Royal Oak Puppy Training

In our puppy training program, we primarily use slip leads to guide your puppy and reinforce basic commands like sit, stay, and heel. Slip leads are gentle, easy to control, and ideal for puppies as they learn proper leash behavior. They help establish clear communication between you and your puppy while building trust and confidence.

At this early age, we focus on positive training methods and typically avoid using prong collars or e-collars. We prefer gentle techniques that allow your puppy to learn without causing unnecessary stress. While we still incorporate negative reinforcement, like using the word “no” as a correction, puppies are highly sensitive to information. Using more intense corrections too early could lead to confusion or problems down the road, especially if they are applied improperly by an owner.

This isn’t to say that these dog collars don’t have their place—tools like e-collars and prong collars can be very effective for training adult dogs, and we use them in our dog training programs. However, these tools must be used responsibly, and at such an early age, we generally don’t find them necessary for puppies.

Yes, puppies can definitely pick up bad habits from their owners if we’re not careful. For example, if you give in to your puppy’s incessant barking and jumping for attention, you may unintentionally reinforce that behavior, leading them to think it’s okay to bark whenever they want something. Similarly, letting your puppy jump on you when you come home from work can lead to them getting overly excited whenever anyone enters the house, potentially jumping on the wrong person.

Consistency is key when it comes to puppy training. Always follow through with the boundaries you’ve set for your puppy, even if it feels like you’re being too strict at times. If you let your puppy get away with a behavior once, they might think it’s okay, which can lead to bigger issues as they grow. Establishing clear rules and being consistent with them helps prevent bad habits from forming and ensures your puppy learns what’s expected from day one.

Establishing boundaries during puppy training creates a well-behaved dog and builds a strong, trusting relationship with your puppy. Puppies thrive on structure and consistency, and clear boundaries help them understand what is expected. By setting limits on behavior from the start, you prevent bad habits from developing and ensure your puppy grows into a confident, well-adjusted dog. Regardless if t’s learning to stay off the furniture or not chewing on shoes, boundaries teach your puppy the rules of their new world.

Consistency is key when it comes to maintaining these boundaries. If you allow your puppy to break the rules even once, they may become confused about what’s acceptable. Always reinforce the boundaries you’ve set, as this helps your puppy feel secure in knowing what is and isn’t allowed. A consistent approach makes training easier, and over time, your puppy will learn to respect the boundaries you’ve established, making your relationship with them stronger and more harmonious.

When teaching your puppy a command, remember that dogs rely more on their nose and eyes than their ears. After giving a command, show them what you want by guiding them into the correct position, such as gently helping them sit. Reinforce with treats and praise, and if needed, offer a gentle correction while repeating the command.

When teaching your puppy, it’s important to avoid common mistakes, like yelling or punishing them without showing the correct behavior first. For instance, if your puppy has an accident inside, simply scolding or shoving their face in it won’t teach them anything other than to fear you. Your puppy won’t know what they did wrong without guidance, leaving them confused and frustrated. Instead, while projecting calm energy, take the time to show them where and when they should go, which helps them learn the proper behavior more effectively.

It’s absolutely critical to always calmly pair any correction with a clear demonstration of the desired behavior. This way, your puppy can understand what they are being corrected for and learn how to respond. Showing them the correct action builds trust and communication, helping them connect the dots and learn faster.

Rewarding your puppy at the right moments helps them understand exactly what behavior you want. When they follow a command, like sit or stay, or when they’re in a calm state—such as laying down on their bed or not rushing to the door when someone new arrives—they should be rewarded immediately.

These rewards reinforce the calm, obedient behaviors you want to encourage so your puppy begins to associate that calm state with positive outcomes. Over time, they will learn that staying relaxed and following commands leads to good things, helping them adopt those behaviors naturally.

As your puppy becomes more consistent in their behavior, you can gradually lessen the frequency of rewards. It’s important to never completely stop rewarding them, as a dog that stops receiving rewards may lose motivation to keep up the behavior. However, just like a human child, if a puppy is always rewarded, they’ll end up spoiled. In this instance, they’ll only behave for the reward, not because they should be listening to you as their owner (parent).

The sweet spot is rewarding intermittently—sometimes rewarding, sometimes not—so your puppy continues the desired behavior without getting upset when there’s no treat. This balance encourages your puppy to behave consistently, whether a reward is given or not.