Perfect Puppy in 7 Days: How to Start Your Puppy Off Right

by Sophia Yin

Instead of eating out of a food bowl your puppy will at first be earning all his food from you directly as rewards for good behavior. We do this because for the fastest training we need to use all motivators to our advantage. That means you use every morsel of food as a reward, rather than wasting it by giving it to him for free.

Both animal behavior scientists and schools of marketing and leadership recommend leading more like Mahatma Gandhi, by providing rewards and motivators that followers want to earn. It’s a more effective way to lead, as well as being kinder.

Set clear house rules so that we can be consistent about what is expected instead of constantly changing them and confusing our pet. In this program, the rules are that the puppy must say please by automatically sitting for everything she wants.

Communicate the rules by rewarding correct behavior as the puppy does it and removing rewards for unwanted behaviors.

Stick to the plan until the new behavior patterns become habit, rather than just a trick performed for food.

Your puppy should remain tethered to you with a hands free leash such as the Buddy System, until she’s completely potty trained in the house (that takes a minimum of one month). Once your dog is potty trained, and when she automatically and quickly sits for everything she wants, have her wear her leash but don’t attach it to you. Rather, let her drag the leash throughout the house. She should drag a leash around the house until she has a 100% solid come when called, the first time you call, even when there are distractions in the house.

When she’s perfect, you can even allow her on the furniture if you want, if she asks politely by sitting. Save that privilege until she learns that being on the floor and in her bed and crate are good. Also wait until she’s completely potty trained and will immediately get off the furniture when asked. Generally, wait until she’s over six months of age to grant this privilege—if you are planning to grant it at all. And remember, if she develops a habit of jumping on furniture without asking, she’s not likely to be welcome in other people’s homes.

In general avoid pushing her to get her off because when people do this they tend to do it in a way that the puppy interprets as play and attention.

Say please to be petted. This is the most difficult exercise for people, because humans always pet dogs without thinking. As a result, people spend more time rewarding naughty jumping behavior (or pre-behaviors) than rewarding quiet sit behavior.

For pups who nibble on your hands or get excited when you start to pet, start by petting only when you’re giving treats. That is, give kibble and pet simultaneously, and then stop doing both at the same time. Then repeat. When she’s sitting more calmly, give treats while petting but wait more and more time between each treat.

When giving multiple or sequential treats for sitting make sure you retract your hand and arm and stand up straight between treats rather than keeping your hand near the face the entire time. If you do the latter it will resemble one long treat rather than multiple treats for continued good behavior.