Getting a new dog is exciting, but it also opens the door to a new world in which you’re responsible for shaping their behaviors. Whether you’re bringing a new puppy home or adopting an adult dog from the shelter, you should keep your expectations low and be prepared to put in some work.
In this guide, we explore five things you should focus on teaching your new dog when you bring them home.
Ask Yourself: What Does Your Ideal Dog Look Like?
Before we dive in, take a moment to reflect on what your ideal dog looks like. Do you want your dog to be calm and relaxed all the time, or do you need a friend who is just as eccentric as you are?
While breed and genes have a lot to do with general traits like barking, it’s up to you to introduce lessons that lead to desired behaviors. One person may be content with a dog who loose leash walks, while another may prefer a strict heel the whole 30 minutes.
Whatever you imagine, keep that in mind when interacting with your dog. Prioritize health and relationship, but let your goals and professional input guide the decisions you make when teaching your dog.
1. Bonding
First and foremost, you want to build a bond with your new companion. Without a close connection, everything else on this list will be more difficult to achieve, and no one will have a good time.
This usually happens naturally as you spend time together, petting, loving, and taking care of your dog. Avoid automatic feeders or treat dispensers early on, and do your best to establish a predictable routine. This lets your dog know they can count on you for the good things in life.
Focus on positive interactions. If your dog makes a mistake (i.e. potties in the house), respond calmly and try to get to the root of the problem. Punishment or negative responses quickly damage the relationship, and you need to work overtime to fix things.
2. Impulse Control
Start cultivating impulse control as early as possible. This helps you with the next entry on this list, but it can also be life saving in otherwise dire circumstances. By teaching a dog to control their own urges, you can skip the not-so-fun counter surfing phase and more serious problems like chasing cars.
It’s never too early to start teaching impulse control. Have your dog wait for a release command before eating, and don’t feel bad if you need to step away because they’re playing too rough.
“Leave it” is an important command for any dog. By teaching a dog to pull their attention from something (i.e. food, another dog, a car), you can quickly intervene and even save their life.
3. How to Spend Time Alone
Impulse control and spending time alone go hand in hand. So many dogs end up in shelters or rehomed because of separation anxiety, and it’s a slippery slope for owners to navigate.
Early on, you should familiarize your dog with the idea of spending time alone. Set up a safe space in your home, whether that’s a crate, dog pen, or room that you can safely leave them alone in.
To start, let them explore that space on their own without the threat of being left alone. Make it enticing by laying down on a nice fluffy bed and tossing down high-value treats. After they accept the space, start incorporating it in quick bursts of alone time.
Maybe they sleep in the crate at night in your room, or maybe they nap in the other room while you spend an hour playing video games. Either way, work with their timeline and slowly increase the threshold as they become more comfortable.
Keep an eye out for separation anxiety. This is more severe than a bit of loneliness, and usually requires a vet (to rule out health issues) and a professional trainer to manage properly.
4. Socialization
Socialization is another slippery slope to navigate, but it’s important to work on as soon as your dog has all their vaccines and can be out and about in public. The key is to work at their pace, prioritizing positive experiences over flooding them with new situations.
Some of the best ways to approach socialization include:
- Taking your dog with you to friends and family houses
- Setting up playdates with well-trained dogs and responsible owners
- Sitting in the trunk of your car and people watching
Anytime you introduce something new to your dog, move at their pace. If they’re scared, help them take a step back. Keep treats on hand for new people and build positive associations, and be prepared to advocate for your dog as needed.
Avoid busy business or dog parks; they’re usually too stimulating to offer any true social benefits.
5. Basic Commands
On to the basic commands you should teach first!
While teaching your dog to shake may be cute, we suggest you prioritize practical tricks like:
- Recall (coming when called)
- Loose leash walking
- Sit
- Stay
- Down
Even if you never have your dog out in public, knowing these commands improves your ability to communicate with them and boosts their confidence. Furthermore, these are the bare minimum your dog should know to be a good citizen when out at the park or spending your hard-earned money picking out new toys at the pet store.
Whatever you decide to teach your dog, make sure you focus on positive reinforcement and set reasonable goals.
Luckily, the points in this guide tend to help each other out. Building your relationship with your dog makes it easier to teach them commands; learning tricks boosts confidence and alleviates some of the stress of spending time alone.
Bringing a dog home is a huge responsibility, but it pays off tenfold.
