Daydreaming about yourself and your new puppy? What are your goals and aspirations? What greatness will you two accomplish together?

My clients talk to me about their dog visions of the future. Plans and goals they have for themselves and their new dog. As their puppy coach this is very important information for me. I will even say one of the most important questions that I ask them.

The answers are often similar, keeping in mind my clients live in a major metropolitan city. They look forward to long leisurely walks together. Great fun at the park and the beach and the cottage – the new addition staying close, checking in and certainly coming at the speed of light when he is called. Later on their doggie athlete running with them so they both get their exercise.

Other athletic goals consist of playing great games of fetch with a tennis ball or sophisticated games of ‘find it’ followed by a kick ass game of tug. Here I add, with hard fast rules in place that include always letting go of the toy when asked followed by a sit and never jumping to grab the toy – but waiting nicely until given the cue to ‘take it’.

Sometimes my clients have kids, sometimes they don’t. Whether they are here, not here yet, or never will be, everyone wants their dog to be well behaved around youngsters. Everyone also wants a well-behaved dog around guests to the homestead. Some of my clients want to be able to take their dog to the groomer and have him be relaxed as he gets beautified. None of them want their new companion developing that horrible allergic reaction to the vet clinic where dread takes over and you can barely get your adult dog inside as he pulls with all his might, panting with stress, eyes bulging from his head, thinking to himself, “Oh No! Oh No! Not again! Please if there is a dog in heaven! Not again!”

Other plans include doing errands together to dog-friendly stores and their new dog pal lying by their chair enjoying the neighborhood café patio as they sip coffee, read the paper or meet with friends.

Other folks share more elaborate goals of having their dog serve as a therapy dog, going into homes for the aged or hospitals to be petted and loved and bring that special dog magic dogs can bring to those in need. Some of my clients aim to compete in agility or Frisbee competitions.  To all of this I say Yes! Yes! Yes! Lets get started! Let me help you raise the dog of your dreams.

When you have a brand new puppy you have a blank canvas upon which to paint your masterpiece. Certainly your dog deserves it and for sure he will love you for it. That is the beauty of doing a great job raising a puppy, what a lovely bond it creates between you and your dog.

Here are some pointers that can help you get started, pass them on to any friends or family that are thinking of getting a puppy or have one on the way. It takes a village to raise a puppy too.

Get out in public with your puppy – it is a must as far as socializing goes, but take it further – go to the patio of your favorite coffee shop and work on ‘down’ for a few minuets, head into the bank or the bookstore or your pet supply store. Find every public dog-friendly environment you can, go there with your puppy and teach him how to behave there. If you want your dog to lie down and relax in public – you have got to work him in public as a puppy. This holds true to playing with you in the park or at the beach. Teach your puppy the things you want him to do in the places that you want him to do it.

When it comes to vet visits, gentle reader, please have mercy on your dog. Go to the vet often with your new puppy, without an appointment, just for fun. Play a quick game that your pup enjoys. Have the staff give him fabulous treats and tummy rubs. Make sure that you give your pup treats when the vet is examining him and that the Doc also offers treats. Put yourself in his paws, who likes going to the doctor?

Get yourself hooked up with a great coach, start teaching your young puppy the fundamentals like sit and down and stand. Teach him to walk on a loose leash and to come quickly to you when you call him. Teach the basics of retrieve and find it and continue to build on this, slowly, becoming more sophisticated.

If you don’t have kids introduce your puppy to kids, kids and more kids, have them handle the pup, and ask him to do something simple like sit. Teach him to lie down when he meets little kids and use a verbal cue like ‘gentle’ as they handle him, be sure and give him treats.

If therapy dog work or organized dog sports are on your mind for the future, contact a professional that specializes in these areas and ask them what you can start to do with your new puppy right now to ready him for these goals.

So make a list of all of the things that you want to do with your dog - a vision board for you and your puppy. Get started now. You have places to go and people to meet. Remember to have fun and to always have treats!

Three great puppy training concepts all captured in one short film clip. follow-me-game-11

This puppy training film clip captures teaching a puppy to come when called, working on a long line and playing the wild and control game. All great things to do with your pup. We cover all of them in the Ultimate Puppy Toolkit in detail.

Tip 1. When you are working with your puppy in an “open” area such as a park or field, the safest possible way to do this is by attaching a “light weight” long line to your puppy. It gives both of you more freedom - but keeps your puppy safe. You can let the long line drag on the ground and if need be, put your foot on it to stop the pup from taking off on you. This is a great way for you to have your hands free.

Tip 2. If you want a dog that comes to you when called, get your puppy to follow you from day one. Make it a game - something that’s fun and it will be something that your dog wants to do over and over again. Dogs love games.

Tip 3. Deliberately and in a planned way, practice getting your puppy a bit wild and then get him under control. We call it “wild/control”. Notice that you can make your puppy calmer by the tone of your voice and by the speed of your actions.

In the film clip, Sydney also lures and them rewards a sit when the puppy gets to her. Which does two things. It calms down the dog and gets control of the chasing. For more on teaching your puppy dog to come when called check out our puppy training aids, the Ultimate Puppy Toolkit and the Ultimate Puppy Bytes.

What does your house insurance have to do with puppy training?

If recent changes to the insurance industry are anything to go by then more then what you might expect. In response to rising insurance claims that are directly related to animal behavior, insurance companies are now taking their dog owning clients to task. According to the Insurance Information Institute costs of dog-bite litigation has spiraled — costing insurers $351.4 million in 2006. In addition, the fall-out from canine separation anxiety, which causes dogs to tear apart and destroy household property is also costing the insurance companies big money. The average claim for that is around $20,000. The already beleaguered insurance industry is not taking this situation lying down.

While no two insurance companies have the same approach to this problem, all of them have begun to hold dog owners accountable for their dogs. On the one extreme some insurance companies have black listed certain breeds and if you happen to have a dog on their list, they won’t insure your home. The more balanced insurance companies deal with the issue on a case-by-case basis, wanting to know if the dog has a history of any of these behaviors and if so, what were the circumstances surrounding the incident. In these cases they may adjust the cost of your policy according to the severity of the problem.

Training your puppy has never had more significance. Here’s where our puppy training aid comes in handy. Both separation anxiety and aggression are preventable in dogs. The Ultimate Puppy Toolkit primary goal is to help you socialize your dog, learn bite inhibition, and teach your dog to time spend alone. We show you how to train your puppy so that he or she does not develop these unacceptable behaviors.

Personally I think insurance companies should consider offering a discount to people that can show proof of a “canine good citizen” certificate. If you can get a discount on your policy for having a good driving record or not smoking, then why not get a discount for the effort you made to train your dog properly?

Can we talk about Simon Cowell for a moment? I recently saw the “Britian’s Got Talent” segment featuring Kate Nicholas and her dog Gin. If ever there was an example that highlights the lack of understanding about dog training then this is it. The clip seen on youtube makes this clear. Simon, I hope you’re listening… Kate Nicolas did not just come across this Border Collie practicing dance moves in a field in Cheshire. Left to their own devices, there is not a dog on the planet that would spontaneously be able to do the routine Gin was doing on that show. Nor do dogs spend countless hours training and conditioning their own behavior - LOL.

Kate worked with her dog for hours and hours to put all the dance steps on cue. In order to perform a dance routine like that she taught Gin a series of individual behaviors, such as walking backwards, jumping over a stick, weaving through her legs, etc. And then put them all together to music. All those components put together make it look magical.

Other examples of dog training are: drug sniffing dogs, services dogs, search and rescue dogs. This is more sophisticated training then what the average person would do at home with their dog. But the principles are all the same.

If a sixteen-year-old girl can teach her dog to dance that well in front of such a huge tv audience, then just think of all the things you can do with your dog. Simple things like house training, calling your dog to come to you, playing games together, or just walking on a loose leash are all easily within your grasp, not to mention tons of fun. Let Kate and Gin be an inspiration to you.

So let it be said, here and now – Kate, you did a great job! Congratulations to you and your dog. It was really fun watching your routine with Gin. Some home truths for Simon Cowell: We’re all looking for Lassie, but Lassie was seven highly trained dogs. I’m still a big fan of yours, but this once I’m afraid you got it all wrong.