This Not That: Puppy Edition

Congratulations on your new bundle of joy! Those big adorable eyes had you from hello. You were looking for a life-long companion and it has arrived wrapped in a ball of fluff. You two are going places.

, (insert exasperated sigh here) after a week or two of non-stop yelping, wet floors, and finding your tenth pair of chewed-up socks, you realize a little puppy training may be in order.

O​f course, getting off on the right foot with little Fido is important. Too much too soon and you run the risk of frustrating both of you with unrealistic expectations in a small window of time. Not enough training, and you start getting used to those holey socks and unpleasant odors.

You've come to the right place! Learning how to avoid these top five common mistakes will make the training process easier and more enjoyable for you both.

1. Training in a large or busy environment

Your bundle of joy has arrived. Your excited, nervous and eager to get started on puppy training from day one.

The temptation will be to start training no matter where you are or what's going on around you. Faster is better, right?

Actually, a better way.

Try this instead...

Pick a smaller room in the house where you can close the door. This room needs any potential chew toys moved out of harm's way. And by chew toy we mean your favorite sweater, your child's toys, pillows.....you get the idea.

Also, pick a time of day when the house is quiet. (Kid's nap time, school hours, morning, etc.) Now your puppy is ready to focus on you and you. Let the training begin!

2. Teaching too many commands at once

commands and so little time. Where do you start?

The temptation will be to try to teach everything in that first week or so. This is guaranteed to result in two :

One frustrated puppy.

One frustrated owner.

Try this instead...

Tackle one command for a of three days. By day three you should begin incorporating the command spontaneously throughout the day and in situations. This will solidify the command in their head, as they focus to learn even during non-training time.

If after three days they appear to have a good grasp on the command, then add another, while also continuing to reinforce the ones you have worked on before.

3. Training sessions that last too long

You're in the groove. You're having fun and your dog seems truly engaged.

The temptation will be to continue working until frustration starts setting in for one or both of you or your bundle of joy gives up.

Try this instead...

Set a timer, averaging around 7 minutes. (5 minutes for younger puppies. 8-10 minutes for those older or more eager to learn.)

This gives you enough time to introduce a new concept, practice, and reinforce prior commands. Do these short practices 2 or 3 times a day, depending on your dog's eagerness to learn.

4. Becoming impatient with slow progress

Sit? ? You wish! You can't even get them to stand still for 3 seconds!

The temptation will be to get frustrated, raise your voice or even physically enforce the commands too rough.

Try this instead...

First, realize that raising your fury bundle of joy is much like raising a child. Learning a new skill takes time and like children, dogs learn best with positive reinforcements.

Second, lower your expectation and commit to the long haul. she didn't sit at all on day one, but she stopped jumping long enough to listen and make eye contact. That's progress! Take the win and praise those baby steps.

5. Not being consistent

Now you're rolling! He has learned commands and you're happy with his progress.

The temptation will be to slack off on those practice sessions or stop enforcing the commands all together.

Try this instead...

At some point every day (even different times throughout the day) make sure each command is being practiced and reinforced at least once. This keeps the commands fresh in his head and reinforces your expectations.

If he does not follow through on the command? wait until he does. Do not move on to the next command.

Ready. Set. Go!

Now you have a firm foundation in place to you both get started on the right foot!

The most important thing about dog training is making sure you both are enjoying the journey. add these tips and tricks to your toolbox of knowledge and have fun watching your fury family member grow and learn!