Your New Puppy

Allison is back with some more great tips on how to take better photos of your dog! Who doesn't want that perfect Instagramable, frameable, background photo of our dog.  But even with the 200 photos we have on our phones sometimes it eludes us! Back in episode 52 Allison Shamrell of Allison Shamrell Pet Photography told us […] The post YNP #065: How to Take Better Photos of Your Dog (Part 2) appeared first on Playtime Paws.

I'm back to burst some bubbles (POP!).  Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my fenced-in yard just like most dog owners.  But just like with most things that make our lives easier there's a downside.  I'm here to help you minimize them! My goal is to make sure that you and your dog can use your […] The post YNP #064: The Downside of a Fenced-in Yard (Part 2) appeared first on Playtime Paws.

Socializing your dog, especially when they are young, is SUPER DUPER important.  If you have listened to me at all then this is not news to you.  You know that you have to expose your dog to many different people, places, environments, sounds, textures, and dogs.  This is what creates a confident, well-adjusted dog that you […] The post YNP #063: My 7 Guidelines for Socializing Your Dog appeared first on Playtime Paws.

How many times have you gone to Youtube to find a new dog trick and it's a three-minute video with a dog that already knows the trick? Or you teach your dog a new trick in class to go home and they act like they never heard of it before.   Truth is, training doesn't happen in […] The post YNP #062: How I Taught My Dog a New Trick appeared first on Playtime Paws.

Your puppy's schedule will vary depending on many factors.  Including age, exercise needs, and your schedule. When I'm asked about what a typical day looks like I know that I'm actually being asked things like:"How many times should I take my puppy out?""How much exercise should my puppy get?""How much time is too much time in […] The post YNP #061: A Typical Puppy Schedule appeared first on Playtime Paws.

When we imagine kids and puppies we think that they go together like peanut butter and jelly (or my preference - chocolate). The reality isn't so sweet.  Your puppy and your kids LOVE each other.  But sometimes it's that same love and excitement that causes scratches, tears, and a disheartening relationship. When we have kids and […] The post YNP #060: Kids and Puppies appeared first on Playtime Paws.

Debbie here!  I just wanted to jump into your podcast feed one more time this year.  First I want to thank you, my listeners once again for being a bright spot in an otherwise stressful year.   I also thought it would be fun to take a look back at this year's most popular episodes and also […] The post YNP 2020 Sign Off: A Look Back and Look Forward appeared first on Playtime Paws.

Fetch it the one game we all think of when we talk about playing with our dog.  So it's easy to forget that we have to teach them how to fetch.  We have the picture in our mind of our dog running across the yard or park to get the ball and bring it back. […] The post YNP #059: How to Teach Your Dog to Fetch appeared first on Playtime Paws.

When you are new at watching dogs play it can be confusing and even a bit concerning.  Dog play is "play fighting" so if you haven't made a career out of knowing dog body language it's easy to get concerned even when dogs are having a grand old time. To make it harder sometimes two dogs […] The post YNP #058: How to Recognize Appropriate Dog Play appeared first on Playtime Paws.

If your dog listens to you inside your house that doesn't mean they know what you want outside on their walk.  Even if you are asking for the same thing.  Dogs are very contextual and need to be taught how to listen even when there distractions.  The good news is, if your dog listens to you […] The post YNP #057: How to Teach Your Dog to Listen With Distractions appeared first on Playtime Paws.

How do you handle potty training when all the adults in the housework full time?  This is a question I get asked a lot.  Mainly because my listeners know I do not like the use of potty pads (for more on that, check out Episode 009).  If you are going to be out of the […] The post YNP #056: Potty Training for a Working Household appeared first on Playtime Paws.

There are SO MANY things we need to train our puppy when we bring them home.  It's really easy to get overwhelmed or focus on the wrong things.   In this episode, I talk about the three most important skills you can teach your puppy.  Start these skills from day one and you will reap the […] The post YNP #055: Three Important Skills to Teach Your Puppy From Day 01 appeared first on Playtime Paws.

Does it feel like your trainer just tells you to stuff your dog's belly full of treats and say then they're trained?  Treats are an essential tool to raising our well-mannered dog but the lesson on HOW to use the treats properly gets lost. And we really want to avoid that place where your dog will […] The post YNP #054: How to Use Training Treats Properly appeared first on Playtime Paws.

All we want is a peaceful house!  When asking two (or three!) different species to live together it can get tricky! How you introducing your dog and cat depends a lot on the personalities involved. If you have a calm dog and confident cat, count yourself lucky!  If you have an excited dog and a shy […] The post YNP #053: Tips to Introduce Your Dog and Cat appeared first on Playtime Paws.

We all have a hundred (ok, ok hundreds) of photos of our dog.  But how many are keepers?  If you are anything like me you have 600 pictures and 2 end up as keepers In this episode, let's welcome Allison Shamrell to give us all her best tips on how to get better photos of your […] The post YNP #052: How to Take Better Photos of Your Dog with Allison Shamrell appeared first on Playtime Paws.

A strong recall is one of the most important behaviors your dog can have.  It's also something that takes LOTS OF WORK!! This episode is a replay a mini recall training I did inside my online puppy course YOUR Perfect Puppy.   I talk about how I approach recall as a habit that you and your dog […] The post YNP #051: How to Get a Stronger Recall appeared first on Playtime Paws.

Separation anxiety is always been something dog owners need to be aware of.  How to be alone is something that we have to teach our dogs.  In a perfect world we start this when they are puppies with crate training and the natural rhythm of our lives as we need to go to work, school, […] The post YNP Episode: How to Prevent Separation Anxiety During Stay-at-Home appeared first on Playtime Paws.

Leash training is a hot topic among dog owners.  Walks are a fundamental joy for dogs but when it comes to walking down the street in a straight line, it's no longer feels natural for them so that's why we encounter some resistance. This is also why there are many different ways we struggle with our […] The post YNP #050: The 3 Most Common Leash Training Questions appeared first on Playtime Paws.

​As your dog grows you will probably experience some behavior changes.  Just as you think you have it ALL figured out your puppy will prove you wrong. It's all part of the roller coaster of owning a puppy.   In this episode, I talk about when these changes can happen, why they happen, and how to […] The post YNP #049: Behavior Changes as Your Puppy Gets Older appeared first on Playtime Paws.

​If you decide to bring home an adult dog you may have different expectations than if they were a puppy.  Maybe they're already potty trained and crate trained.  They don't have as much energy. Maybe they're out of the chewing stage.   These expectations can lead to some trouble when we first bring them home.  Just […] The post YNP #048: Bringing Home an Adult Dog appeared first on Playtime Paws.