How do you know if your kids are ready for a dog?  And if they are, how do you prepare them for bringing that new dog home?

Well lucky for you (and me) Justine Schuurmans, the expert on families, kids, and dogs,  is going to answer those questions.

Justine is the founder of The Family Dog and the creator of The Dial Method.  Her work with families has greatly impacted how I work with kids and puppies to this day.  

The best part?  This is part one of a two part series.  Stay tuned for part two where she talks about what to do when the your kids and the dog aren't BFFs like you planned.

In this episode we talk about:

• Are your kids ready for a dog?
• Are you ready for a new dog? 
• How much can you depend on the kids help?
• Why younger kids shouldn't be in charge of walking the dog. 
• Picking the right dog for your family's lifestyle.
• How to prepare your kids for when the dog comes home.

Press play and enjoy!

Other resources mentioned and related to this episode:

The Family Dog resources:  This page includes the resources both Justine and I talked about inside the interview including the video that I think EVERY parent should watch along with the Pet, Pat, Pause flyer. 

YNP Episode #002: Which Type of Dog is Right for You?

YOUR Perfect Puppy's course:  A 4 week course to build the foundation of you and your new puppy's life together. 

More about Justine:

Justine is a former Nickelodeon and MTV producer and dog trainer for over 20 years, specializing in working with young families. Her mission is to help parents, kids and dogs understand each other better and live safely and happily together.  She's the founder of The Family Dog, STOP THE 77 and the creator of The Dial Method.

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What is dog fitness?  Brittni of Potential Unleased Idaho has joined me to answer that question and then some.

Brittni talks to us about dog fitness and how it can prevents injuries, builds confidence, and work both body and mind. 

Of course, we also talked a lot about puppies and how to keep our their muscles and joints safe and happy while their little bodies are growing.

I had to take my own notes during this interview!  To learn more from Brittni, check out her resources below. 

In this episode we talk about:

• What is dog fitness?
• How much exercise should our puppies get? 
• How to keep our puppy's joints and muscles safe as they grow.
• Some safe and fun exercises for puppies.
• How to adjust exercises for different breeds and sizes.
• Tips for aging dogs.

Press play and enjoy!

Other resources mentioned and related to this episode:

Potential Unleashed Idaho:  Brittni's website with all her services and blog posts to learn more information about her and dog fitness. 

Potential Unleashed Idaho on Facebook

Potential Unleashed Idaho on Instagram

YOUR Perfect Puppy's course:  A 4 week course to build the foundation of you and your new puppy's life together. 

The post YNP #093: Dog Fitness: Keeping Your Puppy Fit and Safe with Brittni appeared first on Playtime Paws.

It can be counter intuitive but when your puppy has a potty accident, we shouldn't punish them.

You may feel that you need to do something to let them know "this is wrong".  

Or maybe you know that you're not supposed to punish your puppy's potty accidents but you're not sure why.

In general, I discourage using punishment as a form of teaching your puppy anything.  But this question comes up a lot around potty training. 

In Episode #10: (Complete Guide to Potty Training Your Puppy), I talk about what to do when your puppy has an accident.  Punishment is never part of it.  

In this episode, I'm going to talk about why that is. 

In this episode I talk about:

• Why I get this question around potty training.
• What I mean by "punishment". 
• What we are supposed to do with potty accidents.
• Why dogs learn better when told what to do (instead of what not to do).
• How puppies don't know going potty inside is wrong (yet!).

Press play and enjoy!

Other resources mentioned and related to this episode:

YNP #010:  Complete Guide to Potty Training Your Puppy

YNP #039:  The Most Common Potty Accidents

YNP #079:  Are You Still Struggling With Potty Training?

Playtime Paws Academy:  A membership for dog and humans no matter where you are in your training journey.

The post YNP #092: Why Not to Punish Puppy Potty Accidents appeared first on Playtime Paws.

When I receive multiple questions from my listeners around the same topic I know it's time to do a podcast episode about it.  

But not all questions warrant a full episode but can still be useful to answer.

So that's exactly what I did in this episode.  I gathered 5 questions that came from you, my listeners (through email and social media) and answered them here.

If you like this format let me know and maybe we can make a series out of it!

In this episode I talk about:

• Older puppy (9 months) rejecting the crate overnight (1:19). 
• When its OK to leave your puppy for 2 weeks (4:02).
• Can you move their crate around or use two different crates? (5:47).
• How to deal with a picky eater (6:58).
• How many litters should a breeder have at one time? (8:07).

Press play and enjoy!

Other resources mentioned and related to this episode:

YNP #018: Ditch the Bowl and Make Mealtime an Event

YNP #084: My Favorite DIY Puzzle Feeders

Playtime Paws Academy:  A membership for dog and humans no matter where you are in your training journey.

The post YNP #091: Listener Questions appeared first on Playtime Paws.

When your dog refuses to go outside in the rain, it can be annoying and time consuming.  It's even worse when you're trying to potty train a young puppy that isn't going to hold it until the rain stops.  

For most dogs they will learn to tolerate it but for others it may always be a struggle. 

We know we should stay positive to try and change their association but when you've been outside for the 10th time in the rain and they still haven't gone it's hard not to let that frustration show through. 

Different things will work for different dogs.  That's why in this episode I run through a bunch of things that may help you pup's relationship to being wet and cold so both of you can spend more time inside the toasty warm house.  

In this episode I talk about:

• Rain gear. 
• Creating a special place in your yard.
• Using a potty cue.
• Change their association with the rain and rain gear.
• Why does your dog love to swim but hates the rain (or their bath).

Press play and enjoy!

Other resources mentioned and related to this episode:

Playtime Paws Academy:  A membership for dog and humans no matter where you are in your training journey.

The post YNP #090: When Your Dog Hates the Rain appeared first on Playtime Paws.

Muzzle training your dog means exposing your dogs to wearing a muzzle in a positive, stress-free way (see resources below on how to do this).

This is something that most of us never think (or want to think) about doing with our dog. 

It's understandable because muzzles have a bad rap and are thought of as a last resort for an aggressive dog.

But there are many benefits beyond "controlling an aggressive dog".

Any dog, when injured has the potential to bite.  Some dogs have a hard time handling the groomer or the vet.  These aren't 
"bad" or "aggressive" dogs.

When we take away that bad stigma and don't hesitate to use one, it can bring all stress levels down and help everything go smoother.  

My stance is, better to muzzle train your dog and never need it than be forced to put a muzzle on them for the first time in a stressful situation. 

As always, the resources I talk about in this episode are listed all below. 

In this episode I talk about:

• Why every dog should be exposed to a muzzle regardless of their temperament. 
• Specific situations where we can reduce the stress of all involved by exposing our dog to a muzzle first. 
• Reasons to muzzle train that have nothing to do with aggression.
  
• Reasons to use a muzzle while working on behavior modification.
• Reasons not to hesitate to muzzle train your reactive dog.

Press play and enjoy!

Other resources mentioned and related to this episode:

American Kennel Club: Dog Muzzles: When, Why, and How to Correctly Use Them

Vet.Cornell.edu : Muzzle Choices

Michael Shikashio: A video on how to Accumulate your dog to a muzzle (this is the guy to follow for ANY muzzle or aggressive dog content).

Michael Shikashio: How to find the right fit for your dog.

Playtime Paws Academy:  A membership for dog and humans no matter where you are in your training journey.

The post YNP #089: Reasons to Muzzle Train Your Dog appeared first on Playtime Paws.

Socialization is the most important training you can do for your puppy.  It's also the most overlooked and misunderstood part of your puppy's training.

When done correctly as a puppy, socialization creates a confident, well adjusted dog.  And who doesn't want that for their puppy?  

I've gathered the 4 things I think are the most misunderstood about socialization to help correct any misconceptions.  This also serves as a crash course in socialization if you have no idea what it is. 

In addition, each topic has it's own podcast episode where you can learn even more.  

As always, the resources I talk about in this episode are listed all below. 

In this episode I talk about:

• What socialization is. 
• How socialization is about more than dogs.
• How your puppy's experience matters.
• How age matters.
• When socialization is about dogs.

Press play and enjoy!

Other resources mentioned and related to this episode:

YNP #074: How to Socialize Your Puppy Without Leaving Your House.

YNP #063: My 7 Guidelines for Socializing Your Dog

YNP #021: Balancing Vaccines and Socialization

YNP #013: Dog Park vs. Dog Daycare

YNP #058: How to Recognize Appropriate Dog Play

Playtime Paws Academy:  A membership for dog and humans no matter where you are in your training journey.

The post YNP #088: Four Things You May Not Know About Socialization appeared first on Playtime Paws.

Is your dog trying to dominate you?  The short answer is no, they are not.  

And though that might not come as a surprise to you, what isn't always clear is why it's not true.  

Especially because this theory that dogs want to dominate us or some dogs are more "dominate" than others still comes up a lot in dog training. 

That's why I want to talk about where this dominance and alpha theory came from, how it's been debunked, and why it still persists even though we now know better. 

I believe this information is important because helps us better understand our dog and how they see the world so we can better communicate with them and teach them how we want them to behave in our human world.  

As always, the resources I talk about in this episode are listed all below. 

In this episode I talk about:

• Where the dominance and alpha theory came from. 
• How we now know that there's no such thing as an "alpha" dog in a natural wolf pack.
• Why dominance and alpha theory is still (incorrectly) used.
• What is actually happening when we think we see a "dominate" or "submissive" dog.
• Why I think it's so important to understand the difference.

Press play and enjoy!

Other resources mentioned and related to this episode:

International Wolf Center: An article by the organization that conducted the ordinal study on why they no longer use the term "alpha".

Dave Mech (pronounced "meesh"): An article and video by the scientist that wrote the book that made the "alpha" theory popular on why it's no longer accurate. 

YNP #038: The One Thing You Need to Know About Dog Behavior.

YNP #040: How to be Your Dog's Pack Leader

Playtime Paws Academy:  A membership for dog and humans no matter where you are in your training journey.

The post YNP #087: Is Your Dog Trying to Dominate You? appeared first on Playtime Paws.

Teaching your dog to come when called (recall) is arguably the most important skill you can teach your dog.  It's also one that we struggle with the most. 

That's because we try and teach it like we would any other cue like sit, down or stay.

But that only gives us half the picture. 

Recall is a habit that you have to develop with your dog, not just a skill to teach them.  

This means your behavior is just as important as the skills you teach your dog. 

Inside my program: 14 Days to a Stronger Recall I teach it in three distinct parts:

1. The habits and behaviors you (as the human) need to develop and avoid.
2. The skills you need to teach your dog (using an activity a day for 14 days)
3. How to practice #1 and #2 and build your dog up to real world and challenging environments.

When we think of it in this way we can understand that our every day interactions with our dog can make a big difference in strengthening our recall.  

In this episode I talk about:

• Why so many of us struggle with recall. 
• What we are missing when we teach our dog to come when called.
• A different way to think about recall.
• Examples of things we can do to reinforce our dog's recall everyday. 
• 14 Days to a Stronger Recall 

Press play and enjoy!

Other resources mentioned and related to this episode:

YNP #004: 3 Things You Can Do Now to Teach Your Dog to Come Every Time You Call

Rover Round Robin: A family training game

14 Days to a Stronger Recall: A compressive online program where you receive an activity a day to do with your dog while also learning the habits and behavior you need to increase your dog's recall 10x.

Playtime Paws Academy:  A membership for dog and humans no matter where you are in your training journey.

The post YNP #086: Why We Struggle with Recall appeared first on Playtime Paws.

Potty training can be overwhelming.  The good news is, one of the first things we can check off the list is getting our puppy to sleep through the night.  

Potty training overnight is a little different than during the day.  Even though they can hold it longer overnight, they still aren't going to make more than 4 hours or so at first.  

Our goal is to take them out as little as possible while still minimizing the risk for accidents.  I give you the steps to make this happen.

I've seen puppies as young as 10 weeks sleep through the night but most will be closer to 16 weeks.

Hopefully, this episode will get you closer to that uninterrupted night's sleep!

Remember the one thing that trumps all else????  Say it with me WHEN IN DOUBT, TAKE YOUR PUPPY OUT!

In this episode I talk about:

• How long your puppy can "hold it" overnight. 
• What to do before bed to prepare for overnight potty breaks.
• Why I recommend setting an alarm.
• How to let your puppy sleep longer while lowering the risk of overnight accidents. 
• Additional tips to make overnights a little easier.

Press play and enjoy!

Other resources mentioned and related to this episode:

YNP #010: Complete Guide to Potty Training Your Puppy

YNP #079: Are you Still Struggling With Potty Training?

Playtime Paws Academy:  A membership for dog and humans no matter where you are in your training journey.

The post YNP #085: How to Handle Potty Training Overnight appeared first on Playtime Paws.

I love puzzle feeders as a way to "ditch the bowl" and make mealtime an event.   If you search "puzzle feeder" or "slow feeders" online countless options come up.  I have my favorite store bought feeders (see my Supplies page) but there's also many ways to DIY it! In fact, I have three that you can […]

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