“Adopting a puppy is a piece of cake”, said no one ever. Brace yourself and embrace puppy training with consistency, lots of support and rewards (think "treats, treats, treats").
You'd be surprised to know how much time and effort it takes to train humans. Being a puppy is like a full-time job! I heard I needed to be consistent. So here I am, waking up every night with the family, to go for a walk outside. I cannot hold on all night long, so I will not let them sleep in.
They have to learn that I have needs, and that unlike humans, my toilet is outside. Speaking of training puppies … I'm the real trainer here!
The good thing with new families is their brain is like a sponge: they learn quickly. Thanks to our common training, we also quickly avoided any confusion learning what was OK to do and what was not - for them and for me. However, since we have not known each other for a long time yet, we are still trying to find our pace. I try to remain calm when I teach them something as easy as walking on leash, although they tend to get on my nerves! See for yourself:
The family decided to go get some advice from the puppy trainer we visited last time. So we headed back to puppy classes. I was offended at first, I must say. As far as I know, I am not the one pulling the leash! But these training classes are an excellent way to socialize with my parents, and other dogs and strangers too while being in different environments.
You must know by now that I am an easy going pup - despite my lack of patience with humans sometimes. So, again, I made lots of new doggo friends there! Even the puppy trainer was nice. Training was so fun the day went by very fast. It was very stimulating both mentally and physically, and actually, I discovered new things I cannot wait to teach my humans.
The training classes I attended with my new mom and dad have been truly great times where we got to spend time together, have fun and get closer. Last but not least, if I'm being totally honest, the treats also really helped me love training sessions.
It's called positive reward: anytime I do something they wanted me to do, or whenever I act well, there is always someone around to hand me a treat and praise me. I can assure you, that is one good way to remember what to do. Sometimes, I feel sorry not to have any reward for my parents when they act well, but then I remember I'm cute. And humble. That should be enough for them.
At the end of the day, my parents took me outside for a walk and a quick pee before they go to bed. I didn't even have to beg for it! It looks like the training classes paid off. After the walk, praise and treat for being a, I quote, “good boy”, I went to bed without a fuss. Puppy classes are exhausting. But while I was falling asleep, I noticed my parents tick boxes on a piece of paper. This is the paper they wrote on...and I see it's from ADAPTIL!