January 16, 2025 • 9 mins
Unlock the secrets to raising a well-behaved puppy as we tackle one of the biggest hurdles new pet parents face: giving their furry friends too much freedom too soon. Discover essential strategies to create a structured environment that promotes security and prevents behavioral issues. From setting up a comforting "Zen Den" to the effective use of crates, leashes, and tethers, I share actionable tips that will help guide your puppy toward becoming a content and well-adjusted member of the family.
Join me, Amy Jensen, as I explore the heartwarming journey of building a strong bond with your puppy. Patience, consistency, and love are the cornerstones of this rewarding process, and with time and dedication, you’ll see your efforts reflected in a delightful canine companion. By tuning in, you'll gain insights and encouragement to foster a harmonious relationship with your puppy, ensuring your home is filled with joyful experiences and lasting memories. Don't forget to subscribe for more support and resources, and let's embark on this exciting journey together.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
The biggest mistake people make when bringing home a
new puppy is giving that puppytoo much freedom too soon.
Bringing home a new puppy isone of the most exciting moments
for any pet parent, but it'salso a time when things can
easily go off track if you'renot careful.
Welcome to the Puppy TrainingPodcast.
I'm Amy Jensen, founder ofBaxter Bella, the online puppy
(00:21):
school.
Here we are all about helpingyou create the best possible
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.
Hello and welcome to thepodcast.
(00:46):
I'm so glad you're here.
Thank you for listening.
Today's audio comes from ourYouTube channel at Baxter and
Bella, so we are talking aboutthe biggest mistake I see people
make.
Let's jump into it.
If you want to see the video,head over to our YouTube channel
.
When we give our puppies toomuch freedom too soon, this can
lead to a lot of unwantedbehaviors.
They can get into a lot ofmischief, mostly doing puppy
(01:08):
things which are normalbehaviors to them, but things
that we don't want them doing inour house.
It's tempting to give yourpuppy all the space to roam and
explore because they're so cute.
But the truth is giving themtoo much freedom too soon can
lead to major behavioral issuesdown the road.
Remember, your puppy is justthat a puppy.
So they're going to do puppybehaviors, like digging, maybe,
(01:28):
in your carpets.
They might want to jump up ontoyour sofas.
They might want to go and stealthat sock, especially if it's a
smelly one.
They're going to explore andwant to get into mischief.
I know it can be tough, butpuppies need structure,
boundaries and routine to feelsafe and secure.
When a puppy feels safe andsecure, they're more likely to
relax and settle in your home.
It's easier to begin with agood habit and build the good
(01:52):
habits rather than undo anunwanted habit.
So what should you do instead?
Start with structure.
The first few days that yourpuppy comes home, we want to
have a nice routine in place anda plan as to where that puppy
is going to spend their time, toset them up for success.
Today I'm going to share withyou four tips on how to make
this process easy.
Number one is set up a Zen Den.
Create a space that looks verysimilar to your puppy's previous
(02:15):
home.
This will help soothe andcomfort them as they transition
to your home.
When they first arrive theydon't know who you are, if
you're safe or if you can betrusted where they are, or if it
is again a safe environment.
There are layers of stressthere and it can take up to
several weeks for your puppy torelax and settle in.
Zenden's can speed up thatprocess by making them feel at
(02:36):
home.
Bella's Zenden was a crate withan exercise pen attached.
Her food and water bowls wereinside as well.
I also made sure a variety oftoys and chews were in it to
keep her entertained, and a softbed if she chose to sleep on it
.
Sometimes you'll be in the penwith your puppy.
Other times you'll be outsideand they'll be inside the pen
and there's going to be thatbarrier there.
But that's the first step inteaching your puppy how to be
(02:56):
alone and to feel safe.
When they are in fact aloneRemember they don't know that
they came from a litter ofpuppies.
They were sleeping in puppypiles, they were playing with
their litter mates, pretty much24-7.
So again, when they come to ourhouse, they're all alone.
They've never been alone.
There's going to be a littlestruggle there, but we can
definitely help them feel safeand secure in their new home.
(03:17):
Number two let's talk aboutcrates.
Crate training is reallyimportant with your new dog.
Again, it's Crates aren't justfor house training.
They provide your puppy with asafe, quiet space where they can
feel calm and secure.
It helps them learn where theyshould and shouldn't go potty
and gives your dog a place torest when they're feeling
(03:38):
overwhelmed.
So do your dog a huge favor and, from the beginning, teach them
how to be okay in a crate.
If you need help with this,check out our online puppy
school.
We can show you exactly how todo it.
Next, let's talk leashes andtethers.
Even when you're inside thehouse, use a leash to help guide
your puppy's movements andprevent them from exploring too
much too soon.
This helps you keep control andreinforce positive behavior
(04:00):
while they learn.
We start training by lettingour dogs have one room to play
in train in.
This is where they eat theirmeals.
This is where their crate andtheir Zen Den are.
Now, yes, of course, your puppycan go elsewhere in your house.
That's totally fine.
But if they do, we want to makesure they just went potty
outside and then attach a littleleash to them, and that's the
safest time to then bring theminto your home and other areas.
(04:22):
So with that little leashattached, it's easy to keep
track of where they are.
There's not going to be runningand hiding behind a sofa or
under a coffee table and youcan't find them.
You can tell where they are andit's helpful for you to keep a
watchful eye on them, becausewhen they come in and they're
not in that one room area,you've got to watch them like a
hawk.
If they start to circle andsniff the carpet, I don't need
to go to the bathroom.
Let's interrupt that, redirectthem back outside, whereas if
(04:44):
I'm not watching them closely, alot of mistakes can happen and
then these unwanted habits beginto form, which we don't want.
Leashes act as tethers as well,so they can be tethered.
To me, I can have my puppytethered to a door or a heavy
piece of furniture.
We want to make sure ourpuppies are safe, so always
supervise them while tethered.
But if my puppy's tethered,they can't be jumping on the
guests that just came over.
They can't be bothering mychildren who are playing with
(05:06):
toys on the floor.
There's a lot of behaviors wecan prevent just by using a
simple tether.
They can be in the room with us, they can be doing family
activities, but they arerestricted to a certain area so
they're not just running freely,causing chaos and mayhem for
everybody.
As I mentioned, we want toalways make sure we're
supervising our puppy whentethered and we want to keep
(05:27):
these sessions super short.
They can be positive.
This is not a negativeexperience that our puppy when
tethered and we want to keepthese sessions super short.
They can be positive.
This is not a negativeexperience that our puppy is
tethered.
We want to make sure that we'reincluding them in on the fun.
So asking them to do simplebehaviors, tricks even that the
kids like to do with the dog isgreat, and we're rewarding the
puppy for being calm andentertaining themselves really
off to the side while the familyis doing something over here.
So again, kids playing on thefloor with toys.
(05:48):
Have your puppy tethered overhere.
Yeah, your puppy can have theirfavorite chew or every so often
you're dropping them foodrewards for just relaxing on the
floor next to the family.
Number four is setting clearlimits.
Think of your puppy like atoddler.
They're constantly learning andit's our job to teach them what
is and is not appropriate to doand make sure we're setting
them up for success by showingour puppy.
(06:09):
This is what I want you to dowhen we're eating dinner.
This is what I want you to dowhen I'm unloading the
dishwasher.
This is what I want you to dowhen I'm vacuuming, and then we
reward them for that and they'llcontinue to choose that
behavior in the future.
Now have a family meetingbefore your puppy comes home.
In our program we have a sheetthat will go through the
questions for you and you canstart to talk and discuss about
what it is you want it to looklike when your dog comes home.
(06:30):
Make sure you're all on thesame page.
Use a leash, as we discussed,to prevent unwanted behavior
like jumping, and then we'regoing to teach our puppy what we
want them to do.
So reward that sit to sayplease or that really nice go to
bed behavior.
All right now that we've talkedabout the four ways to manage
our puppy training.
So management and training gohand in hand.
We can't have one without theother.
(06:51):
We need both.
When we talk training sessions,we want to make sure we keep
them short.
Remember the concept that ourpuppy is like a human toddler.
Their attention spans arereally short.
So training three to fiveminutes throughout the day,
maybe when they first get up inthe morning we do a little
session, then maybe mid morningwe do another one, maybe
lunchtime another couple minutes.
Afternoon, another few minutes.
In the evening, another coupleminutes.
(07:12):
As your puppy gets older andthey become house trained, then
they're going to be out andabout with you more often and
the training will just becomepart of your day.
But when they're little andthey're brand new and we haven't
done much training with them,we need to set aside time for
dedicated sessions.
But again, super short threeminutes here, five minutes there
.
And remember, as part of thosetraining sessions we want to be
(07:34):
saying yes way more often thanwe're saying no.
Remember, we want our puppiesto be cooperative, not
frustrated.
So right now, grab a paper anda pen or put this on your phone
as a screensaver.
Think what do I want my dog todo?
And then teach your dog to dothat.
A lot of us tend to think of Idon't want them to do this, I
don't want them to do that.
That just leads to a lot ofnose, a lot of frustration.
(07:57):
So think instead what do I wantmy dog to do when guests come
over?
What do I want my dog to dowhen we're eating dinner?
What do I want my dog to dowhen I'm watching a show?
Right, I'm sitting on the sofarelaxing.
What do I want that to looklike?
And then I shape that, I teachmy dog how to do that, I reward
that behavior and that behaviorstarts to become the habit.
Puppies are really eager toplease and they love to be with
(08:18):
you.
They're social creatures, butthey need guidance.
So make sure that you're givingthem that structure, those
boundaries and the rules inwhich we run our households, so
that they can understand whatthey can do and what they can't
do, and they'll be lessfrustrated by the time your
puppy is a little bit older andthey understand the rules of the
house.
Yes, absolutely.
We can give them more freedom,but that has to be earned.
(08:43):
Through training and trust.
They demonstrate to us thatthey know how to follow the
rules of our house and then thehousehold opens up to them.
So this comes with time.
Be patient, don't be in a hurryto make this happen.
It will come with time andtraining, being super consistent
, patient and loving with thesenew puppies and helping them
figure out what it means to livein a house with humans.
Thanks for tuning in to thepuppy training podcast.
(09:04):
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
have 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.
(09:27):
Until next time, happy training.
The biggest mistake people make when bringing home a
new puppy is giving that puppytoo much freedom too soon.
Bringing home a new puppy isone of the most exciting moments
for any pet parent, but it'salso a time when things can
easily go off track if you'renot careful.
Welcome to the Puppy TrainingPodcast.
I'm Amy Jensen, founder ofBaxter Bella, the online puppy
(00:21):
school.
Here we are all about helpingyou create the best possible
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.
Hello and welcome to thepodcast.
(00:46):
I'm so glad you're here.
Thank you for listening.
Today's audio comes from ourYouTube channel at Baxter and
Bella, so we are talking aboutthe biggest mistake I see people
make.
Let's jump into it.
If you want to see the video,head over to our YouTube channel
.
When we give our puppies toomuch freedom too soon, this can
lead to a lot of unwantedbehaviors.
They can get into a lot ofmischief, mostly doing puppy
(01:08):
things which are normalbehaviors to them, but things
that we don't want them doing inour house.
It's tempting to give yourpuppy all the space to roam and
explore because they're so cute.
But the truth is giving themtoo much freedom too soon can
lead to major behavioral issuesdown the road.
Remember, your puppy is justthat a puppy.
So they're going to do puppybehaviors, like digging, maybe,
(01:28):
in your carpets.
They might want to jump up ontoyour sofas.
They might want to go and stealthat sock, especially if it's a
smelly one.
They're going to explore andwant to get into mischief.
I know it can be tough, butpuppies need structure,
boundaries and routine to feelsafe and secure.
When a puppy feels safe andsecure, they're more likely to
relax and settle in your home.
It's easier to begin with agood habit and build the good
(01:52):
habits rather than undo anunwanted habit.
So what should you do instead?
Start with structure.
The first few days that yourpuppy comes home, we want to
have a nice routine in place anda plan as to where that puppy
is going to spend their time, toset them up for success.
Today I'm going to share withyou four tips on how to make
this process easy.
Number one is set up a Zen Den.
Create a space that looks verysimilar to your puppy's previous
(02:15):
home.
This will help soothe andcomfort them as they transition
to your home.
When they first arrive theydon't know who you are, if
you're safe or if you can betrusted where they are, or if it
is again a safe environment.
There are layers of stressthere and it can take up to
several weeks for your puppy torelax and settle in.
Zenden's can speed up thatprocess by making them feel at
(02:36):
home.
Bella's Zenden was a crate withan exercise pen attached.
Her food and water bowls wereinside as well.
I also made sure a variety oftoys and chews were in it to
keep her entertained, and a softbed if she chose to sleep on it
.
Sometimes you'll be in the penwith your puppy.
Other times you'll be outsideand they'll be inside the pen
and there's going to be thatbarrier there.
But that's the first step inteaching your puppy how to be
(02:56):
alone and to feel safe.
When they are in fact aloneRemember they don't know that
they came from a litter ofpuppies.
They were sleeping in puppypiles, they were playing with
their litter mates, pretty much24-7.
So again, when they come to ourhouse, they're all alone.
They've never been alone.
There's going to be a littlestruggle there, but we can
definitely help them feel safeand secure in their new home.
(03:17):
Number two let's talk aboutcrates.
Crate training is reallyimportant with your new dog.
Again, it's Crates aren't justfor house training.
They provide your puppy with asafe, quiet space where they can
feel calm and secure.
It helps them learn where theyshould and shouldn't go potty
and gives your dog a place torest when they're feeling
(03:38):
overwhelmed.
So do your dog a huge favor and, from the beginning, teach them
how to be okay in a crate.
If you need help with this,check out our online puppy
school.
We can show you exactly how todo it.
Next, let's talk leashes andtethers.
Even when you're inside thehouse, use a leash to help guide
your puppy's movements andprevent them from exploring too
much too soon.
This helps you keep control andreinforce positive behavior
(04:00):
while they learn.
We start training by lettingour dogs have one room to play
in train in.
This is where they eat theirmeals.
This is where their crate andtheir Zen Den are.
Now, yes, of course, your puppycan go elsewhere in your house.
That's totally fine.
But if they do, we want to makesure they just went potty
outside and then attach a littleleash to them, and that's the
safest time to then bring theminto your home and other areas.
(04:22):
So with that little leashattached, it's easy to keep
track of where they are.
There's not going to be runningand hiding behind a sofa or
under a coffee table and youcan't find them.
You can tell where they are andit's helpful for you to keep a
watchful eye on them, becausewhen they come in and they're
not in that one room area,you've got to watch them like a
hawk.
If they start to circle andsniff the carpet, I don't need
to go to the bathroom.
Let's interrupt that, redirectthem back outside, whereas if
(04:44):
I'm not watching them closely, alot of mistakes can happen and
then these unwanted habits beginto form, which we don't want.
Leashes act as tethers as well,so they can be tethered.
To me, I can have my puppytethered to a door or a heavy
piece of furniture.
We want to make sure ourpuppies are safe, so always
supervise them while tethered.
But if my puppy's tethered,they can't be jumping on the
guests that just came over.
They can't be bothering mychildren who are playing with
(05:06):
toys on the floor.
There's a lot of behaviors wecan prevent just by using a
simple tether.
They can be in the room with us, they can be doing family
activities, but they arerestricted to a certain area so
they're not just running freely,causing chaos and mayhem for
everybody.
As I mentioned, we want toalways make sure we're
supervising our puppy whentethered and we want to keep
(05:27):
these sessions super short.
They can be positive.
This is not a negativeexperience that our puppy when
tethered and we want to keepthese sessions super short.
They can be positive.
This is not a negativeexperience that our puppy is
tethered.
We want to make sure that we'reincluding them in on the fun.
So asking them to do simplebehaviors, tricks even that the
kids like to do with the dog isgreat, and we're rewarding the
puppy for being calm andentertaining themselves really
off to the side while the familyis doing something over here.
So again, kids playing on thefloor with toys.
(05:48):
Have your puppy tethered overhere.
Yeah, your puppy can have theirfavorite chew or every so often
you're dropping them foodrewards for just relaxing on the
floor next to the family.
Number four is setting clearlimits.
Think of your puppy like atoddler.
They're constantly learning andit's our job to teach them what
is and is not appropriate to doand make sure we're setting
them up for success by showingour puppy.
(06:09):
This is what I want you to dowhen we're eating dinner.
This is what I want you to dowhen I'm unloading the
dishwasher.
This is what I want you to dowhen I'm vacuuming, and then we
reward them for that and they'llcontinue to choose that
behavior in the future.
Now have a family meetingbefore your puppy comes home.
In our program we have a sheetthat will go through the
questions for you and you canstart to talk and discuss about
what it is you want it to looklike when your dog comes home.
(06:30):
Make sure you're all on thesame page.
Use a leash, as we discussed,to prevent unwanted behavior
like jumping, and then we'regoing to teach our puppy what we
want them to do.
So reward that sit to sayplease or that really nice go to
bed behavior.
All right now that we've talkedabout the four ways to manage
our puppy training.
So management and training gohand in hand.
We can't have one without theother.
(06:51):
We need both.
When we talk training sessions,we want to make sure we keep
them short.
Remember the concept that ourpuppy is like a human toddler.
Their attention spans arereally short.
So training three to fiveminutes throughout the day,
maybe when they first get up inthe morning we do a little
session, then maybe mid morningwe do another one, maybe
lunchtime another couple minutes.
Afternoon, another few minutes.
In the evening, another coupleminutes.
(07:12):
As your puppy gets older andthey become house trained, then
they're going to be out andabout with you more often and
the training will just becomepart of your day.
But when they're little andthey're brand new and we haven't
done much training with them,we need to set aside time for
dedicated sessions.
But again, super short threeminutes here, five minutes there
.
And remember, as part of thosetraining sessions we want to be
(07:34):
saying yes way more often thanwe're saying no.
Remember, we want our puppiesto be cooperative, not
frustrated.
So right now, grab a paper anda pen or put this on your phone
as a screensaver.
Think what do I want my dog todo?
And then teach your dog to dothat.
A lot of us tend to think of Idon't want them to do this, I
don't want them to do that.
That just leads to a lot ofnose, a lot of frustration.
(07:57):
So think instead what do I wantmy dog to do when guests come
over?
What do I want my dog to dowhen we're eating dinner?
What do I want my dog to dowhen I'm watching a show?
Right, I'm sitting on the sofarelaxing.
What do I want that to looklike?
And then I shape that, I teachmy dog how to do that, I reward
that behavior and that behaviorstarts to become the habit.
Puppies are really eager toplease and they love to be with
(08:18):
you.
They're social creatures, butthey need guidance.
So make sure that you're givingthem that structure, those
boundaries and the rules inwhich we run our households, so
that they can understand whatthey can do and what they can't
do, and they'll be lessfrustrated by the time your
puppy is a little bit older andthey understand the rules of the
house.
Yes, absolutely.
We can give them more freedom,but that has to be earned.
(08:43):
Through training and trust.
They demonstrate to us thatthey know how to follow the
rules of our house and then thehousehold opens up to them.
So this comes with time.
Be patient, don't be in a hurryto make this happen.
It will come with time andtraining, being super consistent
, patient and loving with thesenew puppies and helping them
figure out what it means to livein a house with humans.
Thanks for tuning in to thepuppy training podcast.
(09:04):
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
have 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.
(09:27):
Until next time, happy training.
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