Puppy Training, Socialization, Critical Stages of Development: Everything You Need to Know

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Raised by wolves with canine DNA in his blood.
Having trained more than 24,000pets, helping you and your fur
babies thrive, live in studiowith Will Bangura answering your
pet behavior and trainingquestions.
Ladies and gentlemen, pleasewelcome your host and favorite
pet behavior expert, willBangura.

Speaker 2 (00:26):
Would you like to go on?
Are y'all ready for?
this Good day dog lovers.
I'm Will Bangura, certifiedcanine behaviorist, certified
behavior consultant, certifieddog trainer and fear-free

(00:47):
certified.
Welcome to Dog Training Today,the podcast, everything about
dogs, training, behavior and, asfar as the audience, if you're
new, thanks for being here.
If you've been listening for awhile, do me a favor Make sure
that you give us a review.
We want a rating and review andhopefully that's a five-star

(01:09):
rating and review For those ofyou that have already done that.
Thank you so much.
It just helps us to be able topromote the podcast in a way
where it ranks higher, so morepeople can benefit from this.
Today we're going to be divinginto a topic that's crucial for

(01:30):
anyone raising a puppy.
Whether you're a first-time petparent with a new bundle of
Wiggles or you're an experienceddog owner, maybe you're a
breeder who's whelping litters,a trainer or even a veterinarian
, there's something in thisepisode for you.
We're talking about early puppytraining, cooperative care if

(01:56):
you know what that issocialization, huge topic and
exposure.
Basically, how to set yourpuppy up from day one to grow
into a well-mannered, confidentand emotionally healthy adult
dog.
Yeah, there's a lot for puppies.
We'll walk through the criticaldevelopmental stages from birth

(02:21):
to one year and see how eachstage is going to influence a
puppy's behavior and theirfeelings.
I'm also going to share bestpractices for socialization.
Everybody asks about that, thatmagic window when puppies
absorb new experiences,including exposing them to

(02:44):
different people, places, sounds, textures, other dogs and other
animals.
And along the way we're goingto bust some common myths that
cause a lot of confusion and,frankly, can do harm to your
puppy or dog.
Can do harm to your puppy ordog.
Have you heard someone say youshouldn't take your puppy

(03:07):
outside until they're fullyvaccinated, or that you need to
be the alpha and dominate yourdog to train it?
I'm going to explain why thoseideas are completely outdated or
misunderstood, citing whatveterinary behavior experts and

(03:29):
research have to say on that.
I'm also going to be talkingabout the dangers of aversive
training tools and methods thatyou might see some flashy social
media trainers using those andwhy you should steer clear of
those.
And, importantly, we're goingto discuss how to find a

(03:51):
qualified trainer or behavioristif you need help with your
puppy, including what are thegreen flags to look for and what
are the red flags to avoid likethe plague.
This episode is going to be aconversation.
I promise it won't feel like adry lecture, but I will

(04:15):
reference some fascinatingstudies and expert opinions.
I've done my homework so youdon't have to.
If you're the kind of personwho likes to see the receipts,
and I encourage that, check outthe show notes for references to
, for example, the americanveterinary society of animal

(04:37):
behavior, what they have to say,the american veterinary medical
association, veterinary MedicalAssociation and other resources
that I'm going to mention.
All right, let's get started onthis puppy adventure from the
very beginning.
We're going to start withtalking about birth.

(04:58):
We're going to be talking aboutdifferent puppy stages of
development, why they matter.
Understanding a puppy'sdevelopmental stages is like
having a roadmap to their theirlittle brain.
Puppies aren't born as blankslates, exactly.

(05:19):
They have genetic tendencies,but their experiences at each
stage of life have a huge impacton how they turn out behavior
wise.
So let's begin to break thatdown.
First, I'm going to talk aboutthe neonatal period, which is

(05:39):
zero to two weeks old.
So this is oftentimes going tobe for breeders this aspect to
two weeks old.
So this is oftentimes going tobe for breeders, this aspect.
Don't worry, we're going to getinto the information for you,
pet parents, and even a littleinformation for trainers,
behaviorists and veterinaryfolks.
But anyway, newborn pups zeroto two weeks.
In the neonatal stage, puppiesare basically, they're like I

(06:02):
don't know, tiny little potatoeswith legs.
Okay, eyes and ears are closed.
They can't regulate their bodytemperature Did you know that?
And they rely completely ontheir mom and, to some extent,
the breeder or caregiver fortheir survival.
Yeah, they eat sleep and that'sabout it for their survival.

(06:26):
Yeah, they eat sleep and that'sabout it.
At this stage they're notinteracting with humans much
intentionally, but gentlehandling by a breeder for short
periods can definitely bebeneficial.
There's actually a conceptcalled early neurological
stimulation or ENS.

(06:46):
Some breeders will handle pupsbriefly, in a specific way
during these first two weeks.
The idea which comes from somemilitary dog breeding programs
really, which is veryinteresting, is that mild stress
from handling can boostresilience later.

(07:09):
Whether or not one does aformal ENS program, the key
takeaway is neonatal puppies arefragile but they're not
completely unresponsive to theworld.
Positive human touch holdingthem briefly, letting them
snuggle on your chest Duringthis time.

(07:31):
You want to do that inmoderation in the zero to two
weeks, but this may have subtlepositive effects on their stress
tolerance as they grow.
It can be critical For newpuppy owners.
You likely won't even meet yourpuppy during this phase.

(07:51):
Breeders typically keep thelitter scheduled to avoid germs
that you could bring in.
For one thing, and let mom doher part, do her job.
The mother is primarily themother dog is primarily handling

(08:12):
these puppies at this time.
But it's interesting to knowthis phase exists because a good
breeder who handles puppieskindly from day one is giving
them a head start on what is socritical, and that's human
socialization.

(08:34):
Next we are going to be talkingabout the transitional period,
and that is about two to threeweeks of age, and the puppies at
this point are waking up to theworld.
Around two weeks of age bigchanges happen.
Puppies' eyes open and theybegin to respond to sounds.
As their ear canals open aswell, they start toddling around

(08:57):
wobbly legs.
They're transitioning frombeing neonatal infants to little
dogs.
Now this period doesn't lastlong, maybe from two to three
weeks or so, but during itpuppies will start to play like
little clumsy.

(09:18):
They're so cute, but they playand their play looks clumsy.
They're playing with theirlitter mates now and listen.
They may start to growl orvocalize.
They may do that a bit andthat's normal for them.
And at this point they'resampling mom's food Emotionally

(09:38):
and we're talking about nursingemotionally.
This is when puppies start tobecome aware of their
environment.
If there are people around,they might start reacting to
sight and sound, though theirvision and hearing are still
improving.
It's a gentle ramp up toeverything and the most critical

(10:02):
stage of development, thesocialization period.
Again, most pet owners won'thave their puppy yet, but
responsible breeders usuallykeep puppies until at least
eight weeks old, which is wellpast this stage.
But breeders might beintroducing novel things in the

(10:23):
whelping box.
Breeders might be introducingnovel things in the whelping box
Now, like new toys, differentsurfaces or allowing the pups
short encounters with friendlypeople.
Think of it as kindergarten,kindergarten for the senses of
the puppy.
By the end of this stage,puppies are a lot more mobile, a

(10:45):
lot more curious, which is goodbecause they're about to enter
a critical life chapter and thatis the critical socialization
period.
Now I hear a lot from peopleabout social, socialize,
socialize, socialize.
Look, that criticalsocialization period, that magic

(11:06):
window, important phase in yourpuppy's, your dog's development
when it comes to, especiallywhen it comes to behavior, this

(11:33):
window again, roughly from threeweeks to about 12 weeks of age,
with some experts, though,they're saying it extends a bit
to 16 weeks, but most are sayingthree to 12 weeks of age.
And that is when a puppy'sbrain is like a sponge.
You know they're absorbingeverything, all kinds of new

(11:56):
experiences is exposed to.
What they encounter or whatthey don't encounter is going to
greatly shape their comfortlevel with those things for the
rest of their lives.
So at the start of this period,around three to four weeks, if
you watch a litter of puppiesthey go from those wobbly little

(12:21):
beings to bouncing around,playing, exploring fur balls.
By five weeks most puppies,they show a lot of curiosity and
at that time, at five weeks,they'll happily approach new
objects or people with littlehesitation.
If a kind person walks in,they'll tumble over to sniff and

(12:47):
climb on them.
That openness is nature's wayof saying go, learn about the
world now, it'll keep you safelater.
That's what's happening withthe puppy.
And learn, oh my gosh.
They learn a lot and one of thethings they learn is about bite

(13:14):
, inhibition from litter, mate,play, playing with the other
puppies, about canine socialsignals, body language, cues
from mom and hopefully abouthumans and the big outside world
too.
It's like they're braillingeverything, but they can see and
hear.
At this point they're gettingexposed.
But here's the catch thisincredible openness, this window

(13:37):
doesn't last forever.
Sometime towards the end of thesocialization period, puppies
become more cautious, often byeight or nine weeks.
A fear response starts to kickin.
Yep, Some say eight to 12 weeks, but a fear stage starts to

(13:59):
kick in.
A fear response from thepuppies starts to kick in.
Where they might startle moreeasily than they did before.
They might be hesitant aboutnew things.
Behaviorists call this a fearimpact period, or sometimes the

(14:20):
first fear period.
Now again, this generally hitsabout eight to 10 weeks old.
It's as if mother nature saidokay, you've had a few weeks to
explore, now start being a bitmore careful From this point on.
If a puppy has a really scaryor if they have a traumatic

(14:44):
experience, it can imprint ontheir brain and affect them
later.
Now that doesn't mean youshould stop socializing them.
Not at all.
We actually should beintensifying socialization
efforts up until the puppy's 12weeks and then beyond.

(15:05):
But it means that you need tobe thoughtful.
We're going to talk in a minuteabout how to make all these new
experiences positive, so you'renot accidentally overwhelming
the puppy.
Now by about 12 weeks.
The puppy Now, by about 12weeks, three months of age, the

(15:26):
socialization window is closing.
Let me say that again because alot of you don't get it.
You think it's socializationforever.
It doesn't matter what age youare.
No, by about 12 weeks, threemonths of age, the socialization
window is closing and at thattime you might notice your

(15:47):
puppy's not racing up to newthings like they did at eight
weeks.
They might suddenly shy awayfrom, say, the garbage can that
got moved to a new spot, or barkat a stranger when they never
did before.
This is totally normal.

(16:08):
It just means they're enteringa new developmental phase, a new
developmental phase wherethey're more suspicious of the
unfamiliar.
In fact, the sensitivesocialization period is often
considered to end by 12 weeksand tapering off until about 16

(16:29):
weeks After that.
It's not that you can, as whenthey were tiny.
So the take home here is weeksthree to 12 are golden.

(16:53):
It's when we want to provide arich variety of positive and we
got to make sure they'repositive experiences to the
puppy.
If you're a breeder, this meansthat you need to introduce lots
of stimuli different surfaces,different noises, gentle

(17:13):
handling by multiple people,maybe supervised visits with
vaccinated adult dogs, maybe thedogs that you own.
Now if you're the new ownergetting the puppy at eight weeks
, it means the clock is tickingand you want to safely expose

(17:34):
them to as much of the world asyou can in the next four to
eight weeks While you're makingsure those exposures are good
experiences.
That's critical.
Now, don't worry, we're goingto detail how you do that safely
in just a bit.

(17:56):
Now one more thing.
Remember I mentioned that fearperiod at eight to ten weeks.
During that specific time, beextra careful with your puppy.
Be extra careful that bigexperiences are positive.
For example, that's not theweek to let your puppy get

(18:18):
overwhelmed by, say, a barkingor boisterous bigger dog, or
take them to a noisyconstruction site.
No, if something frightens thembadly at that age, that's when
it could leave a lasting imprint.
So it's important that wemanage the intensity of the

(18:41):
encounters.
Maybe meet one calm dog insteadof five dogs at once.
Or introduce the vacuum cleaneracross the room and turned off
before turning that on near thepup.
Again, we want happy firstimpressions.
All right, after 12 weeks thecritical socialization period is

(19:05):
wrapping up, but that doesn'tmean the pup is done, developing
or learning, not by a long shot.
Now.
The next stage is the juvenileperiod, roughly three to six
months old.
We'll just call them ayoungster.
From about three months to sixmonths your puppy is in a

(19:28):
juvenile or pre-adolescent stage.
Think of it like this a gradeschool kid.
They're more coordinated andthey're not a baby anymore, but
they're not sexual mature yetand still very pliable in terms

(19:48):
of learning.
A four or five month old puppyis often a joy.
Many are still pretty eager toplease and they've built
confidence.
Yeah, around four months of ageyou'll see another surge of
boldness with the puppy.

(20:09):
Now you may see that your pupmay start testing some
boundaries in small ways, likedo I really have to come when
called?
Maybe I'll just sniff this busha bit longer Now it's a normal
part of gaining independence.
Okay, during that three to sixmonth period it's super

(20:34):
important that you continuesocializing and training.
Just because the primarysocialization window is ending
doesn't mean that you stopexposing them to new things.
In fact, this is prime time tosolidify their skills.
Enroll in a puppy class orbasic obedience class if you

(20:55):
haven't already, and you know, Iadvocate that you always are
training your puppy or dog.
Puppy classes usually acceptpuppies up to five or six months
and they can offer supervisedplay and training.
That's great for this age.
It's also the age when puppiesdo a lot of teething Okay, those

(21:20):
adult teeth they start comingin around four to five months,
so they're going to be chewinglike crazy.
That's a training opportunity aswell.
Teach them what to chew,because they need to chew.
Teach them what they can chewas far as toys and what not to
chew, like your shoes, bymanaging the environment Okay,

(21:45):
by managing the environment andredirecting your puppy At this
period.
They're going to be chewing.
You need to pick up your stuff.
All right, set up theenvironment where it's much more
difficult for them to chewsomething that they shouldn't
have.
Plenty of things that they canchew.
That is appropriate for them,and play with them with those

(22:08):
toys.
Let them engage with that.
Teach them what to chew.
Also, this is a great stage tointroduce cooperative care
routines, which we'll talk aboutin depth later.
In short, it's cooperative careis starting to get your pup
used to being handled gently fornail trims, toothbrushing,

(22:33):
grooming, things of that nature.
Their attention span is growingnow, so short training sessions
to build these habits, they canpay off hugely down the road
Now, emotionally, most puppiesat this stage are.
They're fairly resilient.
If you've done a good job withearly socialization, they should

(22:57):
be handling trips to new placesor meeting new people pretty
well.
But you know, every puppy,every dog is an individual.
Some might start to show a bitof timidness around five months,
especially if they had a scareearlier or if their genetic

(23:17):
tendency is to be cautious.
Pay attention to your puppy andkeep the experiences positive.
Think of this stage asreinforcement for all the
socialization groundwork thatyou did earlier.
Now the next stage is going tobe the adolescent stage.

(23:39):
That's going to be about six to12 months old and beyond.
That's the teenager.
Be about six to 12 months oldand beyond.
Right now.
That's the teenager stage.
Okay, you know adolescence.
If you've ever raised a humanteenager, you know.
You know it can be achallenging time, but dogs go

(24:00):
through it too.
Generally.
About six months old and onward.
Now you might start noticingnew behaviors that make you go
who is this rebellious creatureand where did my sweet puppy go?
Common adolescent issuesinclude suddenly forgetting

(24:20):
known cues or commands.
Increased energy yeah, that'llhappen.
And distractibility Testinglimits, like ignoring your
recall or counter surfing to seeif they can get away with it,
and sometimes a resurgence ofmouthing or jumping can occur
during that stage, occur duringthat stage.

(24:49):
This is the age when some petparents get frustrated because
their pup, who is doing so wellat, say, five months, starts
causing a bunch of trouble ateight months of age.
Now several things arehappening here.
First, many dogs start to hitsexual maturity in this window
if they're not spayed orneutered already.
Now, if they're not spayed orneutered, males start lifting

(25:11):
their legs and females mightexperience their first heat
cycle around six to nine months.
It varies by breed for thefemale dogs, but hormones can
affect behavior.
You might see marking orroaming or just a general uptick

(25:35):
in confidence and boldness inthis stage.
Even if your dog is fixed,there's just developmental push
for independence around this age.
Around this age Now, there'salso often a second fear period
that can occur sometime inadolescence, commonly around six

(25:58):
to eight months, but it couldbe a bit later.
This is where dogs mightsuddenly become fearful of
something they were okay withbefore.
For example, yourseven-month-old puppy who has
gone to the dog park happily formonths might one day get
spooked by a larger dog and thenstart acting defensive or
fearful in that particularsetting.
Or they may bark at a strangeron a walk when they never did it

(26:23):
at four months of age.
Hey, this is normal.
It's like a temporary phase ofincreased alertness to the world
.
Now, not every dog has anoticeable second fear period,
but many do.
The key here again is handlewith patience.

(26:43):
Make sure things are positive.
If your adolescent dog becomeswary of something, don't force
them into it.
Instead, reintroduce it moregradually and also then pair it
with rewards, just as you shouldhave done when they were

(27:05):
younger.
Right Now, the other thing thatI want to say is that this
stage okay the adolescent stage.
This is a prime time fortraining to really pay off, or,

(27:27):
if you haven't done muchtraining, for problems.
To start by six to 12 months.
Dogs are big if they're a bigbreed and they're strong, but
their brains are still catchingup.
If your eight month old-old60-pound puppy has never been
taught not to jump on people,well, that puppy can knock

(27:48):
someone over now potentially.
So this is when many people sayI need a trainer, which is
great.
Earlier though is even better,but it's never too late.
We'll talk about later aboutfinding a good trainer and how
you do that.
Now one more thing aboutadolescent stage.

(28:10):
Adolescents can last beyond oneyear.
Large breeds might be teenagers, say until 18 months, or even
two years.
Where smaller dogs, they mightmature faster.
Years, okay, where smaller dogs, they might mature faster.
But for our purposes, by theend of the first year you've

(28:31):
gone through the thick of itSurviving puppy adolescence with
consistency and positivetraining.
That will yield an incredibleadult dog on the other side of
it.
So let's summarize the stagesBirth to three weeks is about
physical and basic sensorydevelopment.

(28:54):
Then the stage from three to 12weeks is socialization, exposing
them to everything.
Now that's also coupled withincreasing caution around the
end of that period, about eightto 12 weeks, all right.
Now what did we say about threeto six months?

(29:16):
Well, that's again, that's thejuvenile learning and
reinforcement stage.
And six to 12 months, that'sthe adolescent testing time.
Each stage has its positivesand also its challenges, but
knowing what to expect is goingto help you and it's going to
help meet your puppy's needs andpossibly keep your sanity.

(29:42):
All right, now that we have thetimeline in mind, let's go ahead
and zoom into thatall-important topic.
We mentioned repeatedlySocialization and exposure.
All right.
Early socialization andexposure sets the foundation for

(30:02):
everything.
If early puppyhood were aschool, socialization would be
the core curriculum.
It's that important.
Socialization broadly meansexposing your puppy to all sorts
of people, animals, places, allsorts of things and teaching
them that these are normal andeven fun parts of life.

(30:26):
Proper socialization is going toproduce an adult dog who isn't
phased by the sight of abicyclist whizzing by or
somebody on a scooter or ajogger going by or someone on a
skateboard.
They're not going to freak outwhen a stranger comes to the

(30:48):
door.
They're going to be able tohandle walking on a busy street
and cars going by, and they canmeet other dogs calmly.
And it's important that youmake sure that everything's calm
or don't be there, protect yourpuppy, get them out of there,

(31:10):
okay.
So, in short, this period ishow we inoculate our pups
against fear of the unknown, ofthe unknown, by by making the
unknown, everything in the world, known to them during that
critical early period.
Okay, but we have to do itright.

(31:32):
Socialization isn't just exposethe puppy to everything and
hope for the best.
If it's poorly done it couldoverwhelm a puppy.
So let's talk best practicesand we'll start with the giant
pink elephant in the room andthat's disease risk the pink

(31:52):
elephant in the room.
What I want to talk about issocialization versus vaccination
.
Many new puppy owners they'retold by well-meaning and I mean
this wholeheartedly new puppyowners are often told by

(32:16):
well-meaning vets or friendsdon't take your puppy out in
public until they get all oftheir shots, until they're all
done.
Make sense.
Young puppies are vulnerable toall kinds of nasty viruses,
like parvo or distemper, whichcan be picked up from
contaminated ground or sick dogs.
However, as a blanket rule,this advice can actually set

(32:38):
your puppy up for behavioralproblems If you keep your puppy
isolated at home until 16 to 18weeks, when many of the
vaccinations are now completed.
You're slamming shut thatsocialization window.
Yeah, by the time you finallybring your pup to the world at

(33:00):
large, hey, they may be wellinto their cautious phase and
suddenly everything isterrifying.
Because they missed the earlysocialization, learning, they
missed exposure to everything.
Now, the experts at the AmericanVeterinary Society of Animal

(33:21):
Behavior, they've been trying tocorrect this misconception.
Yeah, they put out a positionstatement on puppy socialization
that explicitly says puppiesshould be socialized before
they're fully vaccinated.
In fact, they believe it shouldbe the standard of care for
vets to recommend this.

(33:42):
So you vets out there of carefor vets to recommend this.
So you vets out there, this issomething that old information
and we're giving you newinformation and you need to
check that out.
The American Veterinary Societyof Animal Behavior said this
should be the standard of care.
This is what veterinariansshould be recommending.
Now, this logic hey, it'sbacked by evidence.

(34:06):
We know that behavior issueslike severe fear or aggression
stemming from poor socializationare a top reason why somebody
relinquishes their dog, or evenbehavioral euthanasia in dogs.
This is, this is what we doknow.

(34:29):
All right, that's much morecommon in young dogs far more
common than a puppy dying fromparvo in those dogs who get
socialized properly.
To quote an important stataccording to the American
Veterinary Society of AnimalBehavior, behavioral issues, not
infectious disease, is thenumber one cause of death for

(34:54):
dogs under three years of age.
Did you know that, yeah, thenumber one cause of death in
dogs under three years of age iseuthanasia.
It's not some kind of disease.
And most of that, a lot of that, has to do with socialization.
Think about that.

(35:14):
By not socializing, by notexposing your puppy, and
especially during that criticaltime, we might protect the pup
from germs, but what we're doingis we're increasing their risk
of developing issues that couldcost them their home, if we have

(35:35):
behavior problems and somebodyjust can't handle it.
So they want to rehome thepuppy or they might even get
euthanized.
Okay, now, of course we don'twant to throw caution to the
wind health-wise.
So the key here, the key hereis safe socialization, safe

(35:58):
exposure.
Now, what does that mean?
Well, enrolling your puppy in awell-run puppy kindergarten
class as early as possible.
Many classes accept puppies by,definitely by eight to 10 weeks
of age.
Look for those.
As long.
They'll accept them as long asthey've had at least their first

(36:18):
set of shots and deworming.
Make sure you deworm the puppyNow.
These classes.
They're typically held in veryclean indoor environments where
all puppies are close in age andhave similar vaccination status
.
A good class is going torequire proof of at least one

(36:40):
round of vaccines and thatpuppies are healthy.
Doing this, getting into apuppy class at that age safely
again, this is going todramatically minimize risks for
behavior problems later.
You're not going to find Parvoon the floor of a reputable

(37:02):
training center or vet clinic.
If they're a reputableveterinary clinic they're going
to make sure that it's veryclean for everybody.
All right, these are hugebenefits.
These classes are immense foryour dog's well-being.
Behaviorally, your puppy getsto play with other puppies

(37:22):
during the peak social periodand learn social skills, and you
get to learn basic trainingskills.
Now the American VeterinarySociety of Animal Behavior their
guidelines note that puppiescan start classes as early as
seven to eight weeks.

(37:42):
Early as seven to eight weeks.
Look, the dog has already someimmunity to these diseases when
they nurse with their mother.
They get antibodies.
And if your puppy has one setof vaccinations, the American
veterinary society of animalbehavior basically is saying
listen, it's much more importantfor your dog to be socialized

(38:06):
at that period right then, atthat younger, at that younger
period.
Then waiting for allvaccinations, because if you
wait there's a huge opportunitythat's missed.
They develop lots of fears,they can really be anxious.
Then they can start becomingaggressive when they're not

(38:29):
exposed to things at thiscritical stage.
So that's why it's so importantand there's a lot of myths, a
lot of well-intentionedveterinarians and friends, like
I said, telling you don't takeyour puppy outside until it's
fully vaccinated.
Well, that's going to mess upyour puppy.
Your puppy is more likely, bythe age of three, to die of

(38:54):
behavioral euthanasia thangetting any kind of disease.
Now, outside of class, exposeyour puppy to everything,
everything you can in theenvironment, but choose it
wisely.
For example, you can carry yourpuppy in your arms or use a
stroller to walk around a busyfarmer's market or down the

(39:16):
sidewalk.
Your puppy can watch the worldwithout their paws touching
potentially contaminated ground.
Right that a bunch of unknowndogs might have been on.
You'd be surprised how manypuppies learn just by observing
from the safety of your arms.
They're taking in everythingvisually.

(39:39):
They're taking in all thesounds that are around them and
the smells, all the sounds thatare around them and the smells
Now outside of class.
The other thing you can do ishave play dates with friendly
adult dogs.
You got to make sure thatthey're a calm, friendly, stable
dog, whether it's somebody fromyour friend friends you have,
neighbors, family members andthat you know are fully

(40:02):
vaccinated and, like I said,they're calm, relaxed, stable.
They're good with puppies.
Maybe you've got a friend or afamily member that has a gentle,
healthy dog that's beenvaccinated.
That's perfect.
Arrange to meet at a privateyard or let them come to your

(40:22):
home.
Adult dogs often teach puppiesgood manners.
An older dog will gentlycorrect a mouthing puppy in a
way that teaches bite inhibition.
You just got to supervise themclosely to ensure that it's a
positive encounter.
A well-socialized adult canreally and I'm talking about an

(40:44):
adult dog a well-socializedadult dog can really help boost
your puppy's confidence.
But you got to be smart right.
Avoid high-risk areas likepublic dog parks or pet store
floors until your puppy's older,pet store floors, until your
puppy's older.
These places they've got lotsof unknown dogs, some of whom

(41:09):
might not even be vaccinated.
They might be carrying disease.
So you've got to be smart.
Also, dog parks can have roughplay, no pun intended but they
can have rough players in thatdog park that might scare or
even harm your small puppy.
It's not worth the risk at thisstage.
You can take your puppy on theground in cleaner areas your

(41:33):
yard or a friend's yard thathasn't had sick dogs, quiet
parks, especially on surfaceslike concrete or clean grass.
Make sure there's not an areawhere the dogs are urinating or
defecating, peeing or pooping,because they may have disease
there.
And you don't want to go to ahigh traffic area where other

(41:56):
unknown dogs are because theycould bring in illness or
disease.
So look for clean grassy areasrather than areas that are full
of pee or poop.
You've got to use your judgmentand your vet's advice, but
you've got to remember some vets, with great intention, are

(42:19):
telling you don't get your puppyoutside until it's fully
vaccinated.
Well, that's not true.
If you wait, that may bringabout huge behavior problems.
Now we don't want your dog toget any kind of disease or
illness, so you've got to besmart, like I said.

(42:40):
All right, but generally here'swhat's important by 8 to 12
weeks, some controlled outdoorexploration on leash in low
traffic areas, because, remember, this is the fear stage in low
traffic areas is very beneficialfor the puppy.
For instance, you can walk downthe street in your neighborhood

(43:02):
, not where lots of stray dogsroam.
If that's the case, then go toa different sidewalk and you're
avoiding sniffing unknown poop.
So if you're walking your puppyand you see poop, get your

(43:23):
puppy moving, pick up your puppy, all right.
But getting them out at thistime has a very, very high
likelihood of preventing yourdog from being fearful or
reactive or aggressive laterdown the road or aggressive
later down the road.
Now, if you're concerned aboutdisease or you have a tiny breed

(43:48):
, even car rides to experiencethe outside world from the car
or sitting on a blanket at, say,a park, that can be great.
Think creatively.
Socialization doesn't mean thepuppy has to physically interact
with everything.
Even seeing and hearing allkinds of different things from a

(44:11):
safe spot is valuablesocialization.
Quite frankly, I would lovethem to change the word
socialization to exposure Again.
They don't have to meet everypuppy or dog, they don't have to
meet every person, but theyneed to be exposed to everything

(44:32):
.
Now, if you've got veryfriendly, calm, well-vaccinated
dogs, hey, let them meet the dog.
If you've got good people thatcan be calm and relaxed and not
do crazy things with puppies ordogs.
Let your puppy meet them, butin this stage, because they're
not fully vaccinated, you've gotto balance the risk of where

(44:55):
you're going and what you'redoing.
All right, the risk of nosocialization is going to be a
dog who's afraid of everything.
Socialization is going to be adog who's afraid of everything.
The risk of thoughtfulsocialization is minimal if it's
done smartly and it canliterally save your dog's life
in the long run by preventingserious behavior issues.

(45:17):
Now, to underline this point, drE Catherine Meyer I'm just
going to say it the way it is onthe study.
She's the past president of theAmerican Veterinary Society of
Animal Behavior.
She said all right, they'reveterinarians who are big on
behavior.
She said that from the time youbring your puppy home until

(45:41):
about three to four months ofage your puppy home until about
three to four months of age it'scritical to get them out to
meet other animals and peopleand experience many events,
because puppies have a sensitiveperiod where they're primed to
learn these social skills.
If we miss it, those puppiesoften fail to develop coping
mechanisms and they grow intodogs who can't adapt to new

(46:04):
situations.
Yeah, we definitely don't wantthat.
All right, hopefully I'veconvinced you that early
socialization or exposure isboth safe, with care, and it's
critical.
Now let's get into the what andhow of socialization.

(46:26):
What should you actually dowith your puppy during these
early weeks to really maximizetheir social savvy?
All right, people, people,people.
One big area is people.
Dogs are a social species andwe want them to be comfortable

(46:48):
around humans, not just theirimmediate family, but all sorts
of people Tall people, shortpeople, males, females, kids,
people of different ethnicitiesSince dogs can notice
differences in appearance, yeah,people wearing hats that can

(47:10):
get them exposed to that.
People wearing sunglasses,hoodies, people that wear
uniforms the more variety thatyou can introduce, the better.
All right, let's talk about thehow.
Start by having friends comeover to your home to meet the
puppy in a controlled way.
One or two new people at a time.

(47:31):
Make sure that they are armedwith treats.
Have them let the puppyapproach at the puppy's own pace
.
Maybe the pup is bold and runsright up, or maybe they hang
back and need a little more time.
Don't force the puppy to beheld by someone if they seem

(47:52):
scared.
Instead, let that person toss atreat or two.
Have them speak softlyTypically young puppies.
They're going to warm upquickly and they're going to
climb all over a willing visitorin no time, especially if
treats magically fall from thesky and I'm talking about the

(48:14):
visitor's hand, the person thatyou have over.
Expose puppies to children, ifpossible.
Carefully, though.
Kids can be unpredictable.
If possible, okay, carefully,though.
Kids can be unpredictable.
They can be rough and that canscare a puppy.
So, ideally, find gentle, dogsavvy kids Maybe your nieces or

(48:38):
nephews or maybe neighbor kidswho have calm dogs, kids who
have calm dogs and make sure.
Make sure you're alwayssupervising all the time,
especially when they're withkids.
But here you go, let let's.
What do we do with the kid?

(48:59):
Let the kids sit on the groundand have the puppy come to them,
not the child going to thepuppy.
It's important when you do this, you need to teach kids how to
pet gently, make sure they'renot slapping or grabbing fur.
Have a conversation with themand give the puppy an escape

(49:19):
route.
You didn't think about that.
Give the puppy a way to getaway.
No, you didn't think about that.
Give the puppy a way to getaway, so if it's too much for
this particular puppy, they canwalk away.
The goal is the puppy thinkswow, tiny humans are fun and not
scary.

(49:42):
Again, treats If you don't haveaccess to kids, at least have
the puppy see kids at a distance, on walks or near a playground,
from a safe distance, and pairthat with treats.
Men in particular are sometimesmore intimidating to puppies,
we think, maybe because ofperhaps deeper voices or a

(50:05):
larger stature.
So make sure that your puppymeets nice men.
Perhaps a bearded friend,someone with glasses, same with
people wearing big coats orfunny accessories, like a
cyclist that wears the helmet.
All right, here's a pro tipCostume night.

(50:30):
One evening you and your familycan put on hats or wigs, fake
mustaches yeah, I know it soundssilly All kinds of things, and
then you're able to calmlyexpose your puppy to each of
these aspects that could be withpeople.
Make sure you're giving treatswhen you're doing this.
I know it sounds silly, but itcan really help a dog generalize

(50:55):
that people come in many formsand they're positive.
The key with people is qualityof interaction over quantity.
A shy puppy doesn't need to bepassed around to 20 strangers in
a day.
That might be way too much.
It's better to have a few greatexperiences where the puppy

(51:17):
chooses to approach and getsgoodies, gets some treats and
then maybe some gentle petting.
But let the puppy approach thepeople first.
Like I said, it's better tohave a few really good
experiences with people wherethe puppy chooses to approach
them and they get treats andmaybe some gentle petting.

(51:39):
That's a whole lot better thana bunch of people where they
might be a bit overwhelmed.
But by all means you want tohave your puppy meet lots of
people.
Some old rule of thumb says 100people by 12 weeks.
But listen, don't get hung upon that number.

(52:01):
Just vary the different typesof people and make sure that
you're making each meeting, eachexposure to people positive.
Okay.
Now the other thing I want totalk about.
This is places, surfaces andenvironments.
Okay, the world is full ofdifferent environments and you

(52:25):
want your puppy to becomfortable wherever they go.
Wherever you take the the vetclinic, a friend's house, a busy
city street, a quiet countryarea in the early weeks of age,
do a bit of a world tour, so tospeak, but do it safely.
Take your puppy on car rides todifferent places.

(52:49):
Maybe one day a short drive toa downtown area, carry them on
the sidewalk to watch the hustleand bustle of people going by.
And maybe another day trip to apet-friendly store.
And maybe another day trip to apet-friendly store Again,
safety Carried in your hands orin a cart, not necessarily on

(53:10):
the floor during this age Inthat place.
Maybe another thing to do isget them to a friend's house.
That's a different environment,even within your own
neighborhood.
Change up the walking routes.
Let them sniff around differentblocks, different areas.

(53:36):
Visit a playground when it'sempty so the pup can explore the
jungle gym.
Or during a mild day when kidsare present, again at a distance
if needed.
Watch your puppy present, againat a distance if needed.
Watch your puppy If they showsome timid behavior, if they're
scared.
Create more distance.
Pair these with treats, surfacesthat's an often overlooked part

(53:59):
of socialization or exposure.
You'd be amazed.
Some dogs who never walked onlike metal grates or wooden
decks as puppies.
They might freeze.
They might refuse to walk onthose when they're adults
because it feels weird undertheir feet.
So make sure that you exposethem out of grass, gravel,

(54:22):
concrete, hardwood floors, thecarpet, tile, sand, if available
, metal grates or steps.
Again, make sure you do thiswith caution.
Make sure that their tiny feetdon't slip through the grate, so
to speak.
You may be holding them alittle bit.

(54:42):
Get them used to wet surfaces.
Yeah, make a game of it.
All right, give them treats forwalking on the strange surfaces
.
Many puppy classes includelittle obstacle courses,
precisely to give pupsconfidence on various textures
and elevations.

(55:03):
Now also, I want you to thinkabout this Household objects and
environments there.
Umbrellas how many adult dogsbark at a person with an
umbrella because they never sawone before?
Vacuum cleaners, lawnmowers Atleast from a distance or turned

(55:23):
off, and you're pairing it withtreats.
And as they get more and moreconfident, then maybe have them
at a distance.
See and hear the lawnmower, seeand hear the vacuum cleaner
while you're pairing it withtreats.
Bicycles and skateboards goingby we talked about that earlier.

(55:43):
You can do controlled exposures, like leaving a skateboard in
the yard for your puppy just tosniff and then maybe rolling it
slowly while you're feeding yourpuppy.
Give them treats.
Again, this teaches the puppy.
Moving wheels are not a bigdeal.
Okay, now for environments.

(56:08):
I want you to consider sound aswell.
Okay, we're going to becovering sound next, but know
that environment and sound oftengo together.
All right, the environment ofcity, downtown, maybe your city.
There's traffic noise, you knowif you're in the country.
Maybe there's farm animals orgunshots or hunting sounds at a

(56:33):
distance.
So let's talk about sounds andnoises.
Okay, louder, sudden noises area common fearful trigger.
Sudden noises are a commonfearful trigger, especially if a
dog isn't habituated early.
Use the socialization period tointroduce common noises, but

(56:53):
gently, all right.
Again, here are some ideas.
Household noises they're goingto be dealing with this.
The dishwasher, the vacuum,your blender, maybe your hair
dryer.
Now don't fire them all up atonce and you know where you got
everything going sound-wise, anddon't have your puppy right

(57:16):
next to them at a distance.
Okay, have the puppy in theroom doing something fun like
eating treats or playing, andthen briefly perhaps, turn on
your hair dryer across the roomon low, then off, act like it's
normal.
If the puppy didn't react badly, praise and maybe toss a treat.

(57:41):
Over days you can increaseduration Over some days.
Over a week, you can increaseduration over some days.
Over a week you can increasethe loudness.
Pair them with treats.
Soon they're going to ignorethose routine noises.
Actually, many puppies mightstartle initially, but then they
might curiously approach it.
Is that a living thing they'rethinking.

(58:03):
Let them investigate, but letthem investigate safely.
Alright, let's talk about one.
This is a tough one Thunder andfireworks.
Now you obviously can'tschedule a thunderstorm, but you
can use sounds of athunderstorm that are recorded.
Okay, there are pre-made soundsfor socialization.

(58:27):
Okay, you can find something onYouTube, I guarantee it.
I've got YouTube videos withfireworks, with thunder, and
what we do is we play thethunder sounds just like we
would the fireworks, at very lowvolumes, perhaps while the

(58:48):
puppy's eating its dinner orchewing a favorite toy or we're
giving treats.
Now, if they don't notice thatsound, just gradually increase
volume Gradually, very gradually, over many sessions, until it's
moderately loud and yourpuppy's still chilling out.

(59:09):
Same for firework noises.
There's evidence out there thatsays gradual exposure can
prevent noise phobias later andI deal with lots of dogs with
noise phobias and they never hadexposure to that.
Of course, nothing beats a realstorm, right?
So if one happens and your pupis young, be prepared with

(59:31):
treats and have a happy, jollyattitude.
Do a little play session sothat the puppy can associate the
storm with fun things.
All right, city noises If youlive in a quiet area but want
your dog to be okay in the city.

(59:52):
You need to deliberately exposethem Now.
You could also start this byrecordings of traffic or
literally taking a field tripnear a city street.
Yeah, again, during this periodyou might want to carry them.
You might not want to have themon the ground if you don't know

(01:00:12):
what dog's been there or sickdogs have been there.
Keep them in your hands, butlet them hear what's going on.
Let them hear sirens in thedistance, buses at tolerable
volume.
Treat and praise your puppy forcalm behavior.
If that's what they'reexperiencing, if they seem

(01:00:32):
nervous, well.
Well, if it's a recording, youneed to turn it down.
If it's the city, you need tomaybe get a little distance.
Okay, what about other animals?
Dogs also need exposure tosounds of other animals cats
meowing, birds chirping, maybelivestock.

(01:00:54):
If you have any chance, likeperhaps a weekend drive to a
farm area to see horses or cows,you know, behind a fence, at a
distance where your puppy'scomfortable Pair, that with fun
things play treats, fun thingsplay treats.
If you have a cat, if you havea cat at home, that may happen,

(01:01:20):
naturally, but if you don't,maybe you need to let them hear
a cat at a friend's house orthrough a fence, at least the
sound.
So a sudden meow later in lifedoesn't freak them out.
Okay, a great exercise is thesound socialization game.

(01:01:43):
Play a new sound a day, softly,while giving your puppy perhaps
a stuffed kong or high valuechew.
This way, your puppy,unconsciously, is going to pair
weird sounds with good stuff.
There's different things on theinternet.

(01:02:03):
You can find things.
There's apps like soundproofpuppy app with sound libraries
for that purpose.
All right, let's talk about dogsand other animals.
Socializing with other dogsdeserves its own time.
We need to devote time to thatbecause dog-to-dog social skills

(01:02:25):
are absolutely critical.
Listen, a dog or a puppy?
All right, that didn't havethat exposure or that great
socialization, all right.
They didn't learn how toproperly greet and play as a
puppy.
They may struggle down the roadwith dog aggression or fear.

(01:02:48):
Now, that being said, not everyinteraction is automatically
good.
You want them mostly withfriendly and, again, you do some
homework before you expose them.
You want them with friendly,well-mannered dogs to set the
tone.
All right.
Puppy classes can be idealbecause all the pups are

(01:03:08):
learning together.
They tussle around, they figureout bite inhibition, like when
a pup bites too hard and theother puppy yelps and that other
puppy stops playing.
That's a natural consequencethat teaches don't bite so hard
or play ends.

(01:03:28):
Now, in the absence of a class,set up meetings.
Perhaps you have a friend witha tolerant older dog, because
puppies can be obnoxious, right,it's wonderful to see an adult
dog having great manners with apuppy, teaching the puppy, all

(01:03:49):
right.
But you know if the puppy isbiting the older dog, you know
there might be a gentle growlfrom this dog, maybe a bark if
the puppy gets too pushy.
Well, that's it.
That's important feedback forthe puppy.
But supervise this, supervise,supervise, supervise to make

(01:04:09):
sure the adult dog isn't trulyannoyed or going to start get
aggressive with the puppy Again.
Do your homework.
Get a really tolerant, calm dogfrom a neighbor or a friend.
Now got to be a little cautiousof the big size differences.
A large dog could accidentallyhurt, for example, a toy breed,

(01:04:34):
even if their intentions arewell.
So matchmaking by size and playstyle that's going to help.
If you don't own other dogs,this is critical.
Consider visiting familymembers who do.
Visiting family members who door I'm not a huge fan of doggy

(01:04:56):
daycare, but if they have onewith little dogs, maybe your
puppy can have some short playsessions there.
Okay, if they offer somespecial playtime.
You got to do your homework.
Now you want to socialize themto other species.
Yeah, that might not apply toeveryone, everyone.

(01:05:17):
But if you have access,exposing your puppy to other
animals can make them moreversatile and calmer.
For example, if you have a cat,teaching the puppy from day one
to be gentle and calm aroundthe cat, not chase, that's going
to help.
All right, if, if you, if youlive near horses I talked about
this early If you live nearhorses or you have a farm,

(01:05:41):
letting your puppy see thosehorses or chickens while on
leash at a safe distance duringthe socialization period can
definitely listen, hear me, hearme, hear me Definitely can
prevent them from going berserklater when they encounter them,
and they certainly can.
I deal with a lot of dogs thatjust can't handle it.

(01:06:02):
They never got the exposureOkay, even something as simple
as squirrels.
If there are squirrels whereyou live, if your yard has them,
your puppy will get used tothem, just being part of the
environment, having them outthere, rather than an unknown
creature, unknown animal toobsess and freak out over.

(01:06:24):
Now, always ensure that theinteractions are safe, they're
positive, have treats.
You don't want, say, a horse tospook or a cat to scratch the
pup's eye, use barriers.
If you need to like a puppy onleash, watching through maybe a

(01:06:45):
baby gate and getting treats,all right.
Maybe there's a horse on theother side of a fence 30 feet
away, that's fine, do that.
You need to be able to read yourpuppy's emotions, all right.
That's a crucial skill for you.

(01:07:05):
You, as the pet parent duringsocialization, need to be able
to monitor your puppy's bodylanguage and stress signals.
Puppies can speak, but theygive us cues tail carriage, ear
position, how they hold theirbody.
If your pup's happily wiggling,approaching things, wagging

(01:07:28):
their tail, they're probablyfeeling pretty good.
If they start to, you know,hang back.
If you see them tuck their tailor pant when it's not hot, or
try to climb up onto you and getaway, they might be getting
overwhelmed or scared.
If you see those signs, take abreak, get them out of there.

(01:07:50):
Increase your distance fromwhatever is causing them to be
nervous or concerned.
Let your puppy calm down, getsome distance.
Maybe you've done enough forthat day, that outing.
You want to end everyone on agood note whenever possible, for

(01:08:11):
example, if you're meeting anew person and that was too much
.
Have that person toss treats ata distance where your puppy's
comfortable and not reach foryour puppy.
Or if the hardware store tripwas okay until a loud bang
happened and now your puppy'snervous, just calmly reassure

(01:08:33):
and maybe call it a day Ratherthan pushing it further.
Hey, there's always tomorrow,but there's only this little
critical period for exposure andsocialization.
Remember socialization exposureis about quality.
One really positive eventencounter is better than five

(01:08:56):
lukewarm ones or one bad one.
We'd rather skip or cut out ofit exposure than turn it into a
trauma for the dog.
Now, maybe you don't know aboutflooding, but you need to avoid
the mindset of flooding, takinga scared puppy and making them

(01:09:17):
sit in a crowded marketplace orstore and doing that for an hour
, hoping that they'll just getover it.
Hey, that can seriouslybackfire and make fear worse,

(01:09:41):
worse.
Instead, systematic exposure,gradually, with rewards of play,
love, petting and treats.
All right, let's talk about onemore aspect alone time.
This might sound odd, but partof early exposure, part of early
exposure training, is teachinga puppy to handle being alone.
Briefly, now, many puppies theyget so much attention from you

(01:10:04):
guys, from people, since we'reall focusing on them right,
getting them exposed toeverything, socializing to
everything.
It's about them, them, them.
They never learn to self-soothealone, which can definitely
lead to separation anxiety.

(01:10:30):
So you need to practice leavingyour pup in a safe,
puppy-proofed area or crate forvery short periods, even if you
work from home and don'ttechnically need to start with
just a few seconds.
If you need to Watch thepuppy's body language, then
increase it to a few minutes,then a little bit longer.
Now remember, always make itpositive.
Give a special treat or a toyonly when they're alone.

(01:10:53):
Have just something veryspecial they love, put it up and
only bring it out.
That way it has more value,like a peanut butter Kong or
something like that.
When they're alone.
This way, being alone sometimesis also just a normal, okay,

(01:11:13):
part of life.
You want to teach them that.
All right Now.
We've covered a ton onsocialization, so if you're
feeling a bit overwhelmed withyour to-do list, here's a tip
Create a checklist or a diary.
Write down categories likepeople with hats, tall men,

(01:11:34):
children, loud traffic, anelevator and mark dates when you
expose your pup to each ofthose.
There are even pre-madesocialization checklists that
you can find online.
You don't have to hit everysingle one of them, but it
ensures that you're getting awide variety of exposure and

(01:11:57):
socialization.
This is critical.
If you get nothing else out ofthis podcast, please expose your
puppies calmly, make surethey're calm, they're relaxed,
having a positive experience,but expose them to everything.

(01:12:18):
Next, listen.
The next thing that I want totalk about we're going to go
ahead and switch gears a littlebit, all right, but I want to
talk about something that'srelated but a bit different
Cooperative care and earlytraining for handling.
Now, this deserves its ownspecial focus, because this is
one thing that's oftenoverlooked, it's often neglected

(01:12:40):
, yet it can have a hugedifference in your dog's life
and your vet bills.
Frankly, now, cooperative careis teaching your puppy to say
yes to handling.
All right.
Imagine a dog that willinglyoffers you their paw for a nail
trim or calmly stands while thevet gives a vaccine all because

(01:13:04):
they've been taught it pays offto cooperate, to be cooperative,
to cooperate.
Now, this isn't a fantasy.
It's the result of what'scalled cooperative care training
.
This is huge.
The idea behind cooperativecare is to give dogs some
control and positive experiencesin situations that would

(01:13:25):
normally be scary oruncomfortable, like grooming and
veterinary exams.
Instead of forcing a dogthrough it, you train them to
volunteer for it.
Yeah, for puppies, we have aprime opportunity to start this
training before any badexperiences occur.

(01:13:45):
A lot of adults who freak outover nail trims, for instance,
do so.
They do it because one timesomeone clipped too short and
hurt them, or they wererestrained and they panicked.
Puppies, hopefully, have aclean slate, so let's keep it

(01:14:10):
that way, all right.
What does cooperative care looklike?
Cooperative care involvesteaching behaviors that allow
the dog to be an activeparticipant, for example,
teaching a puppy to hold stillor hold a specific position as a
consent signal, if you will.
A popular one is the chin rest.

(01:14:32):
You train the pup to rest theirchin in the palm of your hand
or on your lap and stay there.
This can later be used duringvet exams.
The dog essentially agrees toan exam by keeping their chin in

(01:14:52):
place and if they move that's asignal they're uncomfortable
and need a break, all right.
Another example is a stationingmat or place Teaching your dog
to go lie on a mat and staythere, which can be used for
grooming or paw target, forexample.

(01:15:15):
The pup learns to place theirpaw on your open hand.
That's great for trimming nails, training, desensitization and
counter conditioning to specificprocedures, for instance for
nail trims.
First you teach the pup thatwhen you touch their paw they

(01:15:35):
get a treat.
Then when you gently squeeze atoe they get a treat.
Then you introduce the nailclipper just to touch the nail,
no cutting, but give them atreat.
Over sessions you work up toclipping one nail.
That gets a treat.
If at any step your puppy yanksaway or seems unhappy, you go

(01:16:01):
back a step.
Make it easier, make it morepositive.
Eventually many dogs will sitcalmly, maybe even offer their
paw, because they've learnednail trimming isn't scary and it
predicts yummy treats, yummyrewards, all right.
Similarly, you can get pupsused to you brushing their teeth

(01:16:24):
right by letting them lick dogsafe toothpaste off the brush,
then touching it very briefly,gently to their teeth and
pulling it away and, little bylittle, having it there longer
in their mouth, little by little, slowly brushing a tooth for a

(01:16:47):
second, then it goes back intheir mouth.
You get the idea.
Gradually, systematically breakthis down into little, tiny
slices.
All right, I need to talk aboutear cleaning, because that's
always a problem for lots ofdogs.
So when they're a puppy, one ofthe things that you want to do

(01:17:10):
is massage their ears whileyou're feeding them something
incredible Peanut butter from aspoon, for example.
All right, at your vet.
When they're at the vet, acommon cooperative care behavior
is teaching a dog to standquietly on a platform or a table
for the exam and to accept agentle restraint.

(01:17:33):
Okay, some people even teachtheir dog to basically step onto
the scale and sit on their own.
Think of circus dogs that hopon stools.
Same idea, but in this caseit's the scale that they use to

(01:17:55):
weigh the dog and they get atreat for doing it.
In essence, we're giving thedog predictability.
They learn hey, if I do X, hold, still give a paw, whatever it
is we want them to do, then Iknow what's coming and I'm going
to get rewarded.
That's going to remove a ton offear from the unknown.

(01:18:21):
Okay, now you got to startyoung with puppies.
Cooperative care starts withsimple handling exercises.
Gentle, all over handling Everyday.
Spend a few minutes touchingyour pup's paws, spreading their
toes, looking between them.
Lift their ears and pretend toinspect.

(01:18:41):
Open their mouth, if they allowyou to peek at the teeth.
Run your hands over their belly, even gently lifting their tail
very gently.
Pair all of this with praiseand yummy, yummy treats, high
value stuff.

(01:19:01):
This is going to teach yourpuppy that human touch
everywhere on their body isnormal.
It's not threatening.
Make sure to keep your sessionsshort.
Maybe you do pause in themorning.
Maybe you're doing ears atlunch.
Maybe you work from home, maybeyou do work on the mouth in the
evening.

(01:19:22):
Remember, always be gentle.
We're not trying to trulyexamine, we're just simulating
it.
We're pairing positivereinforcement with it so that
the puppy, as it grows and as ithas to experience it in real
life, is not going to be nervous, is not going to be scared.
All right, next you want tointroduce some tools.

(01:19:44):
Show your puppy what nailclippers look like before you
ever attempt to trim.
Let them sniff the clippers,maybe even lick them, if safe.
Then give a treat.
Hey, here's a pro tip.
Get a piece of uncookedspaghetti, put it next to the

(01:20:05):
pup, all right, and put yourclipper through and cut it.
Let them hear the sniff soundand associate that with a treat.
All right, that's a pro tip foryou Spaghetti.
I don't remember where Ilearned that, where I heard that

(01:20:26):
long time ago, but it's notoriginal.
But you want to do the samething with other things, like
the brush that they would bebrushed with.
But first let your puppy seeand sniff the brush, maybe
nibble on the bristles.
Then brush one stroke and givethem a treat Very lightly, very
short time.
Do mock vet exams at home.

(01:20:49):
Again, this may sound funny,but play vet with your puppy.
Once they're comfortable withgentle handling, you or your
family member can pretend to bethe vet, gently feel their belly
palpitating, as a vet wouldCheck under their tail

(01:21:11):
Temperature, taking position.
But don't actually do it.
Hold a pen light and shine itnear them, not directly into
their eyes.
You can even wrap your armaround their chest, like a vet
might do, to hold them and thenfeed a treat, treats with all of
this.
If you're holding them, you cantreat with the other hand, the

(01:21:36):
more that your puppy experiencesthese type of situations in
safe places, pairing it withpositive reinforcement, the less
strange, the less fearful it'sgoing to be when they go to the
real vet.
Okay, if you have a small breedor plan to travel, teaching your

(01:21:58):
puppy to like a pet carrier orcrate might be part of
cooperative care too.
If that's the case, feed themin the carrier, toss treats in
it, make it comfy and cozy, havetoys in it.
We want them comfortable, beingconfined briefly, as that'll
happen sometimes at vet visits,or if they need to stay

(01:22:23):
overnight somewhere.
Maybe you're having your vetboard them or you're in another
boarding facility.
We don't want them freaking out.
All right, we don't want themfreaking out, all right.
One interesting cooperative caremethod is using a target or
start button behavior.
For example, I mentioned thechin rest.
All right, I'm going to talkabout a bucket game, an idea by

(01:22:48):
a trainer named Shirok Patel, bya trainer named Chirac Patel,
where the dog is taught to keeptheir nose pointed at a target
or bucket.
As long as they do, youcontinue the handling and if
they move away, you stop.

(01:23:08):
In this situation, the dogcontrols the pace.
With puppies, this level ofsophistication might be a bit
advanced, but you can start thebasics.
Teach a chin rest by holding atreat in your hand, and every
time the puppy brings their chintowards the palm to sniff, go

(01:23:30):
ahead and mark that, say yes andgive a treat.
The puppy's going to learn thatchin and hand equals treat.
Eventually you're able to havethem hold it longer and longer
before you reward.
Now why go through all thistrouble?
Well, there's going to be a lotless stress.

(01:23:50):
It's going to be safer foreveryone.
You know, a dog that's beenprepared with cooperative care
is far less stress.
It's going to be safer foreveryone.
You know, a dog that's beenprepared with cooperative care
is far less likely to need to bemuzzled or heavily restrained
at the vet and that's scary.
They're less likely to struggleand accidentally get hurt or
cause the vet tech to get nipped.

(01:24:10):
They might even enjoy vetvisits because they think, ah,
these people give me peanutbutter and praise while they
examine me.
Many vets now practicefear-free techniques which align
perfectly with a dog that'sbeen trained for cooperative
care.
It's a team effort.
You know, there's a research,there's a study supporting this

(01:24:35):
approach.
Okay, and there was a recentpilot study by Wes et al in 20,
where is it?
I got it here in 2022.
That looked at dogs whounderwent cooperative care
training classes versus thosewho don't, and found some
encouraging differences.

(01:24:56):
The dogs who got the trainingshowed signs of much lower
stress, like a more relaxed bodytemperature, patterns
associated with calm states andimproved compliance with
handling, compared to theuntrained group.
While both of these groups ofdogs still found vet exams

(01:25:23):
somewhat challenging, that's notsurprising.
The vet's never going to betheir favorite place, but the
trained dogs had a measurablybetter coping skills.
They had better coping skills.
It's a small study, but itvalidates what trainers have

(01:25:45):
seen anecdotally An ounce ofprevention training is worth a
pound of cure when it comes tovet visits or grooming stress.
Also think about the practicalside of it.
Nail trims and grooming arethings you'll need to do for
your dog's whole life.
If you invest the time whenyour puppy is three to four

(01:26:06):
months old to make themcomfortable with it, you're
going to save yourselfpotentially years of struggling
with your dog.
Nobody wants a 70-pound dogthat needs three people to hold
them down for a nail trim.
Your groomer or vet will thankyou and your dog's going to be
much happier.
So make sure that youincorporate cooperative care

(01:26:32):
into your routine.
Make it a game.
Many puppies learned love thesesessions because it's basically
extra attention and it's treats.
You make sure you're usingreally high value food, rewards,
little pieces of cheese orlittle pieces of chicken, and

(01:26:52):
reserve them only for that kindof training.
So your puppy thinks oh boy,nail, trim, practice, I get the
special cheese or I get chicken.
Okay, now, before we move on,just a quick success story
example.
I had a puppy in one of myclasses who, the pet parent,

(01:27:14):
practiced cooperative care andthey were really diligent about
it.
By the time that puppy was sixmonths old, she would waltz into
the vet clinic, hop on thescale herself, sit patiently
while being examined and evenhold out her leg for a blood
draw with some peanut butterdistraction, her leg for a blood
draw with some peanut butterdistraction.

(01:27:35):
The clinic staff wereabsolutely amazed, because even
a lot of adult dogs don't dothat.
Very few dogs do that.
It really showed me the powerof starting young.
All right, we've covereddevelopment, socialization,
we've covered handling.
Now it's time for an importantreality check.

(01:27:57):
The world is full of dogtraining advice and not all of
it's good.
In fact, some common advice isdownright bad or outdated.
So I want to get into the mythbusting and talk about which

(01:28:19):
approaches you should avoid andwhy.
I want to do some debunking ofcommon myths and outdated
training advice.
If you've ever Googled a puppyproblem or watched certain TV
shows, you're likely to comeacross some of these myths.
Okay, maybe watch trainers onsocial media or on TV.

(01:28:41):
Okay, these can be reallypervasive.
So don't feel bad if youbelieved or followed them.
Many of us did at one point.
I did early on in my careeruntil education set me straight.
The good news is that modernanimal behavior science gives us

(01:29:09):
a better way.
All right, let's tackle some bigmyths now.
Let's start with myth numberone.
You shouldn't socialize yourpuppy until all vaccinations are
done.
Well, we touched on thisalready in the socialization
discussion, but it's worthreinforcing as a myth to debunk

(01:29:30):
because it's such common advice.
Myth to debunk because it'ssuch common advice.
The belief is that letting apuppy outside or around other
dogs before 16 weeks, when therabies and final parvo distemper
shots are usually done, willexpose them to deadly disease.
So you must keep them home.
That's a myth.

(01:29:51):
Why it's a myth?
It's an outdated notion.
It's not aligned with currentveterinary behavior
recommendations as mentioned bythe American Veterinary Society
of Animal Behavior.
They've got a clear positionstatement on it.
The risk of not socializingduring the critical period far

(01:30:11):
outweighs any risk of illness,provided you take reasonable
precautions.
Socialization can and shouldbegin after the puppy's first
set of vaccinations, aroundseven to eight weeks.
A puppy until, say, four monthsor later is actually more likely

(01:30:34):
to harm them long-termbehaviorally than a supervised
outing is to give them parvo.
The misunderstanding oftenarises because some vets,
especially old school ones, theyoftentimes are prioritizing

(01:30:55):
disease prevention so much thatthey overlook behavior.
Now it's understandable.
Parvo is scary, but behaviorproblems can be silent killers
too.
If you ever encounter a vet whosays no outdoor anything until
16 weeks, says no outdooranything until 16 weeks, you

(01:31:20):
might gently bring up theAmerican Veterinary Society of
Animal Behavior positionstatement or find a vet with
more modern ideas and outlook.
Now, does this myth mean thatyou can throw caution out?
No, we still avoid obviouslyhigh risk situations for disease
like dog parks Don't do that.
Or sniffing unknown dog poopDon't let your puppy do that.

(01:31:40):
But as we planned earlier, youstill get your puppy out into
the world safely.
I find it helpful.
To use an analogy, it's likesaying you shouldn't take your
human baby outside until they'vehad all their shots.
That would be months of beingindoors and missing out on

(01:32:03):
normal development.
We don't do this with kids.
We take them out.
We just don't bring them to achicken pox party or something
like that.
Just don't bring them to achicken pox party or something
like that.
Now, in 2008, the AmericanVeterinary Society of Animal
Behavior basically implored vetsand pet parents start those

(01:32:25):
puppy classes early.
Start socialization early.
They pointed out that behaviorissues due to under
socialization are the number onecause of death in dogs under
the age of three, much more thaninfectious disease.
That's an eye opener.

(01:32:49):
Myers quote that I citedearlier.
She emphasized that fromadoption until three to four
months, it's critical to exposepuppies to lots of animals, lots
of people, lots of environments.
So myth busted yes, you shouldsocialize your puppy before

(01:33:11):
they're fully vaccinated.
Your puppy before they're fullyvaccinated.
Just do it smartly.
If someone challenged you onthis, you can say your stance is
backed by the AmericanVeterinary Medical Association
as well, since the AVMApublished articles supporting
early socialization too.
All right.
Myth number two you need to bethe alpha.

(01:33:34):
Dogs only respect dominance,you need to be alpha.
Have you heard that this is one?
This one is huge and it's donea lot of damage.
The idea here is that dogs livein a dominance hierarchy, like
wolves supposedly do, and thatyour dog will try to dominate

(01:33:57):
you if you're not assertingyourself as the alpha.
Therefore, as the myth goes,you must show them who's boss,
you must show them that you'rein charge, sometimes through
physical corrections or a sternverbal correction.
People interpret normal puppybehaviors, like stealing socks

(01:34:22):
or pulling on a leash, as thedog being dominant or
challenging them.
Now why this is a myth?
This is based on outdatedscience and a misunderstanding
of both wolf behavior anddomesticated dog behavior.
It's true that many socialanimals have dominant

(01:34:45):
subordinate relationships.
That concept exists, but it'snot that simple.
But it's not that simple Statichierarchy where one individual
is always seeking to overthrowanother.

(01:35:05):
That concept exists.
Like I said, it's not thissimple.
First of all, dogs are notwolves and even wolves don't act
the way the old dominance modelsuggested.
Let me give you a bit of history.
The dominance theory in dogtraining largely came from

(01:35:27):
studies of captive wolves in themid-20th century.
There was work done In 1947.
By Schenkels, and later it wasPopulized by others, which
described rigid pack HierarchiesWith an alpha that got to do

(01:35:50):
everything.
First this got Applied to dogs,assuming dogs see their human
family as a pack to doeverything.
First this got applied to dogs,assuming dogs see their human
family as a pack to dominate.
But later research, especiallyby David Meck in the 1990s,
observed wolves in naturalconditions that refuted a lot of

(01:36:11):
that.
Wild wolf packs are oftenfamilies Mom, dad and their kids
, their offspring and they don'tconsistently fight for rank,
they cooperate.
They have dynamic roles, thewhole alpha role.
Physically pinning a wolf wassomething, something rarely seen

(01:36:35):
except in abnormal captivesettings.
Meck himself has spent yearstrying to debunk the very alpha
wolf concept he once helpedintroduce.
As one veterinary behavioristpointed out, it's not logical to
use wolf behavior to explaindogs, just like we wouldn't

(01:37:01):
explain human behavior bylooking at chimpanzees, even
though we share almost identicalDNA.
Dogs have been domesticated fortens of thousands of years.
They've evolved to live withhumans, not in a wolf pack.
So the notion that your puppyis waking up each day trying to

(01:37:22):
climb a social ladder anddominate you or your family
members it's just not accurate.
It's not scientific.
We know this today.
Puppies pee on the carpetbecause they don't know where to
go.
They're not trying to claimyour living room as their
kingdom.
Okay, they jump up becausethey're excited and seeking

(01:37:46):
attention, not because theythink they're asserting rank.
The real issue Misbehaviorusually stems from one of three
things the dog hasn't beentaught what to do yet.
The dog is inadvertently beingrewarded for the wrong thing.
Or your dog is uncomfortable,scared about something.

(01:38:11):
None of those are fixed bydominance or being dominant to
the dog.
For example, a puppy thatgrowls when you approach their
food isn't trying to be alpha.
They're guarding a resource outof fear of losing it.
Maybe they had to compete withlitter mates early on to get a

(01:38:32):
nipple.
You know if mom's got 10nipples and you got 14 puppies,
somebody's fighting for thatresource.
It's scarce.
Now, if you respond, you knowwhen you're, if your puppy's
growling and when it's eatingand you walk by.
If you respond by alpha rollingthat puppy, you might
temporarily force them to submit.

(01:38:54):
But have you actually made themcomfortable with people near
their food?
No, you've likely made themmore fearful and they might not
warn the next time with a growl,they might just bite.
There's all kinds of negativeeffects of dominance-based
training, manydominance-orientated techniques.

(01:39:17):
They involve some level offorce or intimidation yelling no
leash, jerks, pinning the dog.
Study after study show thatthese can be harmful.
We discussed one study whereseveral confrontational methods

(01:39:40):
elicited aggression in a highpercentage of dogs.
That's pretty concrete.
If about one third of dogs in asurvey responded aggressively
to an alpha roll, that's a bigred flag that the technique is
flawed, because it's causing thevery thing that a

(01:40:02):
dominance-based trainer thinksit's supposed to prevent
aggression.
In addition to that, even ifthe dog doesn't outwardly
retaliate from the alpha role,they may become anxious, they
may lose trust in you.
The human animal bond can suffer.

(01:40:22):
Your relationship, your bondwith your dog can deteriorate.
Think of it from the puppy'sperspective.
They don't understand theconcept of I'm punishing you to
establish dominance.
They just feel overpowered andscared.
Hey, listen, some will submitin the moment.
Sure, but what lesson do theylearn?

(01:40:44):
Often, the lesson they'relearning is when people approach
me, it might be bad, so Ibetter watch out.
Isn't that the opposite of whatwe want?
So let's talk about a betterapproach.
We want our puppies to followour lead.
We want them to trust us.

(01:41:06):
We want them to have a historyof positive outcomes, not out of
fear.
Now, this doesn't mean lettingthe dog do whatever it wants,
okay.
Good training does providestructure, it provides rules,
but we don't need to frame thoseas a dominant struggle.

(01:41:26):
You can be kind, you want to bea benevolent leader or parent
figure to your dog.
You provide food, play, safetyand in return you ask for
certain behaviors, for example,sitting for a greeting, going
potty outside.
When they do right, you rewardbig time.

(01:41:49):
When they do wrong, you guidethem to do the right thing and
you prevent the rehearsal of badbehaviors.
You know one commonmisunderstanding people think
positive training means neversaying no.
Not true.
It just means that youprimarily teach through positive

(01:42:10):
reinforcement and management.
You might ignore or redirectunwanted behavior rather than
physically punishing it, or usemild consequences like a timeout
which isn't painful or scary,and if it is scary, don't use it
.
Get your pup out of thatsituation, okay, pup out of that

(01:42:39):
situation, okay.
But if we use a timeout, itjust removes what the puppy
wanted for a short time.
It's a consequence.
So to bust the myth no, youdon't need to dominate your
puppy, you don't need todominate your dog.
In fact, trying to be a quote,unquote alpha through force can
erode the very relationship thatyou want to build, the trust
you want to have, that you wantyour dog to have with you.

(01:43:02):
Instead, hey, be a teacher.
Modern trainers today focus oncooperation between the human
and the dog, between the humanand the dog, and they see the
relationship as a partnershiprather than a hierarchy contest.
Now I'll add to that even theAmerican Veterinary Society of

(01:43:27):
Animal Behavior releasedstatements against the misuse of
dominance theory in trainingbecause they were concerned how
it leads to coercive techniques.
Veterinary behavior experts andcertified applied animal
behaviorists have been fightingthis myth for years, especially

(01:43:51):
since certain TV programs madeit popular the dominance aspect,
certain TV programs.
I'll just say that Certain TVprograms made being dominant,
showing them who's boss beingalpha.
Those TV programs made thatpopular.

(01:44:13):
As a pet parent, though, you canfeel confident that you're not
being a weak leader by choosingpositive methods.
You're being a smart one.
You're being somebody that doesthings.
That's backed by science Allright, that's backed by science,

(01:44:33):
all right.
Myth number three Aversivetools, shock collars, prong
collars, choke collars orpunishment are necessary to be
able to get results.
That's a myth.
It's often perpetuated byseeing some trainers get fast
compliance using harsh methods.
Or the idea that if a dog isbig or stubborn you need

(01:44:58):
stronger tools to control them.
You're going to hear phraseslike prong collars don't hurt,
they just mimic a mother dog'scorrection.
Or shock collars, often callede-collars, to make it less
painful looking or sounding.

(01:45:18):
But they'll say shock collarsgive a tap like a TENS unit.
It's just like a distraction, atap on their neck and to get
their attention.
There's also the mindset thatif a dog's doing something
dangerous, like running into thestreet, you have to punish it
to stop it immediately.

(01:45:38):
But that's a myth and let'stalk about why it's a myth.
While it's true that punishmentcan suppress behavior quickly,
sometimes it comes at a cost.
It comes at a cost.
There is a ton of evidence,scientific research and

(01:45:59):
professional consensus thataversive methods.
They call it positivepunishment.
That doesn't mean it's good.
It means adding somethinguncomfortable.
And excessive negativereinforcement that's adding
something comfortable oruncomfortable, sorry.
Think about punishment, pain,fear, intimidation.
These are.

(01:46:21):
But when we talk about positivepunishment or negative
reinforcement, these are justdog training and behaviorist
jargon.
But punishment, fear, pain,intimidation have significant
side effects and they'reunnecessary In almost all cases.
Cases.

(01:46:42):
The myth is that they're neededfor tough cases or they're
needed for faster results, butthat's not what the studies say.
The studies show reward-basedmethods work very well and you
avoid the fallout.
So let's talk about fallout.

(01:47:02):
We've mentioned potential forincreased aggression when you
use aversive tools and methods,when you're not using force-free
.
Positive reinforcement.
2009, basically documented howa bunch of pet parents tried

(01:47:24):
things like hitting, kicking,growling at their dog using
alpha rolls and so on, and alarge percentage of those dogs
responded with aggression rightback at them.
If your training method iscausing an aggressive response,

(01:47:44):
20 to 40% of the time, that's afailure rate you can't accept.
But if a positive method fails,usually the worst that's
happening is nothing.
The dog doesn't do the behavior.
Maybe you just didn't motivatethem enough.
If a punishment fails, the dogmight bite someone or the dog

(01:48:11):
might become fearful.
Okay, and that gets me to thenext part.
There's another fallout fromusing those tools Fear and
anxiety, not just aggression.
Even if an aversive tool stops abehavior, say barking, it might
be doing so by making the dogafraid to bark.
The underlying emotion maybethe dog was anxious or excited.

(01:48:37):
The underlying emotion hasn'tbeen addressed.
Why the dog's doing it hasnever been addressed.
When you use punishment likethat.
Maybe it's even worse nowbecause now they're anxious and
they think a random pain mighthappen.
For example, some people useinvisible electric fences so the

(01:49:01):
dogs get shocked if theyapproach the boundary.
Oh, it can work to keep them inthe yard.
But some dogs then develop fearor reactivity toward people or
dogs passing by that electricfence because they associate the
shock with whatever they sawwhen they ran up there and got

(01:49:23):
shocked when they ran up to theboundary and experienced that
discomfort, that pain.
And then there's the wholetrust issue.
You want your puppy to see youas a source of guidance and
safety.
If what you're doing regularly,if you're using aversives, your

(01:49:45):
puppy, your dog, they may startto avoid you.
Yeah, they may start to avoidyou, or they might become hand
shy.
Many dogs trained with heavypunishment become very, very
fearful.
Many dogs that are trained withaversives, heavy punishment,

(01:50:10):
like I said, they can becomevery handler sensitive.
They only behave when theperson is present and with a
threat of correction, but notwhen they're away, because
they're not really trained.
They're just fearful of theconsequences and they've
attached that to the people.

(01:50:31):
And if a trainer is telling youto do it that way.
That's what's going to happento you.
It's not just hear this.
This is important now.
It's not just a fewsoft-hearted trainers saying
this.

(01:50:52):
Major veterinary and trainingorganizations stand against the
use of aversive training.
The American Veterinary Societyof Animal Behaviors 2021 Humane
Dog Training Position Statementexplicitly says reward-based
training offers the mostadvantages and the least risk to

(01:51:17):
your dog's welfare.
And there is no evidence.
This is by scientific studyafter scientific study, after
scientific study and research,research, research.
There is no evidence thataversive methods are necessary
for training.
The American Veterinary MedicalAssociation published an

(01:51:41):
article summarizing that no rolefor aversive dog training
practices.
There's no role for aversivedog training at all, and many
countries in Europe have evenbanned or are in the process of
banning devices like shockcollars and prong collars and

(01:52:04):
choke chains because of welfareconcerns.
We also heard about the AmericanCollege of Veterinary
Behaviorists speaking uprecently in 2023.
They issued a statement warningabout a particular social media
trainer who uses a lot ofaversive methods, like hanging

(01:52:25):
dogs by leashes, using prong andshot collars to subdue them, dr
Kelly Ballantyne, the presidentof the American Academy of
Veterinary Behaviorists.
American Academy of VeterinaryBehaviorists.
The president said on recordthose methods are a big threat

(01:52:52):
to animal welfare, with a highrisk of causing or worsening
fear, panic and aggression.
She also noted they put thehandler at high risk of being
bitten.
That's as clear as it gets.
The experts who deal withserious behavior issues say
don't do this.
Instead they advocate, as DrBallantine did, for reinforcing

(01:53:18):
desired behaviors and managingthe environment rather than
using physical force andmanaging the environment rather
than using physical force.
Now there are some proponentsof aversive tools that claim I
only use it as a last resort orI pair it with rewards, the
so-called balanced training.

(01:53:41):
I'm a balanced trainer.
Look, any training method mightwork in the sense of stopping a
behavior.
Dogs are smart and willgenerally try to avoid whatever
makes pain.
But success without collateraldamage is the key.
We have such great success withpositive reinforcement methods

(01:54:04):
that the added risk of aversivesjust isn't justified today.
For nearly any behavior problemthere is a force-free way to
address it effectively.
It might take a little moreskill or maybe a little more
patience in some cases, but theresult is a dog who's behaving

(01:54:26):
because they want to, notbecause they're scared not to,
and that matters for the dog'semotional well-being.
Okay, and there's counterarguments.
There's rebuttals.
Sometimes people say but policedogs or military dogs use these
tools.
Even that's changing.

(01:54:47):
That's changing.
A lot of working dog programsare moving to positive
reinforcement because the dogsactually perform better when
they're not stressed or avoidingpain.
Or there's another rebuttal hey, but my friend's dog was
aggressive and a shot collarfixed it.
Listen, oftentimes what lookslike a fix is a ticking time

(01:55:13):
bomb.
The dog is quiet but stillhates other dogs.
If they're dog aggressive,right, we're just suppressing
outward behavior with punishmentand they're a ticking time bomb
and one day perhaps, when thecollar isn't on, they explode.

(01:55:38):
Listen, anecdotes aside, theevidence, the research, the
science and expert consensuslean heavily one way you do not
need to use any form, any levelof fear, pain or intimidation in
training.
You can train any behavior in.

(01:55:59):
You can train any behavior outusing positive reinforcement.
You can train any behavior outusing positive reinforcement,
and I can attest to that assomebody who used to be a
balanced trainer, somebody who,along with rewards you shot
collars in the past, use prongcollars in the past, use choke
collars in the past.
They're unnecessary.
They are unnecessary, but youknow what, back then, decades,

(01:56:23):
decades ago, I didn't know what.
I didn't know.
Unfortunately, the dog trainingindustry is not regulated.
Anybody can call themselves adog trainer.
Anybody can say they're abehaviorist.
They may have no educationwhatsoever in animal behavior,
animal science or behaviorsciences, yet they're telling
everybody hey, you got to dothis, you got to do that.

(01:56:47):
Those of you that listenregularly know dog training
today, this podcast.
Everything we talk about isevidence-based, science-based.
We're not going to just pullthings out of the seat of our
pants.
All right, let's go into mythnumber four.
Trainers on TV or YouTube withhuge followings must be right.

(01:57:10):
This is more of a generalcaution than a single claim, but
it's worth discussing.
We live in the age of socialmedia and reality TV, and dog
training is a popular subject.
Some trainers have becomecelebrities, while some public

(01:57:32):
figures and dog training areexcellent and science-based,
others not so much.
The myth here is assumingpopularity equals correctness.
Let's talk about why this is aproblem.
Television dog trainers, thosetelevision dog training shows,

(01:57:54):
are edited for entertainment.
First and foremost.
They often show dramatictransformations in a short time,
which is not how real trainingusually works in a short time,
which is not how real trainingusually works.
They might rely on techniquesthat produce quick, photogenic
results, like a dog suddenlysubmitting, but gloss over the
stress caused or the weeks offollow-up needed.

(01:58:16):
Similarly, some YouTube orTikTok trainers make flashy
content that gets likes, but ifyou look closely the dogs might
be showing subtle signs or evengreat signs of fear, or the
methods are outdated.
Look, a few high profiletrainers have been criticized

(01:58:37):
widely by professionals forpromoting debunked theories like
the dominant stuff or for usinga lot of aversives.
It's tricky because as a viewerespecially as a novice
non-trainer you might see a calmdog on the screen and think,
wow, that worked.

(01:58:59):
But you might not recognize theyawning or the lip licking or
the lowered ears signs that thedog is actually stressed.
Or you won't see what happensafter the show.
Maybe that dog later bitsomeone or regressed, but we
don't get the follow-up episode.

(01:59:21):
One example that we reference atrainer known as Dog Daddy,
augusto de Oliveira.
On social media he's gotmillions of views for
manhandling aggressive dogsuntil they submit.
Now it looks impressive to some.

(01:59:42):
He fixed and I put fixed inquotes.
He fixed an aggressive dog inone session, but it's an
illusion.
Enough alarm bells rang thatmultiple behavior science
organizations warned peopleabout him when the American
College of VeterinaryBehaviorists and others

(02:00:03):
collectively say this isdangerous, don't emulate this.
It's serious.
They wouldn't do that just overa minor disagreement.
It's because they likely saw alot of dogs traumatized by those
methods and remember none ofthem are necessary.

(02:00:24):
There is also the effect thatmany TV trainers heavily
emphasize the owner'sassertiveness or energy, making
it seem like if you simply actmore confident or punish more,
your dog will fall in line.
Listen.

(02:00:45):
This oversimplifies behaviorissues and can lead to people
ignoring real underlying causeslike fear and, in some cases,
medical issues that aremotivating or driving that
behavior.
So how do you vet the celebritytrainer's advice, whether

(02:01:05):
they're on TV or big on socialmedia?
Well, check if theirterminology and philosophy align
with what current veterinarybehaviorist and reputable
trainers say.
Do they mention things likepositive reinforcement, gradual
behavior modification,understanding body language,

(02:01:28):
gradual, systematicdesensitization, counter
conditioning, or is it all aboutbeing the boss and correcting
the dog?
Look them up.
Do they have any credentials?
Well, some do, but most don't.

(02:01:48):
Most of these TV celebrities,most of these folks on social
media have absolutely no formaleducation, no training in animal
behavior.
They don't understand thescience, they're not certified,
never went to school in animalbehavior.
They don't understand thescience.
They're not certified, neverwent to school.

(02:02:11):
Listen, if you were looking fora doctor and that was the case
would you go to that doctor?
I wouldn't Look them up.
Do they have credentials andhas their approach ever been
studied or at least widelyendorsed by others with
credentials?
Listen, even if someone has aPhD or calls themselves a
behaviorist.
On TV cross-check there was acase years ago of a TV dog

(02:02:38):
whisperer and years ago thismethod being put to test in a
study and found to actuallyworsen aggression.
That's right, worsen aggressionin the test group compared to
controls.
Meanwhile, positive methodsimproved it.

(02:02:59):
This was published in theJournal of Applied Animal
Behavior Science.
So trust, but verify the goodnews.
Many modern trainers haveYouTube channels or Instagrams
too, and they demonstrate humane, effective techniques.

(02:03:22):
They may not have as manysensational before and after
clips, because real trainingtakes a bit longer and it's less
dramatic in the moment, butthey're out there.
Seek those out.
So the myth here is busted byrealizing popularity doesn't

(02:03:43):
mean quality.
When it comes to dog trainingadvice, use the same skepticism
you'd use for, say, medicaladvice on TikTok.
Just because someone has amillion followers.
That doesn't mean that the homeremedy that they're pushing is

(02:04:05):
something that you should do.
Look for consensus fromqualified professionals.
All right, having debunkedthese myths, we're basically in
a situation where the biggestmessage is use humane,
science-backed methods for yourpuppy.

(02:04:26):
Socialize early, use positivereinforcement, avoid fear-based
techniques and be careful aboutthe information sources you
trust.
Now, with all this information,you might be thinking okay, I
want to do right by my puppy,but maybe I need help.
How do I find the right traineror behavior expert to guide me?

(02:04:51):
That's a fantastic question andour final main topic of the
podcast oh, how do you find aqualified trainer or behavior
professional and avoid thecharlatans?
Listen, I talked about it alittle before.
Dog training is an unregulatedindustry in almost every country

(02:05:14):
.
Can you believe that Meaning?
Anybody can call themselves atrainer, even a behaviorist,
without formal education.
So you have to do a bit of duediligence to find somebody truly
qualified and up to date.
It's so worth it, though.
A good trainer is like hiring agreat coach or teacher for your

(02:05:36):
dog and you A bad trainer.
Well, worst case, they can doreal damage or set you back.
Now let's outline who's who inthe training and behavior world
and then how to pick them.
So let's talk about differenttypes of professionals Dog
trainers and obedienceinstructors, who typically teach

(02:06:01):
group classes or do privatelessons, teaching you how to
train your dog, basic skillslike sit down, walking nicely,
those type of things and theymay address minor nuisance
behavior issues.
Their background can range fromhaving completed a certification
program to being self-taughtbut experienced.

(02:06:22):
The key is not all trainers areequal.
Some specialize in puppies andpet dog manners, some in dog
sports.
For a puppy, look for someonewho explicitly has a puppy class
or experience with earlydevelopment.
The certification forprofessional dog trainers okay,

(02:06:46):
the organization that really isindependent that certifies dog
trainers, the cpdt, is thedesignation for a certified
professional dog trainer.
That's a common certificationoffered by the Certification
Council for Professional DogTrainers, the CCPDT.

(02:07:08):
Don't worry about all theseletters, the alphabet soup.
But CPDT-KA means they passed aknowledge exam and have some
hours of experience.
If you see CPDT-KSA after theirname, that adds a skill
assessment.

(02:07:29):
It's a sign they've invested ineducation.
Not having it doesn'tautomatically mean someone's bad
.
Some great trainers have othercredentials or lots of
experience and just not thatspecific certification.
But having it is a good greenflag Having.
It's a good green flag thatthey at least know learning

(02:07:51):
theory and humane trainingprinciples.
Now next let's talk aboutbehavior consultants.
Or behaviorists those terms canget a little confusing or
behaviorist those terms can geta little confusing.
Some trainers go beyond beingsomeone who just trains in
obedience and they becomecertified dog behavior

(02:08:14):
consultants.
And again, the certificationcouncil for professional dog
trainers has a certification.
Dog trainers has acertification.
Certified canine behaviorconsultant Knowledge assessed.
These are people that handlemore serious behavior problems

(02:08:37):
like aggression, severe anxiety.
They have to demonstrate a lotof case experience and knowledge
.
Then there are the appliedanimal behaviorists, who usually
have a master's or PhD inanimal behavior.
They might use the title CAABCertified Applied Animal
Behaviorist or ACAAB forassociates.

(02:08:59):
They often handle tough casesor do research.
They might work in cases or doresearch.
They might work in vet schoolsor universities.
Some of them do some trainingin behavior consulting.
Then there's the certifiedcanine behaviorist.
The designation would be CAB,so C-A-B, dash I-B-C.

(02:09:29):
The Certified CanineBehaviorist is a specialty
certification for people thathave either a master's degree or
a PhD.
They've got many hours, lots ofcase examples of very difficult
cases aggression, reactivity,fears, phobias,
obsessive-compulsive behaviors.
They've got to sit in front ofa board and they've got to prove

(02:09:52):
they know what they're talkingabout.
There's not very many in theworld and there's only three in
the United States.
I happen to be one of them.
And then there's the veterinarybehaviorist.
This is a veterinarian who dida residency in behavior and
they're board certified.
They're a diplomat of theAmerican College of Veterinary

(02:10:16):
Behaviorists.
Their letters behind their nameare going to be DACVB Diplomat
of American College ofveterinary behaviorists.
They're essentially thepsychiatrist of the animal world
.
We're applied animalbehaviorist certified canine
behaviors.
They're like the psychologistsof the animal world.

(02:10:39):
A behavior consultant is like anentry level consultant.
They're an associate.
Hey, listen, there's a lot ofgreat behavior consultants doing
a lot of great work withaggression, fear, separation,
anxiety.
Just got to check them out, seewhat their specialty is.

(02:11:01):
But veterinary behaviorists candiagnose medical issues related
to behavior.
They can prescribe medicationif needed, alongside behavior
modification plans.
If your puppy had extreme issueslike truly pathological anxiety
or something, or aggressionsevere aggression later in life

(02:11:22):
sometimes severe comes up.
Well, a veterinary behavioristcan sometimes be the top expert.
For an average puppy owner,starting with a well-qualified
trainer or attending a goodpuppy class is usually enough to
cover the basics and even nipcommon issues in the butt.
If your puppy starts showingmore serious behaviors, like

(02:11:45):
alarming aggression or panic,you might escalate to a behavior
consultant, certified caninebehaviorist, applied animal
behaviorist or even a veterinarybehaviorist.
Now what to look for in atrainer?
Look for modern, humane methods.
Listen for mention of positivereinforcement rewards, perhaps

(02:12:11):
clicker training or markertraining.
They're not mandatory but it'sa good sign.
And if they use them or atleast are open to them in terms
like force-free or fear-free.
Now avoid trainers who talkabout dominance, pack leader who
use primarily punishment, alpharoles, showing the dogs who's
boss.
Remember the AmericanVeterinary Society of Animal
Behavior specifically says toavoid those advocating physical

(02:12:35):
force or tools that can causefear, pain or intimidation.
A good trainer might use avariety of methods, but they
should primarily focus onrewarding the dog for correct
behaviors and setting the dog upfor success, rather than
physically correcting mistakesharshly.

(02:12:56):
Certifications or education ismentioned.
Certifications like theCertified Professional Dog
Trainer.
Certifications like theCertified Professional Dog
Trainer, karen Pryor AcademyCertified Trainers, gene
Donaldson's Academy for DogTrainers they're all positive

(02:13:17):
reinforcement.
It shows commitment to thefield.
Also, do they partake incontinuing education to the
field?
Also, do they partake incontinuing education?
Listen, good trainers, behaviorconsultants, behaviorists they
attend workshops, conferencesand keep learning new science.
If someone boasts they've beentraining for 30 years but
everything they say sounds likethe 1980s style, that's a red

(02:13:40):
flag.
They have not kept up.
Those that are certified,certified canine behaviorist or
a certified applied animalbehaviorist, veterinary
behaviorist, certified behaviorconsultant, certified
professional dog trainersthrough the certification
council of professional dogtrainers they're the ones that

(02:14:03):
certify dog trainers andbehavior consultants.
Look out when somebody saysthey're certified.
I know a lot of dog trainingcompanies.
They certify themselves intheir method.
Oh, you're certified in how dogtraining elite or bow wow, dog
training does it.

(02:14:24):
That's not a real, independentcertification.
That's not a science-based,education-based certification.
They don't have continuingeducation.
They don't have a set ofguidelines, of ethics and
standards that dog professionalshave to follow and they don't
have a system in place where, ifyou violate those standards or

(02:14:46):
ethics, you've got to sit infront of a board and you may
lose your certificationconsequences oversight.
Remember, the dog trainingworld is unregulated.
So there are a lot of us thathave voluntarily done these
things so that you can haveconfidence that you're hiring

(02:15:09):
somebody that really knows whatthey're talking about.
All right, check reviews, askyour veterinary community, but
they aren't always somethingthat you can rely on.
All right, there are vets thatare going to refer you to
trainers that are old school,that are not modern, that use

(02:15:31):
corrections, punishment, believein alpha roles, dominance based
Training.
Steer clear of them.
There's a lot of reviews onGoogle that are fake, that are

(02:15:51):
paid for.
I'm a behaviorist, a trainer, abehavior consultant.
I get at least three or fouremails a day from companies that
are going to be able to give melots of five-star reviews on
Google.
If I pay for it, I don't do it.
Reviews are actually hard to get.
Most people are lazy.
You see a company that's beenin business for five years and

(02:16:15):
they've got like 600, 700reviews and they're almost all
five stars.
Chances are they've bought alot of fake reviews.
That's a lot of dogs to trainin that short period of time,
unless they have a huge dogtraining business throughout the

(02:16:37):
country or in their locale.
They've got 45, 20 trainersworking for them and that's
pretty rare.
But check out references.
But here's the thing Would atrainer, behaviorist or behavior

(02:17:01):
consultant give you the name,phone number or name and email
of somebody that's unhappy,right?
They're going to give you namesand numbers, names and emails
of clients that are very happy.
Now, that's all wonderful, butit doesn't necessarily prove
anything, anything.

(02:17:30):
Okay, now, like I said, youshould take some of these online
reviews with a grain of salt.
Okay, observe and observe aclass.
Observe a private trainingsession If you have permission
from that trainer.
Or if they have trainingclasses or one-on-one training
sessions that maybe the trainerhas videotaped, watch those.

(02:17:50):
Ask if you can watch them.
Again, you need permission.
But that's a great step beforeyou commit to anybody.
As part of the research youneed to do Okay, listen, part of
the research you need to doOkay, listen, look for trainers
and dog behavior professionalsthat have professionalism and

(02:18:12):
follow ethics.
I talked a little bit about it.
Red flag If a trainer guaranteesthey will quote unquote fix
your dog in X amount of time.
Dogs aren't machines.
Quote unquote fix your dog in Xamount of time.
Dogs aren't machines.
No one can ethically promise aparticular result.
Another red flag is if theywant to take your puppy and
train it without you ever beinginvolved.

(02:18:34):
Some board and train programsare fine, but you should also be
able to get updates.
See the facility.
All right.
They should transfer skills toyou, teach you after the fact,
put a lot of time into you andyour puppy and dog, because you
want the dog to listen to you,follow you.
If it's a black box, beware.

(02:18:58):
Also if someone's pushingaversive gear right off the bat.
All puppies should be trainedon a prong collar for walks or
you need to use an e-collar,which is nothing more than a
shot collar.
I've used them in the past.
I get it, but that's a sign torun the other way.

(02:19:21):
The American Veterinary Societyof Animal Behavior on their
website they've got some greatposition statements and they've
got stuff on how to choose atrainer and the handout
basically says look forreward-based and avoid
punishment-based.
They specifically mention toavoid trainers advocating things

(02:19:41):
like hanging dogs by collars orhitting or obvious abuse
electronic collars, prongcollars, choke collars.
Now that may sound obvious, butyou'd be surprised Some
trainers do advise things likeleash hanging, choking the dog
until it submits because itcan't get air.

(02:20:03):
That's absolutely not okay.
If you want to encounter that,you have our full permission to
walk away.
I'll share a personal story.
When I got my first dog as anadult, I unknowingly used

(02:20:23):
somebody to help me train my dog.
That was very much old schooland it wasn't that I couldn't
train my dog.
I wanted to learn what theywere doing.
The first day she was havingpeople jerk on the leash, having
us use a choke chain, having ususe a prong collar they were

(02:20:45):
training trainers Having us usean electronic collar and they
showed a demonstration on a shydog who was cowering.
My gut churned.
It didn't feel right to me.
I felt after training in that,even the first class, I can't do
that.
Training in that, even thefirst class, I can't do that.

(02:21:07):
And shortly after that Istarted getting into positive
reinforcement training,force-free training, and gave up
the use of punishment, gave upthe use of negative
reinforcement, gave up the useof those aversive tools like
prong collars, shock collars,choke collars.
Lost my thought for a second.
But trust your gut if you seesomething in training that seems

(02:21:32):
cruel or makes your puppy yelpin pain.
It shouldn't be like that.
Training can be challenging butit should overall be an
enjoyable learning experiencefor both your dog and for you.
All right, when should you see abehavior consultant or

(02:21:52):
behaviorist?
Most puppies, if socialized andtrained well early, won't ever
need to see a behaviorist, acanine behaviorist, applied
animal behaviorist or aveterinary behaviorist, most
will never need that level ofhelp.
But if you have a puppy thatshows extreme behaviors, say
intense fear, even with gentleexposures, or is unusually

(02:22:18):
aggressive beyond the normalplayful puppy nipping, then you
need to consult with a behaviorconsultant, an applied animal
behaviorist, a veterinarybehaviorist sooner rather than
later, sooner rather than latercan put you on the right track.
Sometimes there are medicalissues, so a veterinary

(02:22:42):
behaviorist is great, likeneurological problems or pain
that can be diagnosed and thosethings can cause behavior issues
and a veterinary behavioristcan help diagnose that.
Now, are most dogs, mostpuppies, going to have that?
No, now your regular vet's astarting point.
If you suspect something beyonda normal puppy, beyond normal

(02:23:05):
puppy stuff, they might rule outissues or refer you to a
specialist.
There's no shame in that.
Behavioral health is asimportant as your dog's physical
health.
All right, let's do a recap ofsome of these red flags.
Let me bullet point some ofthose as we wrap up this part,
because they're super important.

(02:23:26):
Trainers talk a lot about alphadominance, pack leader.
That's an outdated approach,like I discussed earlier.
Those that insist on usingchoke chains, prong collars or
shock collars, especially on ayoung puppy, or use physical

(02:23:48):
punishment.
That's not in line with humane,science-based methods.
Another red flag they won'tallow you to observe or be
present during training.
What are they doing?
What are they doing that theyneed to hide?
Transparency is key.
They guarantee to fix your dogor make dramatic promises like

(02:24:15):
I'll stop all jumping in onesession.
Listen.
No ethical trainer guaranteesbehavior results because living
animals are involved.
They have no education.
This is one you really got tolook for.
They have trainers that have noformal education or
certifications legitimatecertifications and seem unaware

(02:24:36):
of modern training knowledgethat we've been talking about.
For instance, if you mentionsomething like I heard that
using food and training is okay,and they scoff at that.
No, that's bribery.
You've got to use corrections.
You know positive reinforcementis great for training behavior,
but it doesn't stop behaviors.
You've got to correct dogs.

(02:24:56):
You've got to be balanced.
No, that's a sign that they arebehind the times.
Another red flag this happensall the time.
They are behind the times.
Another red flag this happensall the time.
They blame the dog or you ifprogress isn't immediate,
instead of adjusting theirtechniques, their training

(02:25:17):
skills.
If the dog isn't getting it, agood trainer tries another
approach rather than saying, oh,this dog is dominant, this dog
is bad, you're not, your energyis not good with your dog.
Fly away from those people.
On the flip side, the greenflags what to look for?

(02:25:41):
They use words like positivereinforcement.
The green flags what to lookfor?
They use words like positivereinforcement, fear-free,
force-free.
They have some credentials orare recommended by trusted
sources.
They seem kind and patient.
They involve you in the process.
They set realistic expectationsand your puppy likes them.

(02:26:01):
Dogs can often judge characterwell.
If every dog they handle seemsto love them well, that might be
a great sign.
All right, so now you'vehopefully got the tools to find
someone who's great, absolutelygreat.
Hopefully.

(02:26:22):
Now you've got the tools tofind someone and those tools can
help guide you if needed.
Many problems can be preventedby early training, but if you
hit a snag, getting help earlyis so valuable.
Please don't wait until anissue is really bad.

(02:26:42):
A professional can often turnthings around quickly when it's
a minor puppy issue rather thana well-practiced adult dog habit
.
All right, we have covered aton of ground Puppy development,
socialization, cooperative care, myth busting, how to find the

(02:27:04):
right dog training or behaviorprofessional.
I think it's time to wrap upwith some key takeaways and a
little pep talk for all thepuppy parents out there.
Raising a puppy can be one ofthe most challenging yet
rewarding endeavors you couldever embark upon.

(02:27:24):
It's like raising a kid,toddler and teen years
compressed into one fast forwardyear, though with the dog.
The experiences and trainingyou provide in that first year
will heavily shape the next 10to 15 years of your life with
that dog.
So it's worth doing it right.

(02:27:46):
Okay, let's summarize theessential steps you should take
to ensure your puppy grows intothat well-mannered, emotionally
stable dog that we've beentalking about.
Socialize, socialize, socialize,socialize, socialize.
Early socialization that's safe.

(02:28:06):
Early exposure to everythingthat's safe.
From the moment you bring yourpuppy home usually eight weeks
make a plan to positively exposethem to the world.
Don't wait until they're fourto six months of age.
That's too late.
That's too late for a lot ofthings.

(02:28:26):
Each day, or at least severaltimes a week, introduce
something new a new person, anew place, a new surface, a new
sound.
Keep it positive.
Use treats, pair treats with it.
Use toys, use play, pair thatfun stuff with it.
Give your dog lots of love,praise and encouragement.
Remember a diversity ofexperiences now is going to pay

(02:28:50):
off dramatically in a dog who isadaptable and unafraid later.
If you're concerned aboutdisease, talk with your vet
about safe socializationpractices.
Most vets nowadays not all, butmost vets nowadays will echo
what we said.
If you don't have a vet likethat, you might want to consider

(02:29:11):
changing.
They've got fear-free,certified vets.
Look them up online.
They are fantastic.
I would never go to anybodythat's not fear-free, certified
and a veterinarian that's mychoice.
That's a topic for another show.
But with your puppy, get outthere, just be smart about it.
The consensus from experts isclear Early socialization is

(02:29:33):
absolutely critical, soimportant.
Okay.
Use positive reinforcementtraining from day one.
Embrace the mindset of catchingyour puppy doing something
right and rewarding it.
Have treats on hand to rewardthem for all the good behaviors
and all the good choices theymake.
Going to the bathroom outsidesitting instead of jumping.

(02:29:55):
Chewing on their toy instead ofyour shoe Okay.
If they do something wrong.
Resist any urge to yell orsmack or punish your dog Instead
.
Interrupt that behavior.
Redirect them to somethingappropriate.
For example, puppy biting yourhand Okay.
You could yelp ouch andimmediately give them a chew toy

(02:30:19):
instead to chew on.
Then praise when they take thatchew toy.
This way they learn what to do.
Make training fun.
Okay, short sessions ofteaching Sit Down, come Using
treats and praise.
Puppies actually love trainingwhen it's like a game and it

(02:30:42):
tires them out mentally, whichis great for those zoomy moments
.
Also, families can all getinvolved, even kids, with
supervision, though you need tosupervise, but kids can
participate.
They should participate inreward-based training by giving
cues and treats and you makethis a family project.

(02:31:06):
Establish cooperative careroutines, starting now.
Get your puppy comfortable withbeing handled.
Practice those mini vet examsat home.
Play with their paws and earsgently.
Make it a daily routine.
Pair handling with treats sothey form positive associations.
Begin toothbrush training witha little bit of pet toothpaste

(02:31:30):
on your finger, for instance,and make nail trims a low-stress
event by going step-by-step.
If you invest a bit of timeeach week into doing this,
you're going to save a ton ofstress and a ton of time for
both you and your dog and yourvet.
Down the road.
Aim for a dog that doesn't justtolerate care but maybe even

(02:31:55):
enjoys the feeling of an exambecause it brings rewards.
You know many vets and groomerswill literally thank you and
might even give you.
I don't know.
They may give you a discount.
All right, maybe not, butthey're going to be very happy

(02:32:15):
If your dog stands calmly forprocedures.
It's that rare.
It's becoming more common,though, thanks to fear-free
initiatives.
Be aware of fear periods anddevelopmental stages.
When your pup is around eightto 10 weeks of age, and some say
eight to 12, watch for thatfirst fear period and handle

(02:32:35):
that with care.
Make sure you avoid traumaticexperiences during that time.
Later, around six to eightmonths or so, if your adolescent
puppy suddenly seems scared ofsomething or starts acting out,
remember it could be a phase.
Don't panic and certainly don'tpunish the fear.
Continue positive exposures andtraining through those times as

(02:33:00):
well.
Consistency and patience areyour friend.
If something worrying pops out,like real aggression,
absolutely consult aprofessional.
Early is much better.
Don't wait and think, oh, maybeit'll just go away.
It usually doesn't.

(02:33:21):
It usually gets worse.
Avoid aversive methods and tools.
You don't need a prong or shockcollar to teach a puppy or any
dog.
Avoid trainers or online advicethat tell you to physically
punish your dog.
As we discussed, those methodshave risks causing fear,
aggression, damaging andbreaking that bond and trust and

(02:33:43):
love, that relationship betweenyou and your dog.
Your puppy's not being bad ordominant.
They're learning.
They don't come into this worldwith a rule book.
If we set them up right, werarely, if ever, need to raise
our voices, let alone our hand,to them.

(02:34:04):
If you find yourself frustrated,it's okay to take a break.
Puppies can be overwhelming.
Sometimes you just need to putthe pup in a safe place, like
their crate, with a treat, andbreathe.
Breathe and relax rather thanreacting in anger.
Remember that it's easy to getfrustrated.
Make sure that you educateyourself with reliable sources.

(02:34:29):
You've taken a great step bylistening to my podcast.
Kudos to you.
Keep learning.
There are fantastic books bypositive trainers, like the
Puppy Primer by PatriciaMcConnell or Perfect Puppy in
Seven Days by Sophia Yin.
Make sure you find it.
I think there's another onetitled similar.

(02:34:51):
Make sure it's the one bySophia Yin and websites the
Association for Professional DogTrainers, the APDT site.
Or go to the AmericanVeterinary Society of Animal
Behavior's website, the AVSABthe APDT site.
Or go to the Americanveterinary society of animal
behaviors website, the AVSAB,and look at.
They've got handouts, they'vegot position statements, lot

(02:35:11):
that you can learn there thatcan guide you.
Just be wary of random internetadvice or that one acquaintance
who insists you should alpharoll your pup, you know better.
Stick to science-based,evidence-based methods and
information.
Acquaintance who insist youshould alpha roll your pup, you
know better.
Stick to science-based,evidence-based methods and

(02:35:32):
information.
Use your gut, feelings of whatseems humane and, if you need to
, if things get tough, findprofessional help when you need
it and choose wisely.
We talked at length aboutpicking a trainer or behaviorist
the short version of that callto action.
If you're going to a puppyclass or hiring a trainer, do a

(02:35:52):
bit of homework.
Look for certifications orpositive reinforcement policies,
positive reinforcementphilosophies, methods.
Don't hesitate to ask aprospective trainer what methods
do you use if the dog getssomething wrong?
How do you correct unwantedbehaviors?
How do you handle barking orbiting?

(02:36:15):
A good trainer is going tohappily explain their approach.
Okay, we use redirectionmanagement, positive
reinforcement.
We might use a timeout, but noshouting.
We don't use any physicalpunishment.
That's what you're looking for.
If a trainer ever makes you oryour puppy uncomfortable, you're

(02:36:38):
allowed to walk away.
In fact, your puppy is countingon you to be their advocate.
You're their voice.
If something is too harsh,maybe as a quick reference, the
American Veterinary Society ofAnimal Behavior, the American
Veterinary Medical Association.
Both provide positionstatements and articles that you

(02:37:00):
can refer to if someonechallenges your positive
approach, you can say actually,the American Veterinary Society
of Animal Behavior recommendsonly reward-based training
because evidence, research,science, evidence shows aversive
methods aren't needed and theyhave a lot of risks.

(02:37:29):
Throwing that out can sometimesquiet the peanut gallery the
peanut gallery of outdatedadvice givers, and there's a lot
of them.
Be patient, be patient andenjoy the journey.
Puppies test our patience.
No doubt there's going to bepotty accidents.
There's going to be maybechewed shoes, maybe a nipped

(02:37:49):
finger, but it all goes by fast.
Take a ton of pictures andvideos.
You're going to laugh laterabout the messy moments.
Every challenge is also anopportunity to train and bond.
Remember that.
All right, the more time youput in now, the more you'll reap

(02:38:14):
the benefits later.
There's nothing quite likehearing compliments about how
well-behaved and friendly yourdog is and knowing it was your
effort that made them that way,with the dog's own personality,
of course.
But even more the real rewardis a deep bond of trust and love
between you and your dog whenyour adult dog looks at you for

(02:38:39):
guidance in a new situation andstays calm because they know
you've got their back.
Man, that's a powerful feeling.
So, as a call to action, startimplementing these tips today.
Make a socialization checklistand do one new thing with your
pup tomorrow.
Sign up for that puppy classyou've been considering.

(02:39:00):
Try a short training sessionusing treats and see how your
puppy responds.
I bet their tail will wag andyou're going to feel proud If
you've been using some oldschool techniques and you're now
rethinking them.
Hey, it's okay, dogs areforgiving.
You can always change course toa gentler, kinder method and

(02:39:22):
way and you'll likely see yourpuppy's personality blossom even
more.
I'll end with this thought Ourpuppies are learning how to see
the world through our guidance.
We have the chance to make thatworld big, exciting and safe
for them.
By socializing them, we'resaying, hey, the world's okay,

(02:39:44):
you can explore it by training,with love and respect.
We're saying you can trust me.
You can trust me to teach youand I'll also listen to your
needs.
All these early efforts lead toa dog who can go anywhere with
you, who isn't plagued by fearor reactivity and who you can
truly call your best friend.
Thanks for listening everybody.

(02:40:05):
I'm Will Bangura, certifiedcanine behaviorist and trainer.
Tell your friends, tell yourfamily about dog training today,
so more can benefit from this.
Please make sure you subscribeIf you haven't hit that like
button, and give us a greatreview.
We love you.
I'm out of here.

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