Session 116: How to Teach a Puppy to Stop Jumping Up

The Dog's Way Podcast: Dog Training for Real Life

In this episode, I talk about using a modified version of the approach I talked about in session 115 so that you can train a puppy. Just like you'd teach your children differently than you would teach them as an adult, there are incremental parts of the process that apply differently to a puppy. As I mentioned with adult dogs, this is fundamental training that is typically one of the first lessons I teach in person. To review the session for adult dogs, check out session 115 here.

The reality of training any social mammal is that it requires different approaches based on age. In all development, small progress markers for are clarified to help create a foundation of understanding for a younger brain. I talk about some of those concepts and how to apply it to training a puppy. Additionally, I'll point out the counterproductive approach to continuing to teach a dog as a puppy, the same way that it might seem odd to teach a teenager the way you'd teach a small child. I'll also cite some examples where you might apply a small version of some of those with older dogs in certain instances.

We'll apply similar principles from session 115, where we use a two-step approach. For puppies, we use it to help with a first stage (away from humans) to remove them from a setting where the puppy may just absolutely lose their mind when approaching a person. Once they've understood that, a second step involves interaction with people.

With a puppy, it's not phrases, but general noise making to draw their attention. I'll demonstrate techniques to enlist help of people you may encounter with your puppy, demonstrate the approach, and specific verbal markers to relay to your puppy during each stage of the process.

This process can be fun and is a key fundamental part of the training process.

Enjoy this episode, and go have fun with your dog!

Sean