How to start puppy training
How Do I Start Training My Puppy?
Puppy Basics Every Owner Should Know
Bringing home a new puppy is exciting and a little overwhelming. With so much information online, it’s easy to wonder where training should actually begin. The good news? You don’t need to teach everything at once. Strong puppy training starts with foundational skills that shape behavior, confidence, and communication.
Here’s where to focus first.
1. Name Recognition: Teaching Your Puppy to Tune In
Before commands come attention.
Your puppy’s name should mean “good things happen when I respond.” Start by saying their name in a happy tone and rewarding eye contact with food, praise, or play. Avoid repeating their name over and over or using it to correct them, you want it to stay positive. Use a leash to help keep you puppy close by if needed!
💡 Goal: Your puppy looks to you when they hear their name, even with mild distractions.
2. Kennel Training: Creating a Safe, Calm Space
Kennel (crate) training isn’t about confinement — it’s about teaching your puppy how to settle and self-regulate.
Introduce the kennel gradually:
Feed meals inside
Toss treats in and allow them to go in willingly
Keep sessions short and calm
Leave kennel open for the puppy to freely walk in and out of
Be sure to not only utilize the kennel when you are going to sleep or leaving the house. Kenneling while you’re home helps your puppy understand that the kennel does not equal you leaving, and that they don’t have to stay in for a long time every time.
A properly introduced kennel helps with potty training, prevents destructive behaviors, and gives your puppy a place to decompress.
💡 Goal: The kennel becomes a neutral or positive space, not a punishment.
3. Socialization: Quality Over Quantity
Socialization doesn’t mean letting your puppy greet everyone and everything. It means exposure paired with neutrality.
Focus on:
New environments
Different surfaces and sounds
Calm observation of people, dogs, and the world
Let your puppy experience things without pressure to interact. This builds confidence and reduces reactivity later on.
💡 Goal: A puppy who can observe the world calmly without becoming overstimulated or fearful.
4. Puppy Biting: Teaching Appropriate Behavior
Biting is normal — puppies explore with their mouths. What matters is how we respond.
Instead of punishment:
Redirect to appropriate toys
End interaction if biting continues
Reward calm behavior
Ensure that puppy is not overly tired
Over time, puppies learn that calm play keeps engagement going, while rough behavior makes it stop.
💡 Goal: Teach bite inhibition and appropriate play, not suppression.
5. Settling: An Often Overlooked Skill
Many puppies struggle not because they lack exercise — but because they never learned how to do nothing. Learning to turn off their brain and self sooth is an invaluable skill.
Build settling by:
Using a place or bed or back tie to a doorknob
Rewarding calm behavior
Creating predictable routines
Do not interact with them if they are whining, barking, or attempting to get attention
Settling is a skill, and it plays a huge role in impulse control, focus, and overall behavior. It will also help them be able to sooth themselves when alone and when in new or stressful situations as they grow into adulthood.
💡 Goal: A puppy who can relax in the home without constant stimulation.
6. Potty Schedules: Structure Creates Success
Potty training is all about management and consistency.
General guidelines:
Outside after waking up
After meals and drinking large amounts
After play
If they start doing a lot of sniffing
Before kennel time
Every 1–2 hours for young puppies
Supervision is key. If you can’t watch your puppy, they should be in a kennel, tethered to you, or a confined space.
If you puppy gets distracted as soon as you walk outside then goes back inside only to have an accident, take them to one spot in the yard consistently and don’t move until they potty. This causes boredom and encourages them to potty. This can also help them understand the difference between going outside to play and going outside to potty. This is a good skill to have if you need them to be able to potty quickly as they get older.
💡 Goal: Fewer accidents by preventing mistakes, not correcting them after the fact.
Start Simple, Stay Consistent
Puppy training doesn’t have to be complicated — but it does need to be intentional. Focus on building habits, routines, and communication before worrying about advanced obedience.
Strong foundations now lead to:
Better behavior later
Less frustration for you
A more confident, well-adjusted dog
If you need guidance, structure, or support along the way, working with a professional can make all the difference.
🐾 Battle Bridge Canine
Training puppies for real life, from the very beginning.
