Latest / The Puppy Training Podcast / Episode #287 Puppy Questions Every New Family Asks: Biting, Potty Signals, Furniture & Growling

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Episode #287 Puppy Questions Every New Family Asks: Biting, Potty Signals, Furniture & Growling · The Puppy Training Podcast

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: Today I'm answering four very common questions from a family with a brand new puppy.
• 0:05
  SPEAKER_00: Ankle biting in the morning, recognizing potty signals, getting on the furniture, and growling over at you.
• 0:11
  SPEAKER_00: These everyday moments are actually some of the best training opportunities you'll have, so let's talk about exactly what to do.
• 0:18
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to the Puppy Training Podcast, the show designed to help you raise a confident, well-behaved puppy using positive practical training methods.
• 0:26
  SPEAKER_00: Each week we'll explore real-life training strategies, break down common puppy challenges, and give you clear, step-by-step guidance you can start using right away.
• 0:34
  SPEAKER_00: Whether you're dealing with potty training, biting, jumping, or just want to build a stronger bond with your pupp as their handler, you're in the right place.
• 0:41
  SPEAKER_00: When you bring home a new puppy, you quickly discover that there are a lot of questions.
• 0:46
  SPEAKER_00: And sometimes the questions aren't about complicated training behaviors.
• 0:50
  SPEAKER_00: They're about the things happening right in front of you every day.
• 0:54
  SPEAKER_00: Like, why does my puppy attack my kids' ankles when they come downstairs?
• 0:59
  SPEAKER_00: Or how do I know when she needs to go potty?
• 1:01
  SPEAKER_00: Is it bad to always tell her off when she gets on the furniture?
• 1:05
  SPEAKER_00: And what do I do if my puppy growls when my kids walk by while she's chewing something?
• 1:09
  SPEAKER_00: These are exactly the kinds of questions I love because they give us an opportunity to look at puppy behavior differently.
• 1:15
  SPEAKER_00: Instead of asking, how do I stop this behavior?
• 1:18
  SPEAKER_00: I want you to start asking, what is my puppy trying to accomplish?
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_00: And what behavior would I like to see instead?
• 1:25
  SPEAKER_00: That little shift you guys can completely change how you train.
• 1:29
  SPEAKER_00: So let's start with the morning ankle biting.
• 1:32
  SPEAKER_00: My kids come downstairs in the morning and the puppy gets super excited and wants to play bite their ankles.
• 1:37
  SPEAKER_00: What can we do?
• 1:38
  SPEAKER_00: First, I want you to recognize what's happening.
• 1:40
  SPEAKER_00: Your puppy wakes up, they hear your kids coming down the stairs, and suddenly the party has started.
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_00: There are footsteps, movement, excitement, fun voices, people she loves, and those little moving ankles are incredibly interesting to a puppy.
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_00: Remember, puppies explore the world with their mouths.
• 1:58
  SPEAKER_00: They're also naturally attracted to movement.
• 2:00
  SPEAKER_00: So when your children walk by and the puppy chases their feet and grabs their ankles, she's not necessarily being aggressive or trying to be naughty.
• 2:07
  SPEAKER_00: She's actually just very excited and she has learned that chasing and biting moving feet is fun.
• 2:13
  SPEAKER_00: Our job is to give her something better to do.
• 2:16
  SPEAKER_00: So first, I want you to manage the situation.
• 2:19
  SPEAKER_00: I don't want you to wait until your puppy's already attached to someone's pajama leg to start training.
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_00: If you know your kids are coming downstairs at a certain time every morning, prepare for it.
• 2:29
  SPEAKER_00: You might have your puppy behind a baby gate in an exercise pen, or they could be on a leash tethered to you.
• 2:35
  SPEAKER_00: You can even have a few pieces of food ready.
• 2:37
  SPEAKER_00: Now your kids are going to come down the stairs, and instead of the puppy immediately getting access to their moving feet, you can say something like, find it, and you can scatter a few pieces of food on the floor.
• 2:47
  SPEAKER_00: Now she's using her nose instead of her mouth.
• 2:49
  SPEAKER_00: You can also wait for that sit to say please.
• 2:52
  SPEAKER_00: I love the barrier concept because that allows your puppy can kind of just be a puppy, but they can't get to your kids.
• 2:59
  SPEAKER_00: And the kids can now wait for that sit to say please.
• 3:01
  SPEAKER_00: As soon as they notice that good behavior, they can reward the puppy.
• 3:05
  SPEAKER_00: You might be even be able to release her to go say hello, but I would do that behind the barrier first, get that sit, and then can they hand your puppy a piece of food and pet her while she's sitting?
• 3:15
  SPEAKER_00: You'll notice that she starts to learn this is the new pattern of behavior.
• 3:19
  SPEAKER_00: The kids come down the stairs, I offer a nice sit to say please calm behavior.
• 3:24
  SPEAKER_00: Then the kids get to say hi to me.
• 3:25
  SPEAKER_00: And that barrier is going to keep the puppy from being able to get to your kid's ankles while we're teaching the puppy like this is the behavior that actually gets rewarded.
• 3:34
  SPEAKER_00: Also recognize these young puppies, you guys, they don't have a lot of attention span.
• 3:38
  SPEAKER_00: And so they just react in the moment.
• 3:40
  SPEAKER_00: We need to teach them patience, and this is how it starts.
• 3:44
  SPEAKER_00: You can also give your dog an appropriate toy or two before the kids come down.
• 3:47
  SPEAKER_00: Now, the goal is to get ahead of the behavior rather than constantly interrupting it after it starts.
• 3:54
  SPEAKER_00: And there's another really important piece here: teach your kids what to do.
• 3:58
  SPEAKER_00: If the puppy grabs their ankles, we don't want the kids squealing, running away, kicking their feet, or playing chase.
• 4:03
  SPEAKER_00: Why?
• 4:03
  SPEAKER_00: Because all of that movement can make the game even more exciting.
• 4:07
  SPEAKER_00: Instead, have your kid become boring.
• 4:10
  SPEAKER_00: Stand like a statue, be a tree, and hold still while the adult then redirects the puppy.
• 4:16
  SPEAKER_00: If necessary, you can calmly separate the puppy and the child for a moment and let things calm down.
• 4:22
  SPEAKER_00: Now, this isn't punishment, it's simply management.
• 4:24
  SPEAKER_00: We're saying if you can't interact appropriately right now, it's okay.
• 4:27
  SPEAKER_00: We're going to give you a little break and we'll try again.
• 4:29
  SPEAKER_00: And that's where that barrier is so helpful.
• 4:31
  SPEAKER_00: Now remember, puppies get extra mouthy when they're tired.
• 4:34
  SPEAKER_00: So if this is happening first thing in the morning, make sure your puppy has an appropriate opportunity to potty, exercise, sniff, eat, and then settle again.
• 4:42
  SPEAKER_00: Now, sometimes what looks like I want to play is actually, I don't know how to regulate myself yet.
• 4:48
  SPEAKER_00: All right, what about the question?
• 4:50
  SPEAKER_00: How do I know if my puppy needs to go potty?
• 4:53
  SPEAKER_00: What are things I can look for?
• 4:54
  SPEAKER_00: Now, this family actually described some really excellent potty signals to me today.
• 4:58
  SPEAKER_00: They said their puppy will sometimes turn, sniff, or they try to leave the area.
• 5:03
  SPEAKER_00: And those are absolutely spot on.
• 5:06
  SPEAKER_00: Those are the kinds of things that you want to watch for.
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_00: So a puppy who suddenly stops what they're doing and begins sniffing maybe looking for a place to eliminate.
• 5:14
  SPEAKER_00: A puppy who starts to wander away from the family or toward a door may be telling you, hey, I need to go outside.
• 5:20
  SPEAKER_00: If you see turning in circles or pacing, sniffing the floor, becoming restless, or suddenly leaving the area, those are all clues.
• 5:27
  SPEAKER_00: But here's the important part: don't rely entirely on your puppy telling you yet.
• 5:33
  SPEAKER_00: Especially with these young puppies, we want to use a combination of observation and a really predictable potty schedule.
• 5:39
  SPEAKER_00: And that's your job.
• 5:40
  SPEAKER_00: So if you want to wait until your puppy is desperately searching for a place to go, you might already be too late and you'll have to clean up an accident.
• 5:47
  SPEAKER_00: Instead, take your puppy out proactively after things like if they wake up, after they eat, um, after they are drinking a significant amount of water, uh, their change in play.
• 5:59
  SPEAKER_00: So if we went from one activity to another, that's time for a potty break.
• 6:03
  SPEAKER_00: After a training session, maybe they've been chewing something for an extended period of time and they stand up, time for a potty break.
• 6:09
  SPEAKER_00: Anytime they come out of the crate and before bedtime.
• 6:12
  SPEAKER_00: So for a very young puppy, just frequent scheduled potty trips are really important.
• 6:17
  SPEAKER_00: And then when your puppy actually eliminates outside, pay them.
• 6:21
  SPEAKER_00: We want to reward them for that.
• 6:23
  SPEAKER_00: We want our puppies to learn, I go potty outside, and really good things happen.
• 6:28
  SPEAKER_00: You can even add your potty cue.
• 6:30
  SPEAKER_00: As your puppy begins to eliminate, say quietly, go potty.
• 6:33
  SPEAKER_00: And when they're finished, you can mark yes and pay them.
• 6:36
  SPEAKER_00: Now, eventually those words will become meaningful to your puppy.
• 6:38
  SPEAKER_00: Right now, you just need to keep repeating them.
• 6:41
  SPEAKER_00: Now, here's one of my favorite pieces of potty training advice.
• 6:44
  SPEAKER_00: Learn your individual puppy signals.
• 6:46
  SPEAKER_00: Your puppy may not stand at the door and bark, but they might.
• 6:49
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe your puppy circles, maybe they sniff, maybe they walk away from you, maybe they stand near the baby gate, maybe they look at you.
• 6:55
  SPEAKER_00: Your job is to become a detective, and the more you observe, the better you'll become at recognizing your puppy's personal potty language.
• 7:02
  SPEAKER_00: We also teach you how to train your dog to ring bells to go outside.
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_00: If you're interested in that, check out our program online.
• 7:09
  SPEAKER_00: Now, is it bad to always say off when my puppy tries to get on the furniture?
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_00: This is a great question because the answer is it depends on what you want your puppy to learn.
• 7:21
  SPEAKER_00: If you don't want your dog on the furniture, there's nothing inherently wrong with using the cue off to ask the puppy to get down.
• 7:27
  SPEAKER_00: But I don't want off to become the entire training plan.
• 7:32
  SPEAKER_00: Think about what happens if the only thing your puppy hears is off, off, off, off.
• 7:37
  SPEAKER_00: Eventually, the puppy may learn that getting on the couch results in being told what not to do.
• 7:43
  SPEAKER_00: Instead, let's teach the puppy what to do.
• 7:46
  SPEAKER_00: For example, if your puppy jumps onto the couch, you can calmly say off, help her get onto the floor if needed, and then redirect her to her bed.
• 7:53
  SPEAKER_00: You can say go to bed.
• 7:54
  SPEAKER_00: And when she settles on the bed, mark yes and reward.
• 7:57
  SPEAKER_00: Now we're teaching her a different behavior.
• 8:00
  SPEAKER_00: Instead of the furniture, I want you to go to your bed.
• 8:03
  SPEAKER_00: Now, even better, if you can redirect your puppy before she puts her paws on the couch.
• 8:09
  SPEAKER_00: So, for example, you see her headed towards the couch.
• 8:12
  SPEAKER_00: Don't wait for her to get to the couch and jump on it.
• 8:15
  SPEAKER_00: I want you to redirect her onto her bed behavior, Mark, yes, and pay her before she jumps.
• 8:21
  SPEAKER_00: That eliminates the jumping from the behavior change she's creating.
• 8:25
  SPEAKER_00: So remember, puppies learn thing and things and patterns.
• 8:28
  SPEAKER_00: And if it's, I go to the sofa, I jump on it, mom says off, and I get a treat.
• 8:33
  SPEAKER_00: And that's what happens over and over and over again.
• 8:36
  SPEAKER_00: You've just taught your puppy that if she wants your attention and wants some food, all she has to do is jump on the sofa and you'll respond.
• 8:45
  SPEAKER_00: So instead, we want to redirect her before she jumps.
• 8:48
  SPEAKER_00: That gets rid of the jumping as part of that pattern.
• 8:50
  SPEAKER_00: And she's learning, oh, every time I go get on my bed and I lay on it, mom marks yes and pays me.
• 8:56
  SPEAKER_00: I'm going to do that again.
• 8:58
  SPEAKER_00: Another important thing is consistency.
• 9:00
  SPEAKER_00: If the puppy is allowed on the couch on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday, but gets yelled at for jumping on up on Tuesday and Thursday, that's going to get really confusing.
• 9:08
  SPEAKER_00: So make sure that you choose household rules and then teach it to everyone in your household, including your puppy.
• 9:14
  SPEAKER_00: And if you don't want your puppy on the furniture when you're not supervising, management for now is your best friend.
• 9:19
  SPEAKER_00: These puppies don't understand or can't manage themselves when we aren't paying attention to them.
• 9:25
  SPEAKER_00: So exercise pens, crates, tethers are all important so that they're not practicing the unwanted behavior when we can't manage them ourselves.
• 9:34
  SPEAKER_00: All right, next question.
• 9:36
  SPEAKER_00: My puppy got a really good chew and started growling when my kids walked by.
• 9:39
  SPEAKER_00: What should I do?
• 9:40
  SPEAKER_00: This is probably the most important question of the four.
• 9:43
  SPEAKER_00: First, do not punish the growl.
• 9:46
  SPEAKER_00: A growl is communication.
• 9:48
  SPEAKER_00: Your puppy is saying, I'm uncomfortable with what's happening right now, and we need to listen.
• 9:53
  SPEAKER_00: If a puppy is chewing something valuable and a child approaches, the puppy may be worried that that child is going to take it away.
• 10:00
  SPEAKER_00: And here's something very important.
• 10:01
  SPEAKER_00: We don't want children approaching a puppy who has a high value item.
• 10:05
  SPEAKER_00: Make sure your kids know that.
• 10:07
  SPEAKER_00: That includes chews, bones, food, stuffed food toys, and sometimes even favorite toys.
• 10:13
  SPEAKER_00: So create a household rule.
• 10:15
  SPEAKER_00: When the puppy has a special chew, give the puppy space.
• 10:18
  SPEAKER_00: This protects your children and your puppy while you're working on the underlying behavior.
• 10:23
  SPEAKER_00: Now, some people hear that and think, but I need my puppy to let my kids take things away.
• 10:27
  SPEAKER_00: Actually, I don't want your first lesson to be people approaching me means they take my stuff.
• 10:32
  SPEAKER_00: I want your puppy to learn.
• 10:34
  SPEAKER_00: People approaching me while I have something valuable make good things happen.
• 10:38
  SPEAKER_00: That's a very different association.
• 10:40
  SPEAKER_00: So for example, while your puppy is chewing and is relaxed, an adult, not a child, can walk by at a comfortable distance and toss a few pieces of something wonderful toward the puppy.
• 10:49
  SPEAKER_00: You're adding to what the puppy has.
• 10:52
  SPEAKER_00: Then move away.
• 10:53
  SPEAKER_00: Just keep moving.
• 10:53
  SPEAKER_00: The puppy learns, person approaches while I have my really good item, and something great appears.
• 10:59
  SPEAKER_00: In addition, we're changing the emotional association.
• 11:02
  SPEAKER_00: We're not trying to scare the puppy into giving up the chew.
• 11:05
  SPEAKER_00: We're building trust.
• 11:06
  SPEAKER_00: You can also teach a trade.
• 11:08
  SPEAKER_00: Give your puppy an appropriate, relatively low-value item, then offer something better.
• 11:13
  SPEAKER_00: So they just know that you're often trading things.
• 11:15
  SPEAKER_00: When the puppy releases the item, you pay them.
• 11:17
  SPEAKER_00: And importantly, sometimes give that original item back.
• 11:21
  SPEAKER_00: So that teaches letting go doesn't always mean my stuff disappears forever.
• 11:25
  SPEAKER_00: That's pretty powerful.
• 11:26
  SPEAKER_00: Now we're not teasing or taunting the puppy, we're not annoying them with this concept.
• 11:30
  SPEAKER_00: So don't practice this.
• 11:31
  SPEAKER_00: Just recognize if you need something back from your puppy, it needs to be, we trade up for that.
• 11:36
  SPEAKER_00: Now, if your puppy is already growling, stiffening, freezing, showing teeth, snapping, that means air biting, snapping the air, or otherwise displaying significant guarding behavior.
• 11:47
  SPEAKER_00: Do not have your children practice this exercise.
• 11:50
  SPEAKER_00: An adult should always manage this situation.
• 11:52
  SPEAKER_00: And if the behavior continues or escalates, then please reach out to us.
• 11:56
  SPEAKER_00: We're happy to help you.
• 11:57
  SPEAKER_00: We have a class on resource guarding and we can do one-on-one coaching for you and your family to help change this behavior in your puppy.
• 12:05
  SPEAKER_00: Safety comes first for sure.
• 12:07
  SPEAKER_00: All right.
• 12:08
  SPEAKER_00: What's interesting about all four of these questions is that they're really about the same thing.
• 12:13
  SPEAKER_00: We are teaching puppies how to live successfully in a human household.
• 12:17
  SPEAKER_00: The puppy who bites ankles needs to learn how to greet people calmly.
• 12:21
  SPEAKER_00: The puppy who sniffs and wanders needs to learn that going outside is where we potty.
• 12:26
  SPEAKER_00: The puppy who gets on the couch needs to learn where we'd like her to settle instead on her dog bed.
• 12:31
  SPEAKER_00: And the puppy who growls over a chew needs to learn that people approaching her when she has valuable things isn't something to fear.
• 12:38
  SPEAKER_00: We're not simply trying to suppress their behavior, we're actually teaching our dog skills.
• 12:44
  SPEAKER_00: And I think that's one of the most important things for new puppy families to understand is your puppy doesn't come home knowing human house rules.
• 12:52
  SPEAKER_00: She doesn't know that ankles aren't toys or that the couch is off limits or that the door means that's where I go potty outside.
• 12:59
  SPEAKER_00: She doesn't automatically understand that children should be approached calmly.
• 13:02
  SPEAKER_00: And she certainly doesn't understand our human expectations about sharing.
• 13:07
  SPEAKER_00: We have to teach all of it.
• 13:08
  SPEAKER_00: So when your puppy does something you don't like, I want you to take a breath and ask yourself, what do I want my puppy to do instead?
• 13:14
  SPEAKER_00: And then figure out how you can make that behavior easier, more rewarding, and more successful.
• 13:21
  SPEAKER_00: Manage the environment.
• 13:22
  SPEAKER_00: You can prevent rehearsal of unwanted behaviors when you can.
• 13:25
  SPEAKER_00: We can teach an alternative, reward behavior you want.
• 13:29
  SPEAKER_00: You guys pay, pay, pay your puppies.
• 13:31
  SPEAKER_00: Anytime you see good behavior, and sometimes it's quiet and you don't notice it, but try, try your best to notice that good calm behavior, pay them for it.
• 13:39
  SPEAKER_00: Because the goal isn't to have a puppy who never makes mistakes, but the goal is to raise a dog who understands how to succeed in living with your family.
• 13:48
  SPEAKER_00: And those little everyday moments that we talked about today, walking down the stairs, getting on the sofa, chewing a special treat, or sniffing around the house, that's where that learning happens.
• 13:57
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks for listening today, you guys.
• 13:59
  SPEAKER_00: I hope you have a great week.
• 14:00
  SPEAKER_00: Happy training.
• 14:02
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks for tuning in today.
• 14:03
  SPEAKER_00: If you found this episode helpful, be sure to subscribe so you never miss a training tip.
• 14:07
  SPEAKER_00: And if you're enjoying the show, leaving a quick review really helps other handlers find us.
• 14:11
  SPEAKER_00: For more training resources, tips, and support, visit me Amy Jensen at baxterambella.com.
• 14:16
  SPEAKER_00: Until next time, happy training.