March 13, 2025 • 8 mins
Many people focus on behaviors like sit and stay, but one of the most valuable training techniques is rewarding your puppy simply for existing in a calm, positive way. In this episode, we explore how proactive reinforcement helps build confidence, strengthen engagement, and encourage good choices. By creating positive associations with new experiences and environments, you set the foundation for a well-mannered, happy companion. Tune in to learn how small, everyday rewards can shape a lifetime of good behavior!
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
When you first bring home a new puppy, there's an
important step I want you totake.
It's often overlooked,sometimes we don't think about
it, but it's really important toyour puppy's development.
Today we're talking all aboutit.
Welcome to the Puppy TrainingPodcast.
I'm Amy Jensen, founder ofBaxter Bella, the online puppy
school.
Here we are all about helpingyou create the best possible
(00:23):
experience raising a puppy, fromtraining tips to practical
tricks, all aimed at fostering ahappy, well-behaved dog who
truly feels like part of thefamily.
So if you are ready to enjoythe journey and strengthen the
bond with your dog, let's getstarted.
Hi you guys, welcome to thePuppy Training Podcast.
(00:45):
I'm Amy Jensen.
I'm glad that you're here.
Today.
We are talking about a reallysimple thing that we can do to
help our puppies see the worldas a positive place, and good
news is it's not hard.
So many people focus onteaching the obedience cues like
sit, stay, come, all of thosebasic behaviors, and those are
(01:06):
really, really great, and weteach you how to do that and we
help you teach your dog a wholelot more as well.
But while these skills areimportant, one of the most
valuable things we can do in theearly stages of having our dog
at home with us is to rewardthem simply for existing, and we
want to do this in a calm,positive way.
This form of positivereinforcement builds confidence
(01:28):
in our dogs.
It creates positiveassociations with people they
see and environments thatthey're in, and it sets a
foundation for a well-mannered,engaged companion dog.
Now, by reinforcing goodbehavior naturally, rather than
waiting for problems to arise,we can shape our puppies into
happy, eager, ready to learndogs who will be comfortable in
(01:51):
the world.
As they grow up, puppies areconstantly learning from their
surroundings.
Every new sound, sight andexperience contributes to how
they see the world.
They're deciphering whetherthis is safe or this is not safe
.
Right, by rewarding them forsimply being in a different
environment or seeing somebodydifferent, we can create
(02:12):
positive associations.
Sometimes the temptation is toask our puppy to sit before they
greet someone, but you knowwhat the step before that is our
puppy sees someone from adistance.
Reward them.
Reward them just for simplybeing in that area and seeing
that new person.
It's easy to skip this step andgo straight to that sit to say,
(02:34):
please, behavior that we teachyou, because that is a good
behavior.
And, yes, we do want ourpuppies to ask nicely for things
and we want them to learnpatience and impulse control.
But back up just a little bitand make sure your dog's getting
these experiences of they're ina new environment.
Reward them.
They see a new person.
Reward them.
They see the vacuum cleanersitting in the middle of the
(02:55):
floor.
Reward them.
They don't have to do anything,they're just simply there with
something new.
This prevents fear-basedreaction and builds trust in new
situations.
For example, if your puppyenters a busy park and we're
feeding them food, rewards forjust being in that busy park,
they're going to start toassociate the park with good
things instead of feelingoverwhelmed.
(03:17):
If we jump straight to thatstep of sit or asking them to do
things in that park before weaddress, do you feel safe in
this park?
That can be problematic.
So all I'm asking is let's makesure that we're doing that
bridge step of making sure ourpuppy is safe and comfortable
and happy in the environmentthey're in before asking them to
(03:38):
do a behavior.
I have a little game that Ilike to play with puppies when
it comes to greetings, becauselet's say that you are somewhere
with your puppy and all thesepeople want to come up and say
hi because your puppy is so cute, and then we we start to worry
that, oh, they're not behavingappropriately in order to be
greeted and now we've createdstress around your puppy seeing
new people and trying to getthem to sit to to be greeted, et
(03:59):
cetera.
So a way that you canaccommodate this is, when a
puppy sees somebody, we can tossa food reward away from the
puppy or the person can do thatso that the puppy walks away,
gets their food reward comesback, walks away, gets their
food reward comes back and asthey come back, that next food
reward gets tossed.
That way, the puppy is seeing anew person, they're getting a
(04:20):
food reward, which is awesome,and all four paws are staying on
the ground.
That can be a really good wayto lead into that natural next
behavior of sit to be greeted orsit to say please, that we talk
about.
We're not asking them to do it,they're figuring it out.
That that's what gets that nextfood reward tossed and this
works great.
We just want to make sure againthat they are feeling
(04:41):
comfortable and safe in theirarea and if not, then we can add
some distance.
We can walk away from thegroups of people or walk away
from the loud, scary sounds thatthey're hearing the cars, the
trucks, the, the bikes orwhatever it is that they're
hearing and seeing.
That's scary.
So we want to create thatdistance to help them feel safe.
That's really step number oneis does my dog view this new
experience as something good?
(05:01):
And we want that to be thefirst step.
This is also why I recommend nottaking your dog on leash walks
in the beginning.
They're just not ready for it.
It's like teaching calculus tokids.
We don't start calculus inkindergarten and with dogs we
don't start leash walking rightaway.
We build up to the skillsnecessary to have a successful
walk around the block, becausewhen you head out, we want our
(05:23):
dog to see the city as positiveand if you're trying to get them
to walk nicely on a leash, alot of those interactions can be
pretty stressful and negativeto the dog, because they don't
want to walk in a straight lineand they don't want to stay
right next to you.
They'd rather sniff and smelland explore the world, and so we
want those things to bepositive.
First we work on leash traininginside a home, in a
non-distracting environmentwhere our puppy can be
(05:45):
successful, and then we head tothe backyard or we head to the
driveway, then we head down thestreet and back.
So we're building these littlestepping stones or building
blocks of leash walking untilour puppy can handle that.
Yeah, they know the city is asafe place, they know that it's
an exciting place to be and, yes, I know how to leash walk and I
can put the two together.
But we don't start that rightaway.
(06:07):
If you see your puppy is nervousin a new area, I actually say
take the walking out of it.
Let's just find a chair or abench and sit.
Let's just sit and watch theworld go by.
Let's just let our dogs be.
I'm not going to ask them to doa single thing.
I'll simply drop food rewards,scatter them in the grass and
let it be a fun scavenger huntfor my puppy as they're in a new
(06:28):
environment until they feelsafe there Remember, until your
puppy's fully vaccinated tocarry them or keep them off
public spaces where they couldcontract other dogs diseases.
We want them to be healthy.
So if you need to carry them,carry them.
If you want to go to a park,lay down a blanket and they can
sit on the blanket things likethat to keep them safe until
fully vaccinated, but definitelywe want to have some good
(06:49):
socialization experiences whilethey are young.
If you have any questions orconcerns about this, speak to
your veterinarian.
Rewarding your puppy withoutdemanding specific behaviors
teaches them that being near youis a reward.
We want to be a reward to ourdogs.
I promise this strengthenstheir natural engagement with
you and helps them look to youfor guidance when they are in a
(07:09):
new situation.
If a puppy learns that checkingin with you earns them a reward
, they'll be more likely to payattention even when you head to
distracting environments.
Over time this leads to a dogwho voluntarily stays close and
listens, making formal trainingmuch easier.
Rewarding a puppy simply forbeing present, calm and engaged
is one of the most effectiveways to shape their behavior and
(07:32):
mindset.
By reinforcing positiveassociations, building focus and
then encouraging good choices,we are setting a foundation for
a confident, well-adjusted dog.
Helping our puppy see the worldas a safe place to be is the
foundation to great behavior.
Later on, we can create a puppywho feels secure in the world
and looks to you for guidance.
(07:53):
All right, you guys, you can dothis.
Happy training and have a greatweek.
Thanks for tuning in to thePuppy Training Podcast.
I hope today's tips help youfeel more confident and excited
about raising your dog.
Remember, with a littlepatience and consistency, you
can create a loving bond and awell-behaved pup who's a joy to
(08:13):
have in your family.
If you found this episodehelpful, be sure to subscribe,
leave a review and share it.
Well-behaved pup who's a joy tohave in your family.
If you found this episodehelpful, be sure to subscribe,
leave a review and share it withfellow puppy parents.
For more resources, visitBaxter and Bella online.
Until next time, happy training.
When you first bring home a new puppy, there's an
important step I want you totake.
It's often overlooked,sometimes we don't think about
it, but it's really important toyour puppy's development.
Today we're talking all aboutit.
Welcome to the Puppy TrainingPodcast.
I'm Amy Jensen, founder ofBaxter Bella, the online puppy
school.
Here we are all about helpingyou create the best possible
(00:23):
experience raising a puppy, fromtraining tips to practical
tricks, all aimed at fostering ahappy, well-behaved dog who
truly feels like part of thefamily.
So if you are ready to enjoythe journey and strengthen the
bond with your dog, let's getstarted.
Hi you guys, welcome to thePuppy Training Podcast.
(00:45):
I'm Amy Jensen.
I'm glad that you're here.
Today.
We are talking about a reallysimple thing that we can do to
help our puppies see the worldas a positive place, and good
news is it's not hard.
So many people focus onteaching the obedience cues like
sit, stay, come, all of thosebasic behaviors, and those are
(01:06):
really, really great, and weteach you how to do that and we
help you teach your dog a wholelot more as well.
But while these skills areimportant, one of the most
valuable things we can do in theearly stages of having our dog
at home with us is to rewardthem simply for existing, and we
want to do this in a calm,positive way.
This form of positivereinforcement builds confidence
(01:28):
in our dogs.
It creates positiveassociations with people they
see and environments thatthey're in, and it sets a
foundation for a well-mannered,engaged companion dog.
Now, by reinforcing goodbehavior naturally, rather than
waiting for problems to arise,we can shape our puppies into
happy, eager, ready to learndogs who will be comfortable in
(01:51):
the world.
As they grow up, puppies areconstantly learning from their
surroundings.
Every new sound, sight andexperience contributes to how
they see the world.
They're deciphering whetherthis is safe or this is not safe
.
Right, by rewarding them forsimply being in a different
environment or seeing somebodydifferent, we can create
(02:12):
positive associations.
Sometimes the temptation is toask our puppy to sit before they
greet someone, but you knowwhat the step before that is our
puppy sees someone from adistance.
Reward them.
Reward them just for simplybeing in that area and seeing
that new person.
It's easy to skip this step andgo straight to that sit to say,
(02:34):
please, behavior that we teachyou, because that is a good
behavior.
And, yes, we do want ourpuppies to ask nicely for things
and we want them to learnpatience and impulse control.
But back up just a little bitand make sure your dog's getting
these experiences of they're ina new environment.
Reward them.
They see a new person.
Reward them.
They see the vacuum cleanersitting in the middle of the
(02:55):
floor.
Reward them.
They don't have to do anything,they're just simply there with
something new.
This prevents fear-basedreaction and builds trust in new
situations.
For example, if your puppyenters a busy park and we're
feeding them food, rewards forjust being in that busy park,
they're going to start toassociate the park with good
things instead of feelingoverwhelmed.
(03:17):
If we jump straight to thatstep of sit or asking them to do
things in that park before weaddress, do you feel safe in
this park?
That can be problematic.
So all I'm asking is let's makesure that we're doing that
bridge step of making sure ourpuppy is safe and comfortable
and happy in the environmentthey're in before asking them to
(03:38):
do a behavior.
I have a little game that Ilike to play with puppies when
it comes to greetings, becauselet's say that you are somewhere
with your puppy and all thesepeople want to come up and say
hi because your puppy is so cute, and then we we start to worry
that, oh, they're not behavingappropriately in order to be
greeted and now we've createdstress around your puppy seeing
new people and trying to getthem to sit to to be greeted, et
(03:59):
cetera.
So a way that you canaccommodate this is, when a
puppy sees somebody, we can tossa food reward away from the
puppy or the person can do thatso that the puppy walks away,
gets their food reward comesback, walks away, gets their
food reward comes back and asthey come back, that next food
reward gets tossed.
That way, the puppy is seeing anew person, they're getting a
(04:20):
food reward, which is awesome,and all four paws are staying on
the ground.
That can be a really good wayto lead into that natural next
behavior of sit to be greeted orsit to say please, that we talk
about.
We're not asking them to do it,they're figuring it out.
That that's what gets that nextfood reward tossed and this
works great.
We just want to make sure againthat they are feeling
(04:41):
comfortable and safe in theirarea and if not, then we can add
some distance.
We can walk away from thegroups of people or walk away
from the loud, scary sounds thatthey're hearing the cars, the
trucks, the, the bikes orwhatever it is that they're
hearing and seeing.
That's scary.
So we want to create thatdistance to help them feel safe.
That's really step number oneis does my dog view this new
experience as something good?
(05:01):
And we want that to be thefirst step.
This is also why I recommend nottaking your dog on leash walks
in the beginning.
They're just not ready for it.
It's like teaching calculus tokids.
We don't start calculus inkindergarten and with dogs we
don't start leash walking rightaway.
We build up to the skillsnecessary to have a successful
walk around the block, becausewhen you head out, we want our
(05:23):
dog to see the city as positiveand if you're trying to get them
to walk nicely on a leash, alot of those interactions can be
pretty stressful and negativeto the dog, because they don't
want to walk in a straight lineand they don't want to stay
right next to you.
They'd rather sniff and smelland explore the world, and so we
want those things to bepositive.
First we work on leash traininginside a home, in a
non-distracting environmentwhere our puppy can be
(05:45):
successful, and then we head tothe backyard or we head to the
driveway, then we head down thestreet and back.
So we're building these littlestepping stones or building
blocks of leash walking untilour puppy can handle that.
Yeah, they know the city is asafe place, they know that it's
an exciting place to be and, yes, I know how to leash walk and I
can put the two together.
But we don't start that rightaway.
(06:07):
If you see your puppy is nervousin a new area, I actually say
take the walking out of it.
Let's just find a chair or abench and sit.
Let's just sit and watch theworld go by.
Let's just let our dogs be.
I'm not going to ask them to doa single thing.
I'll simply drop food rewards,scatter them in the grass and
let it be a fun scavenger huntfor my puppy as they're in a new
(06:28):
environment until they feelsafe there Remember, until your
puppy's fully vaccinated tocarry them or keep them off
public spaces where they couldcontract other dogs diseases.
We want them to be healthy.
So if you need to carry them,carry them.
If you want to go to a park,lay down a blanket and they can
sit on the blanket things likethat to keep them safe until
fully vaccinated, but definitelywe want to have some good
(06:49):
socialization experiences whilethey are young.
If you have any questions orconcerns about this, speak to
your veterinarian.
Rewarding your puppy withoutdemanding specific behaviors
teaches them that being near youis a reward.
We want to be a reward to ourdogs.
I promise this strengthenstheir natural engagement with
you and helps them look to youfor guidance when they are in a
(07:09):
new situation.
If a puppy learns that checkingin with you earns them a reward
, they'll be more likely to payattention even when you head to
distracting environments.
Over time this leads to a dogwho voluntarily stays close and
listens, making formal trainingmuch easier.
Rewarding a puppy simply forbeing present, calm and engaged
is one of the most effectiveways to shape their behavior and
(07:32):
mindset.
By reinforcing positiveassociations, building focus and
then encouraging good choices,we are setting a foundation for
a confident, well-adjusted dog.
Helping our puppy see the worldas a safe place to be is the
foundation to great behavior.
Later on, we can create a puppywho feels secure in the world
and looks to you for guidance.
(07:53):
All right, you guys, you can dothis.
Happy training and have a greatweek.
Thanks for tuning in to thePuppy Training Podcast.
I hope today's tips help youfeel more confident and excited
about raising your dog.
Remember, with a littlepatience and consistency, you
can create a loving bond and awell-behaved pup who's a joy to
(08:13):
have in your family.
If you found this episodehelpful, be sure to subscribe,
leave a review and share it.
Well-behaved pup who's a joy tohave in your family.
If you found this episodehelpful, be sure to subscribe,
leave a review and share it withfellow puppy parents.
For more resources, visitBaxter and Bella online.
Until next time, happy training.
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