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When Should I Start My Puppy Program?
When Should I Start My Puppy Program?
Right away!
Puppies are sponges; they are always learning. Starting as soon as you get your puppy, or even contacting us before, can help avoid headaches later. Our process begins with a consultation to assess your puppy's needs and developmental stage. This step ensures we provide tailored guidance and support, making the journey smooth and enjoyable for both you and your puppy.
Why Should I Start My Puppy With KAS?
Why Should I Start My Puppy With KAS?
There is a lot of outdated information about raising puppies in books, on websites, and even from some trainers. Starting right away, Kind Animal Services can give you accurate and specific instructions for raising your puppy. Our program covers essential areas such as socialization, house training, and basic manners. We teach your puppy important skills like interacting with other dogs and people, recognizing boundaries at home, and responding to simple instructions. By providing relevant guidance, we aim to equip you and your puppy with the tools needed for a happy, harmonious life together.
The truth is, every puppy is unique, and you have to keep in mind that just because they are malleable due to age doesn't mean they are a clean slate for you to program exactly how you want. We also work with the puppy to determine where they are on their developmental journey and which procedures will be best for their unique personality. For instance, if we have a more timid puppy, we might focus on slowly building confidence through positive reinforcement and gradually increasing social exposure. Conversely, for a more outgoing puppy, we might emphasize structured boundaries and focus on channeling their energy into constructive activities. This tailored approach ensures that each puppy's individuality is respected and their specific needs are met.
What Does the Puppy Program Look Like?
What Does the Puppy Program Look Like?
Depending on your puppy's age and training goals, we may start with a virtual consultation, especially for young puppies new to you. The consultation lasts about 1 hour and is conducted through a video call. During this session, we discuss your puppy's eating, potty, play, and sleep routines, sleeping arrangements, and potty training.
Early learning for young puppies focuses on the environment and your responses to their behavior. Most training naturally occurs throughout the day and within the normal routine; this is why we recommend virtual sessions to give you the information you need to work with your puppy at home.
As your puppy gets older, or if you prefer consistency, we can start a series of 6-week courses. This is our most recommended service for puppy training, since your puppy will be changing and trying new behaviors. Meeting weekly helps you stay on top of these developmental changes. Throughout the 6-week course, we cover essential topics like basic manners, leash walking, socialization skills, and managing common behavioral issues. This curriculum ensures your puppy gains the skills for a well-behaved and happy life.
Should you desire more assistance during the puppy stages, we also offer Boarding School for puppies, day training, and Tutoring Sessions. Each service is tailored to different needs: Boarding School provides an immersive experience where your puppy stays with us for intensive training focused on foundational skills. Day training is perfect for those looking for regular sessions, where your puppy joins us for the day, so you can manage your schedule without missing out on professional training. Tutoring Sessions are personalized, one-on-one puppy-and-teacher lessons. These services will help you take a much-needed break from puppy duty and offer a generous jump-start in your puppy's learning.
Puppy Training Philosophy & Methods
Puppy Training Philosophy & Methods
Our philosophy is rooted in the relationship and trust between the pet parent and the puppy. This means doing as much as we can to support you, the guardian, in learning how to communicate, teach, and set your puppy up for long-term success within your unique lifestyle.
We rely heavily on positive reinforcement training when working with puppies. While this might seem like the obvious choice, there are real, science-based reasons behind our method choice, such as stress resilience, confidence building, problem-solving, and frustration tolerance.
Additionally, you might be surprised to learn that our puppy programs generally don't recommend using crates, taking your puppy for traditional leash walks, or teaching your puppy to sit. Now, there are always exceptions. Of course, there are cases where we might suggest using a crate for sleeping, for example. To learn more about what we would recommend for you and your puppy, sign up today.
The core of our program is teaching behavior skills that help the puppy learn to make good choices on their own, regulate their nervous system, and politely ask for what they need. We discourage the use of any aversive tools, corrections, micromanaging, or controlling obedience-type training for puppies as these methods don't teach a puppy but actually reduce the puppy's ability to learn effectively in the future.
Puppy Sleep-Potty-Play Routine
Puppy Sleep-Potty-Play Routine
Your puppy's schedule/routine may vary from this. I hope that sharing the schedule I use for puppy raising will help you set your puppy up for a lifetime of good behavior.
The times in my schedule are approximations, intended only to give you a glimpse of a possible option. Every puppy and home/lifestyle routines are different, please adjust this routine to fit your needs.
6:30 AM - 7:00 AM: Stretch, sniff, and potty (warm up). Transition time from overnight sleep. This is a good time for a sniff-n-piddle. It's time for slow movement and, as gently as you can, waking up your puppy's body and, even more importantly, their mind. I consider this a warm-up period.
7:00 AM - 8:30 AM: Foraging and play (activity period). At home, I often have the puppy out in the kitchen, dragging a house-line and being supervised with a few foraging toys or games (food puzzles, snuffle mats, and scavenger hunts). While the puppy is busy with their breakfast, I am either making my own coffee and breakfast or sitting at the counter on my computer, checking email.
8:30 AM - 9:00 AM: Sniff and potty (Cool down). This outdoor sniffing and potty opportunity is a chance to help the puppy regulate their mind and body and prepare to rest. I encourage ample sniffing and chewing if necessary. I try to gently discourage play without scolding or reprimanding. If the puppy potties outside, remember to offer them a few treats, delivered one at a time after they finish their business. Also, try not to rush them inside immediately after they potty; stay outside and encourage further sniffing and exploring. (Tip: if you are not using a house-line after this period, it can be helpful to leave the leash on the puppy when you return inside the home in preparation for the next period.)
9:00 AM - 11:30 AM: Chew, sleep, and grow (rest period). This is the time to offer the vital part of a puppy's routine, when the magic happens. (Tip: prepare your puppy's chew projects in advance. Like a West Paw Toppl toy filled with frozen food + yogart or pumpkin purée.) If you are using a crate for the puppy to sleep in, this would be a good time to put them there. This is a rest period. If you have a busy or loud household, it is worth working up to having the puppy sleep in a separate, quiet part of the house. (If the puppy doesn't want to go in their crate easily, check out this video.) Give the puppy their chew or treats AFTER they go into the crate/kennel space, not as a means to lure them in. Some puppies will require more training and support to be comfortable in a crate or alone in a room. The crate is not mandatory for puppy training, but it can be a helpful tool in some homes. It offers a clear environmental cue to the puppy that it's time for rest.
11:30 AM - 12:00 PM: Sniff and potty (warm up). Time to start the process of waking up all over again. If you are still working on potty training, then don't delay in getting them directly outside, on leash, and remember to reward after they do their business. If you have time, spend a few minutes outside moving around. Maybe even play a little outside with toy toss/keep-away/tug. (Tip: if you play tug intermixed with your toy tosses and when the dog brings the toy to you, you will find that they will have an easier bring-toy-to-hand behavior.) Keep in mind, this is a warm-up, not an all-out play session. Keep it light.
12:00 PM - 1:30 AM: Lessons and learning games (activity period). This is the time when I am going to do some formal training, teach the puppy a new skill, or introduce them to a new person or dog, depending on their age and your training goals. For me, socialization, like meeting a new person, is a formal exercise/training protocol I do to teach my puppy not to jump up on people and how to greet politely. Throughout training exercises, I am providing a lot of food reinforcement; this is the puppy's "lunch".
1:30 PM - 2:00 PM: Sniff and potty (cool down). Start to bring the energy down by wandering around outside on a leash, where there is a lot to sniff. Encourage calm and curious sniffing. (Tip: make your own movements slow and methodical. I like to consider this a time to work on my own breathing and relaxation, taking in the fresh outdoor air.)
2:00 PM - 2:45 PM: Affection/cuddle time (bonus cool down!). Not that this needs to be scheduled, but it's good to remember to spend intentional time giving your puppy affection. Check out T-Touch and Affection Loop Training.
2:35 PM - 3:00 PM: Potty break. Before transitioning to chew-and-chill time in a crate, it's always good to offer a puppy an opportunity, especially if you are still potty training.
3:00 PM - 4:30 PM: Chew, Sleep, and grow (rest period). This is their second big nap of the day; this is where the body and mind do their growing. Rest is actually more important to development and good manners than physical exercise. The old saying should say "a well-rested dog is a good dog."
4:30 PM - 5:00 PM: Stretch, sniff, and potty (warm up). By now, I'm sure you get the idea that there needs to be a gradual transition into activity and after activity. I have found sniff breaks (potty breaks) to be the most effective way to help puppies regulate their nervous system from activity to rest.
5:00 PM - 6:30 PM: Foraging, learning games, and free play (activity time). This is again a time when I will have the puppy "loose" (dragging a short lead) and supervised in the house. If I am busy doing chores like making dinner or cleaning, I might put out some foraging options, like a few snuffle mats scattered about the room, before the puppy comes in. I will click and treat for all good/appropriate behaviors the puppy offers while we hang out together (another way to earn their dinner). If I have time, I will revisit any training skills they learned earlier in the day. Otherwise, this is a time to allow the puppy to be as natural as possible, so I will encourage free/solo play with toys and use toys to redirect the puppy from not-appropriate chewing/items they would like to turn into toys.
6:30 PM - 6:45 PM: Potty break
6:45 PM - 7:00 PM: Tug and toy play with humans (Bonus activity!). This evening, around dusk, is often the time puppy guardians complain most about how their puppy becomes a devil, biting, zooming, and acting totally out of control. Right before their final bedtime, I try to do some extra physical activity. The best game for this is tug for growing puppies, who shouldn't be playing fetch until they are two years old or older. I try to time this special evening Tug game just prior to their natural bewitching hour. Most of the time, when a puppy reaches the terror stage, they are already too tired, and more play won't help. Remember, toy games should be fun for both humans and puppies. It's a game of give and take. Typically, the actual game only lasts about 10 minutes, maybe longer for older puppies.
7:00 PM - 7:30 PM: Sniff and potty (cool down). After a big activity spike, you might find the cool-down process will take longer. Try moving more slowly. Gently discourage play. If you need, you can sprinkle some treats in the grass to help encourage them to drop their head and try sniffing instead of biting the leash or jumping about. Stay calm and consistent as you slowly step around the yard. When they potty, offer them a few calm treats one at a time as you make your way back into the house. Make sure you offer them water after all that play time if they don't have water in their sleeping space.
7:30 PM - 9:30 PM: Chew & chill (rest period). This is a nap, not an actual full sleep. So, depending on the situation, you may choose to have them stay in the living room with you while you watch a movie, as long as you can keep an eye on them. You may give them the rest of their dinner in a pre-prepared chew toy, like a Toppl, or a bedtime snack, like a Woof pupcicle.
~9:30 PM or before I go to bed, I will try to gently wake the puppy up and take them out for a final potty break. I try to keep them focused on doing their business while outside and reward them generously once they do. Then it's time for bed. I will offer them a little water and a small treat for going into their kennel when asked.
That's it! Then it's wake up and do it all over again.
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