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Week 14 - Move It!

A handy word to teach your dog is to "move" (out of your way) especially when your arms are full of groceries or other items.

Wrong Move: When your dog is resting in a doorway or hallway, you walk around the dog politely. 

Week 15 - Stay the Course

When puppies reach about four months of age, the begin to lose their puppy teeth and gain their adult teeth. They also become hormonal as they mature. At this age, your puppy may appear to test you just like a human adolescent or teenager.  You ask your puppy to sit and you get a blank stare or a wagging tail that looks like, "What if I don't?"

Week 16 - Where's my Lollipop?
Just like children, canines do learn that if something very good happens right after something somewhat stressful, it may be worth it! Remember the treasure chest in the dentist's office or the lollipop after your child's first haircut? 

Week 17 -Teach an Inhibited Bite

Veterinarian and founder of the APDT (Association of Pet Dog Trainers) Dr. Ian Dunbar recommends teaching every puppy to have a "soft mouth" and preventing serious aggression by teaching dogs to inhibit their bites. 

Week 18 - Food Bowl Aggression

There are several signs that your puppy may be developing food bowl aggression. Every canine is an individual. Not every dog shows the same signs in advance of a problem. Some dogs never develop food bowl or toy guarding. 

Week 19 - Who's Telling Who What To Do?
Giving food to the dog from the table lowers the human status in the pack. Conversely, the dog's position is elevated which makes it less likely he will follow your Instructions in the future, unless there is an immediate pay off with food. 

Week 20 - Socializing Dogs to Cats
If you have both dogs and cats in your home, it is best to introduce the newest member of the family (cat or dog) slowly and with positive associations. Praise curious, friendly behavior and offer both treats.

Week 21 - English as a Second Language
Make sure you always use one word to always mean one thing.  For example, don't say, "Stay" unless you expect your dog to freeze in one position until you say otherwise!  Don't say, "Down" unless you mean lie down in the down position.  Don't say, "No" if you mean, "Quiet". 

Week 22 - The Interpreter
Behaviorist William Campbell coined the "Interpretive Factor" and "Jolly Routine" as an effective way to model the desired canine behavior.

Week 23 - Trading Up
Offering a treat in exchange for an object in your canine's mouth is a great way to begin teaching "drop" and "give" and "fetch".  

Week 24 - Rub-a-dub-dub, Bath Time!
Rub-a-dub-dub, teaching puppy to enjoy the tub. The key is to start slowly with lots of encouragement and rewards.

Week 25 - Sad Statistics
Don't be a sad statistic, keep going with your education about canine behavior! Here are a few staggering statistics about dog bites in the United States.

Week 26 - Puppy Frenzy
If your puppy races around the house and seems to have lost contact with planet earth - then you are witnessing puppy frenzy.  Don't scold, give Instructions or try to teach your puppy anything. Instead, play, go for a run or give a "cooling off" period.

Week 27 - Getting to Know You...
If you would like to teach your canine to sit quietly when the mail carrier arrives, this topic is for you.  with your education about canine behavior! Here are a few staggering statistics about dog bites in the United States.

Week 28 - Stress Tolerance
It is important that  dogs learn that experiencing a little stress is no big deal so they will just "give up" and relax and not allow the stress to escalate.

Week 29 - Happy, Sad, or Mad?
You can learn to read your dog's body language. Dog's usually show signs of tension before they bite.

Week 30 - Relaxation Technique
Do you wish you could help your puppy to simply relax and enjoy being held?  This is possible, especially if you have been doing gentling and leadership exercises for some time and your pup has already learned to trust you.

Week 31 - Fact or Fiction?-
Do pets really love us unconditionally? Fact or Fiction?  Pet's may show deference out of fear or survival instinct but this isn't unconditional love.

Week 32 - Little Dogs, Big Egos
Just like larger breeds, small breeds require early, positive socialization, gentle yet effective training methods, plus for safety purposes they need to learn - early on - that they are small dogs.

Week 33 - Say It Once