Getting a new puppy soon? Here are a few basic things you can start from day one that will make a dramatic difference in your home. 

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Things are a bit different everywhere you look right now and this has changed the way we can socialize our puppies for the time being. Here are a few ideas to help you through as this passes as well as suggestions on helping puppies ease through transitions.

Picture of puppies together

Kentfield Kennels - Puppy Jumps In Bed Video

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In thinking about this week’s podcast, I decided to mix it up a bit and throw out a few training challenges for us to accomplish in the coming weeks. 

With many people spending more time at home, here are a few basic training challenges we encounter on a daily basis for you and your puppy to complete. Really challenge yourself and your puppy to see what level can my puppy achieve? 

I would love to see videos of things you and your puppy accomplish, even the novice successes as that is where we ALL begin! Let’s support each other as we work on common tasks! Feel free to share your videos to our facebook page - @theonlinepuppyschool. 

Here we go… There are seven tasks - feel free to create your own as well. While we may be limited in social interactions and places we can visit with our dogs, there is plenty to fine tune within the walls of our own homes. Here are some ideas:

1. Puppy waits while you place the food bowl on the floor and doesn’t move to eat until released. How long can they wait? (See Lesson 1.9) 
   1. Novice - 1-5 seconds
   2. Advanced Beginner - 6-20 seconds
   3. Intermediate - 60 seconds
   4. Skillful - Multiple Minutes
   5. Expert - I’m not moving until released!
2. Pawsfit Game - Only If You’re Nice (I & 2) 
   1. Novice - Hold food in a closed hand
   2. Advanced Beginner - Hold food in an open hand
   3. Intermediate - Place food on the floor - cover with hand as needed
   4. Skillful - Bounce food around on floor
   5. Expert - Use steak or other HIGH value food reward at the skillful level
3. Puppy remaining in a sit stay while you put the leash on and again when you take the leash off
   1. See Lessons 1.8 & 2.4
4. Attention Walking - See Lesson 2.8
   1. Novice - Puppy watches you for 1-4 steps
   2. Advanced Beginner - Puppy watches you for 5-9 steps
   3. Intermediate - Puppy watches you for 10-20 steps
   4. Skillful - Puppy walks by your side (not ahead of you) for over 20 steps, checking in every few steps
   5. Expert - Puppy walks by your side for over 20 steps, turns right, turns left and sits when you stop.
5. Create your own shaping activity - What can you get your puppy to do?
   1. Paw a balloon
   2. Sit in a box
   3. Go through a tunnel
   4. Etc. Be creative & share your ideas!
6. Down stay while you open the door and invite a guest in (See Lessons 2.3 & 2.4)
   1. Novice - handler stands right next to puppy and feeds food rewards for position
   2. Advanced Beginner - handler stands right next to puppy and occasionally drops rewards
   3. Intermediate - handler stands 5 feet or more away from puppy - still tosses rewards
   4. Skillful - handler answers door - still tosses food rewards
   5. Expert - handler answers door - puppy gets reward after being released.
7. Puppy goes to their bed on cue. (See Lesson 2.11)
   1. Novice - Lure puppy on

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I get asked a fair amount of questions about puppies jumping on counters so today let’s help you make a training plan. We'll talk about what counter surfing is, how to prevent it and how to train better behavior.

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This week I’ve been thinking a lot about loose leash walking. What makes it such a challenge for people? Are there different kinds of walks and really what is it we are wanting our dogs to do? In today's episode we discuss the challenges of teaching your puppy to walk loosely on leash as well as give you several training tips to try.

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Today we are talking about guarding behaviors as it applies to dogs guarding their humans. Dogs may guard anything from their food, toys, chews, people, spaces - really anything they value as theirs and don’t want to lose. There are things we can do with very young puppies to prevent this from occurring as well as training methods we can employ to change a dog who currently guards into one who does not. 

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Learn realistic expectations of normal puppy behaviors to help set both you and your new puppy up for success as you learn to live together! 

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Today’s topic is all about helping multiple dogs in your household get along. If you have a dog who guards things from your other dog or maybe a puppy who just won’t give your older dog a break, today I will share a few tips on how this situation can change for the better.

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Are you interested in having your dog take the American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen test? Today we are talking about what it is, who can participate and how to prepare for it. 

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Sometimes we teach our puppies new behaviors but then never really use them. Today Amy shares four behaviors commonly taught to puppies and ideas of how you can use them in everyday life, helping you see how you can do this with any dog training behavior. If we don't use it we lose it, so set a goal to use the behaviors your dog knows on a daily basis.

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