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.  

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

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

This episode covers…

  • More clicker training 
  • Redirecting behaviors like chewing and biting
  • Working on handling body parts 
  • Resource guarding
  • Socializing with people

This episode covers…

  • Stopping unwanted behaviors like biting 
  • Recall or coming when called
  • Working on crate training 
  • Good Manners
  • Tricks

This episode covers…

  • Working on biting 
  • Stress-free vet visits
  • Crate Training continued
  • Socialization

This episode covers…

  • House training
  • Biting
  • Leash walking
  • Learning her name
  • Eye contact
  • Coming when called

This episode covers…

  • Nail trimming
  • Brushing
  • Bath time

This episode covers…

  • Puppy Class
  • Fireworks desensitizing
  • Swimming pool introduction

This episode covers…

  • Socialization in public places
  • Meeting new dogs
  • Socializing with Big dogs

This episode covers…

  • Progress and help with leash walking, biting, tricks, resisting impulses, socialization and  potty training

This episode covers…

  • How to introduce your puppy to your older dog
  • More socializing

This episode covers…

  • How to stop biting
  • Learn to fetch
  • Socialization

This episode covers…

  • How to adapt your schedule to have time to train your puppy.

This episode covers…

  • Dealing with new sounds
  • Leash walking
  • Settling down

This episode covers…

  • Continued training on fetch
  • Continued Socialization
  • Continued Leave It
  • Ignoring distractions
  • Dealing with separation anxiety

This episode covers…

  • walking on a leash
  • settling down in the house
  • thunderstorm desensitizing

This episode covers…

  • listen around guests
  • resource guarding
  • desensitizing mouth
  • stay off the furniture
  • “Stay” with distractions
  • How long it takes to train daily – its not that long

This episode covers…

  • listen around guests
  • resource guarding
  • desensitizing mouth
  • stay off the furniture
  • “Stay” with distractions
  • How long it takes to train daily – it’s not that long