Casey Morrison, from Weare New Hampshire, joined the Red Pointy Dog Training team in 2023 as our Client Care Specialist and we're excited to announce that soon she'll be taking on dog training clients in and around Weare, Henniker, New Boston, Goffstown, Dunbarton, Deering, and Hopkinton New Hampshire. If you're looking for puppy training and problem solving, basic manners, obedience, working with jumping, leash manners, recall or anything else, Casey is happy to help!
Whether you just adopted your first dog, you’ve owned dogs in the past, or you live in a multi-dog household, it is important to start your newly adopted dog off on the right foot, or paw! Training is a great way to bond with a new companion, whether it is a puppy, an adult dog, or a senior dog. Here are some training tips to get that bond started.
Use Treats Your Newly Adopted Dog Will Love!
Start by finding what your pup’s absolute favorite treat is. They may like store-bought treats, but when it comes to training, we want to be sure that we are giving our pups high rewards for their hard work. It is a great idea to try chicken, hot dogs, or cheese as a reward when training. Keep in mind, that the stinkier, the better!
The Name Game
The name game is important for a newly adopted dog or puppy. It is an easy way to start bonding with your pup and building their confidence and willingness to respond to their name.
Getting Started
Starting in a low-distraction room in your home, say your pup’s name.
When they look at you, they get a treat!
If they do not look at you, give them 10 seconds, then put that treat in front of their nose and lure their attention to you.
Then give them their treat.
We recommend you repeat the name game 10 times, once or twice a day.
When your new pup is getting good at responding to their name in a non distracting room, change their environment to a different room. Practice in all of the rooms in your home, then take it outside. As long as you stay consistent, practice inside, outside, on your walk, and anywhere else you go with your pup, your pup will be responding to their name in different environments in no time!
The Up/Down Game
The Up/Down game is a great way to build a bond with your pup by creating a pattern and encouraging them to engage with you. The more our dogs check in with us, the more ready they are to listen and pay attention.
Getting Started
Put a treat on the ground, this is a free treat for your pup to eat.
Once they eat that treat and they look up at you, mark with a “yes” or a click and reward by placing a treat on the ground.
If they eat the treat and don’t look back at you, give them 10 seconds.
If they continue to not look at you, then you can make a little noise to get their attention, but don’t say their name.
Once they look at you again, place the treat on the ground.
We recommend you repeat the name game 10 times, once or twice a day. Again, move to higher distraction areas as your pup gets better and better at this game.
These two games are great ways to start working with your pup! We’re always here if you need any help or guidance, but if you want a kick start with your pup’s training and some regular reminders to do the work, then we invite you to sign up for our free training course, The Distracted Dog Reset. Learn more and sign up by clicking here.