient and meet your pup where they’re at.
Keep Heel’s treat dispenser on you throughout the day. Once your puppy gets the swing of things, they’ll begin to offer you good behavior and you need to be ready to reward them for it.
Remember, consistency is key in shaping your puppy’s habits.
Take the next step in your puppy training journey. Visit Heel Pet Products to discover the Treat Dispenser Starter Kit and more.
Happy training!