Training your puppy at home

All dogs need training but due to the bossy temperament, energy level, herding nature and personality of Corgis training is critical to creating a dog that will successfully fit in with your family and be able to function in a human world. Untrained dogs create stress for their owners and the relationship is filled with tension.

Research shows that the experiences that a puppy has in their first 16-18 weeks of life greatly impact how they function in a human world for the rest of their life.

Training that your puppy has already received

We had your puppy for the first 9 weeks of its life. During that time every puppy experienced…

ENS (early neurological stimulation) which has been shown to create more resilient dogs who are healthier and handle stressful situations better in life.
early socialization
manner training
basic crate training of sleeping in a crate with the doors open
litter box training
desensitizing to sounds, textures and touch daily
recall
exposure to new textures & experiences daily

Training that your puppy needs now through adulthood

This period of training will be performed by you as the new owner. It will be your responsibility to continue on with the training that we have started in order to create a dog that will have good manners and become part of your family. We recommend that you continue on with …

socialization
manners
crate training
house training
leash training
desensitizing to sounds and touch so that your dog can easily be groomed and will be a good patient at the vet’s office
obedience training

A training plan

The key to training success...
"Divide your day into 3 categories of interaction with your puppy"

Yes your puppy needs training, but it also needs other bonding time with you and free time. I like to divide my time with puppies into training time, together time and free time.

1. Training Time

This is when you implement the training techniques that you see in the videos below
Train for 1-5 minutes on ONE of the techniques that you see in the video
Train for 1-5 minutes on a previously learned technique
This is when you use the clicker or a marker word and food or a treat.
If you do a session in the morning, use their breakfast as the treat. Our puppies are trained using tiny pieces of Cheddar Cheese but it is easy to create other treats too.

2. Together Time

This is when you are actively watching your puppy.
The puppy is out of its play pen and you are interacting with it or watching it play.
Examples: petting, holding while watching TV, playing with your puppy and a toy, taking a walk, the puppy is sniffing around the back yard, you watch the puppy play with a toy while you talk on the phone.

2. Free Time

Your puppy has free time in his or her pen. During this time they can sleep, chew on toys or just hang out.
The pen is set up with a comfy crate and a potty area.
This is where you place the puppy when you are not training or cannot actively watch the puppy.
NOTE: a 9-10 week old puppy needs to sleep 3 times as long as they spend in training or playing. So if your puppy spends 1 hour awake they need 3 hours to sleep.

Suggested Home Training Programs

There are 2 at home training programs that I have used and seen others use with success – Zak George’s videos and Baxter & Bella.

Baxter & Bella

Click on the logo below for more information and learn how to get 25% off this program.

Zak George Training Videos

Zak George has produced hundreds of videos on YouTube that you can access with a simple Google search. The videos below are from a series that takes a puppy from day 1 through the process. Realize that your puppy already knows a lot more than his puppy does.

My New Puppy: The First 36 Hours

This episode covers…

Picking up your puppy & the trip home
Intro to Clicker Training
Putting a collar & harness on
Crate Introduction
Socialization
Crying at night
New Noise Introduction

My New Puppy: The The First Day Home!

This episode covers…

Starting Potty Training
How to handle whining when your puppy is in a crate or pen
How to prepare your puppy to take a bath
Nail trimming
Brushing teeth
Setting up your puppy’s pen – click HERE for a pen set up that your puppy is used to
Clicker Training intro