Essential guidelines for nurturing puppies endorsed by trainers: These five tips ensure a smoother life for you!
Amelia Steele, a renowned dog trainer and behavioural consultant, known as Amelia the Dog Trainer on Instagram, has shared her top five tips for raising a well-behaved and happy puppy.
- Redirecting Unwanted Behaviours
It's essential not to ignore unwanted behaviours but instead to consciously redirect or manage them to avoid reinforcing negative patterns. Ignoring alone is not enough[2].
- Managing Adrenaline and Excitement
Teach your puppy to switch between "play brain" and a calm state to help them manage adrenaline and excitement. This involves training them to come in and out of a playful state on cue[2].
- Positive and Relationship-Focused Language
Use positive and relationship-focused language to foster acceptance and love for your dog while acknowledging how their behaviour affects you. This mindset shift supports consistent, compassionate training[3].
- Basic Obedience Training
Start with basic obedience commands, such as "wait", and be consistent with repetition and clear cues like giving the “ok” to move[4].
- Minimising Distractions
Avoid distractions during training, such as phone screens, to keep your puppy focused and improve learning efficiency[4].
These tips emphasise a balanced approach combining behaviour management, emotional regulation, and building a strong bond with your puppy, reflecting Amelia Steele’s approach as seen in her social media content[2][3][4].
- The Importance of Varied Experiences
Exposure to various experiences is important during the sensitive phase, which is up to 16 weeks old[1]. Socialisation during this period is crucial to help your puppy grow into a well-rounded and confident adult dog.
- Rest and Supervision
Puppies require 18-20 hours of rest per day[5]. A lack of rest is the biggest cause of undesirable behaviours in puppies. It's best to give a puppy access to one room at a time and use a playpen or crate when supervision is not possible.
- The KONG Natural Teething Toy
The KONG Natural Teething Toy is a durable and mentally stimulating toy for puppies[6][7]. It can serve as a slow feeder, providing an engaging and healthy way to feed your teething pup.
- Potty Training
Amelia Steele also offers advice on how to potty train a puppy. Giving a puppy too much space too early on can make it difficult to toilet train them[8].
These practical tips and advice from Amelia Steele provide a solid foundation for raising a well-behaved and happy puppy. By focusing on what you do want instead of constantly saying 'no', you can help set your puppy up for success.
- To maintain your puppy's well-being, ensure they receive adequate rest, as puppies need 18-20 hours of rest per day.
- Incorporating varied experiences during the sensitive phase (up to 16 weeks old) is crucial for your puppy's socialization and development into a confident adult dog.
- Simultaneously engaging in basic obedience training and managing your puppy's adrenaline and excitement helps in fostering a balanced lifestyle for both you and your pet.
- Use positive, relationship-focused language when interacting with your puppy to strengthen the bond and make training a supportive, consistent, and compassionate experience.
- Offer your teething puppy a KONG Natural Teething Toy to help curb their teething discomfort while providing mental stimulation and serving as a slow feeder for a healthy, engaging mealtime experience.
- Redirect unwanted behaviors in your puppy by consciously managing them, as ignoring alone may reinforce negative patterns.
