Hi {{first_name}} ,

I recorded a video years ago at a shelter with a puppy someone had just dumped. Eight years later, nothing has changed about how I start puppies. Not one thing.

IN THIS ISSUE:

Most people make a huge mistake with puppies: they play too much and give too little structure.

I get it. Puppies are cute. They're fun. You want to enjoy them. But here's what happens:

You get a 10-week-old puppy. You play with him constantly. You chase him around. You let him do whatever he wants because "he's just a baby." And then six months later, you have a 40-pound dog that has no structure, doesn't understand boundaries, and doesn't listen to a single thing you say.

Puppies are a blank slate. Whatever you put in is what you're going to get out.

So let's start with structure.

Before anything else, get a proper collar on that puppy. I use a martingale collar. And get a 12-foot line. You can find them on Amazon or at any pet store.

Why?

Because you don't want to chase the puppy around. That becomes a game. The puppy runs, you chase, the puppy thinks this is hilarious and now you've taught him that running away from you is fun.

With a leash on, it's simple. Puppy runs away, you step on the line or pick it up. No chasing. No game. Just calm, quiet control.

Every part of what you do with the puppy travels down that leash. Keep it positive. Keep it structured.

The first thing I teach a puppy is to follow me. To come when called. To see me as the most interesting thing in his world.

How? Hand-feeding.

For the first week or two, don't put food in a bowl. Hand-feed everything. Every single meal. Every treat. The puppy should learn that all good things come from you.

When the puppy wanders away, run in the opposite direction. Create movement. Trigger his prey drive. When he chases you, reward him.

You're building the foundation for recall before he even knows what the word "come" means.  It is important not to run too far in the beginning. 

Think baby-steps.  Run just far enough to make it interesting and make sure he can catch you!

This is where I lose people. Everyone wants to teach sit first. Don't.

Teach stand to down.

Why? Because of biomechanics. When you teach a dog to sit first, then try to get him to go down from a sit, he has to shift his weight backward and then forward. It's awkward. Dogs don't like it.

But from a stand? The movement is natural. Hold the treat at his nose, bring it straight down between his toes, and wait. His butt hits the ground, he gets the treat.

Stand - Down - Stand - Down.

This is the arrow: stand is the top, down is the bottom. Skip the middle (sit) until later.

Here's how you prevent your puppy from biting your hands when you give treats:

Don't hold the treat like this:  (pinched between thumb and index finger).

The puppy bites your cuticle. It hurts.

Instead, hold it between three fingers:  (thumb, index, middle - like you're making the "OK" sign).

Let the puppy nibble the treat. Keep your hand dry. Wipe it off often. He gets the food, not your fingers.

This one tip will save you weeks of frustration.

Get a raised bed or a platform. Teach the puppy that all four feet go on it, and when he's on it, good things happen.

Show him the treat, put the treat on the bed, mark it ("yes!"), let him get it.

After a few repetitions, he won't want to get off the bed. Because he's learned: rewards are on the bed. Nothing happens off the bed.

This is the foundation for crate training, for teaching boundaries, for building calmness. One of the most important things you'll ever teach a puppy.

I don't teach these things in random order. There's a progression:

Each step builds on the one before it. Skip a step, and you'll struggle with everything that comes after.

I recorded this video in a shelter with a puppy I'd just met. I had 15 minutes with him. And in those 15 minutes, I was able to teach him more structure than most puppies are taught in three months.

Not because I'm special. Because I follow a system.

The video has 800,000 views because it works. The advice hasn't changed because it doesn't need to change. This is how you start a puppy right.

And if you do this in the first 30 days, everything else becomes easier.

If you just brought home a new puppy? My 30-Day Puppy Training Program gives you the structure and foundation every puppy needs. Whether from a breeder or a shelter.

- Robert

P.S. - Yes, this works for shelter puppies and breeder puppies. A blank slate is a blank slate. Give them structure from day one.