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Waiting for the puppy to tell you they need to go outside is the biggest potty training mistake that can cause more accidents than almost anything else. New puppy owners often expect their puppy to bark at the door, scratch the door. whine, pace around, or sit and stare at them. The problem is that most puppies don't know how to communicate that yet. They don't realize that the bathroom is outside. When they feel the urge, they simply go wherever they happen to be. Instead, o

Before bringing home a puppy, we all have this picture in our minds. We imagine cuddles on the couch, walks through the neighborhood, and a puppy that happily follows us around and quickly learns everything we teach. Then reality shows up. Your puppy is biting your hands, chewing on your shoes, peeing on the floor, barking at nothing, and somehow finding trouble every time you look away. If that sounds familiar, you're not alone. Unrealistic Expectation #1: Puppies Naturally

If you like to do interactive things with your puppy to ultimately tire them out and help them calm down, then this is the article for you. Here are five simple ways you can easily add mental stimulation to your puppy's everyday routine without spending a lot of money or adding hours to your day. When people think of wearing out a puppy, they immediately think of exercise, longer walks, more playtime, more running around the yard. While physical exercise is important, it's on

Today I'm going to talk about something that many loving puppy owners never think about. You may actually be creating stress, fear, and anxiety in your puppy without even realizing it. The good news is that almost every owner does this at some point. It doesn't make you a bad owner. It simply means you don't yet understand how your puppy experiences the world. This article will help you recognize the signs that your puppy is becoming overwhelmed and show you how to become th

This article will focus on the importance of building a relationship with your puppy, why your relationship matters, five ways to build your relationship, and mistakes that damage your relationship with your puppy. Why the Relationship Matters Because your puppy won't work for strangers. It isn't going to work for people that it doesn't trust. Your puppy is constantly learning whether they can trust you. A strong relationship between you and your puppy creates: Better atten

I've been getting a lot of calls recently from people with dogs two to eight years old who were never socialized. When they go to public locations like Lowe's, Home Depot, Tractor Supply, or Bass Pro Shops, they can't handle it. They can't cope. They have a lot of fear, stress, and anxiety. This could have been prevented if the dog had been socialized between 8 and 16 weeks old. Socializing your puppy does not mean playing with other dogs or being petted by many people. The

Puppies are not miniature adults. They are babies, learning how the world works. Punishment often creates confusion, fear, and damage to trust, while teaching and reinforcing creates understanding and lasting behavior change. Have you ever caught your puppy chewing on a shoe, having a potty accident on the floor, jumping on guests, or nipping at your hands and thought, “How do I punish this behavior?” I get calls about this all the time, people asking me how to punish their

A lot of new puppy owners want to teach their puppy all these extravagant obedience commands and training too soon, which can create problems for the puppy down the road. It also creates problems with the puppy learning the foundational skills effectively. Why It's Best To Keep It Simple You don't want to overwhelm the puppy too early. You wouldn't want to try to get a 10-year-old kid into college. They are in elementary school, and then they need to go through junior high s

These are the same tips that we give all my clients when they hire Top Gun Dog Training for the Puppy Training Program . Use a slip lead (one-piece leash) in the house at all times to prevent potty accidents, jumping on people, jumping on furniture, and counter surfing. Keep your eyes on the puppy at all times. You would not leave a baby unsupervised out of the crib, so don’t do that with your puppy Your puppy should NOT be free to roam around the house. They will get into

Many people mistake their dogs' exhaustion for calmness. They're not the same. Most dog owners think they know what a calm dog looks like, but they usually picture a tired or inactive dog. Just because your dog is doing nothing doesn't mean they're calm. Real calmness is different, and when owners learn to recognize it, behavior problems often improve more quickly. I have a very calm dog. She's been calm since I first got her. She's a therapy dog. She's a 6-year-old mini Aus

I work with a lot of people who get a new puppy that's eight or 10 weeks old, and the first thing they do is start teaching the puppy to shake, high-five, or to roll over. It can be fun to do this with your puppy and put it on Instagram, for your friends to see. If you teach the puppy tricks too soon and you don't focus on other things first, like its name, walking on a leash, potty training, acclimation to the crate, and stay. Why Teaching Paw or Shake Might be a Bad Idea

On day one, most people focus on the cute parts of bringing home a puppy, like cuddling, playing, and taking lots of photos for Instagram and their friends. What if, starting on day one, we focused on the habits that prevent behavior issues from forming and your puppy having serious behavior issues later in life? 1) Always use a house line on your puppy from day one. I recommend a slip lead, and the reason for this is because you want to control your puppy’s space. You don'

Dog training is not just about teaching commands; it's about helping owners understand their dogs and giving families tools that actually work in everyday life. This sums up about 90% of what I see in real life as a dog trainer. Most people don't come to dog trainers because their dog can't sit. They call us in desperation because life with their dog feels hard. People are desperate to get this fixed. Walks are stressful. Guests coming into the house are stressful. Even relax

HUNTSVILLE, AL, January 23, 2026 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Top Gun Dog Training has been recognized with two notable awards for excellence in dog training, earning Best Dog Trainer from Quality Business Awards and Silver Winner in Pet Training from CommunityVotes Huntsville . The Quality Business Award is presented to businesses that demonstrate outstanding customer satisfaction, service quality, and professional reputation within their industry. CommunityVotes Huntsville is a c

As a dog owner, you love your pup. Sometimes, those cute eyes are hard to resist, and you just have to toss them a piece of what you're eating, too. However, not everything that people can eat is also safe for dogs. The next time you give into your pup's begging, make sure that you're not giving them a treat that causes them harm. 1. Anything chocolate: While most dog owners are aware that they cannot digest chocolate, it is worth paying extra attention to keep them from get

Potty training is a problem for many people. I have found that people either get it or don't, and it's not an issue with the dog. It's not the dog's fault. It's an owner issue. People call me to discuss puppy training, and their entire focus is on potty training. This happens a lot, and it's been happening ever since I've owned Top Gun Dog Training . The goal of this article is to shift the new puppy owner's focus to the bigger picture of raising a puppy, beyond potty train

My dog Dixie has been diagnosed with heart disease after a routine checkup before teeth cleaning. They found a heart murmur, then, from an X-ray, found an enlarged heart and congestion in her lungs. I have created a GoFundMe account to help with her expenses. Start-Up Fees: Including adoption or breeder fees, initial vet visit, microchip, supplies, and training . $2000-$8000 Monthly Expenses: Food Medication (heartworm, flea, and tick prevention) Daycare Dog Walker Groomin

Many people underestimate the level of responsibility needed to raise a puppy. So go back and listen to that first episode of What's Needed to own a new puppy. And today we're going to talk about the truths and the myths of raising a puppy. The Truths: 1: Raising a young puppy is a part-time job. For some people, it's a full-time job. You have to be on top of that puppy all the time. They're going to potty 10-12 times a day. They need a tremendous amount of sleep. They need

Building structure with your new puppy is one of the best things you can do to create a happy, healthy, and obedient puppy. There are many reasons we want to build a structure, and several ways to do so. Why you should build structure in your puppy's routine Structure creates calmness in the puppy. When you have a structure where they know what they're going to do next, they're not stressed out overthinking what's going to happen next. They are not concerned about when they

As a dog owner, you want to do everything you can to ensure your furry friend is happy and healthy. That includes making sure they're getting the right nutrition. There are a lot of different opinions out there about what the best diet for dogs is, but the truth is that there's no one-size-fits-all answer. The best way to ensure your dog is getting the nutrition they need is to work with your veterinarian to create a customized plan. In the meantime, here's a basic overview