One of the most common questions new puppy parents ask is: “When should I start training my puppy?” Many people assume training begins once the puppy is older. But in reality, training starts the moment your puppy arrives home.

Socialization is important because it will provide your puppy with the social skills needed to interact with other people and dogs confidently, while preventing your puppy from becoming fearful, shy or skiddish in the future.

When it comes to puppies, biting/mouthing/nipping is usually at the top of the list of the most common complaints I hear about from new paw-rents! I can also personally relate after fostering quite a few puppies myself in the past who were determined to bite (in the cutest way) every inch of my skin! :)

On the latest episode of The Family Pupz Podcast, we asked the founder of Paws For Thought Dog Training, Maddie Messina, whether the popular puppy training myth of rubbing a puppy's nose in their pee or poo to teach them not to go potty in the house is an effective way to house train a new puppy.

When my dog is crying/whining in his/her crate at night, should I let them “cry it out”, so as not to encourage this behavior? This question is, by far, the most common question that I receive on crate training.

You see another dog approaching. Your puppy gets excited. And the other dog parent asks: “Does your puppy want to say “hi”? My dog’s super friendly!”

Crate training is essential for successful potty training. It helps create a private spot for your puppy & allows your pup to travel safely in a car, or on an airplane.

Puppies are naturally curious and social, so as they start to explore the world more, they will try to interact with it as well.  Most puppies can also be quite fearless and may not have necessarily learned the “social etiquette” required to navigate greetings and play.

On the latest episode of The Family Pupz Podcast, we asked the founder of Paws For Thought Dog Training, Maddie Messina, we asked the founder of Paws For Thought Dog Training, Maddie Messina, whether she thinks we should just let our puppies "figure it out" when socializing with other dogs.

On the latest episode of The Family Pupz Podcast, we asked the founder of Paws For Thought Dog Training, Maddie Messina, whether she thinks that allowing a young puppy to greet other dogs while on leash counts as good socialization. We loved her point about how dogs in the wild greet other dogs in a very specific way that a leash doesn't allow.

On the latest episode of The Family Pupz Podcast, we asked the founder of Paws For Thought Dog Training, Maddie Messina, whether puppies are acting out of spite when they go potty somewhere in the home where they are not supposed to.

On the latest episode of The Family Pupz Podcast, we asked the founder of Paws For Thought Dog Training, Maddie Messina, whether puppies are acting out of spite when they go potty somewhere in the home where they are not supposed to.

We’ve recently chatted with Dr. Saunders at Sploot Veterinary Care to discuss the best way to ensure that your pup is ready for his/her first vet visit, as behavioral issues related to anxiety at the vet clinic is a pretty common issue that they encounter at the clinic.

If done properly, early positive exposure to a variety of environments will help your puppy adjust socially in a human society & build your puppy’s confidence.

A great and alternative way to feed your puppy her daily meal is to ask her for behaviors and reward her with her kibble every time she is successful.