Why train a puppy?
There are so many reasons to train a puppy, and none of them are to do with control. You are bringing a completely different species into your home and you both need to learn to coexist with each other. Also, training is fun! It is incredibly bonding, builds your relationship, makes walks calmer, and helps raise your puppy into a confident and happy adult dog, minimising risks of behavioural problems further down the line. 

What age should you start puppy training?
As soon as you get your puppy you should start training! Older and outdated mentalities suggested that you should wait until they are 6 months old before you should start, but science has proven time and again that the most important development age in terms of learning starts at 8 weeks. Start today!

What does 'socialisation' mean?
Socialisation is the learning process that introduces our puppies to everything that they will encounter in the world, and how to feel about them. Cats, traffic, public transport, people of all shapes and ages, textures, new environments; anything and everything. The critical window for this process is between 8-15 weeks old. It is a misconception that socialisation means to throw your puppy into the middle of all situations, meet every single dog and person you come across, and hope for the best. In reality, this is far from true. Socialisation is about helping your puppy understand how to feel and act around them. You want them to feel neutral and unphased by other dogs, not as highly stimulating playmates everytime. 

What techniques should you use for puppy training?
Bone Ball Bark is a purely force-free, positive reinforcement dog training company. Treats, toys, rewards, environmental managent, consistency and patience is key.

What is a 'marker word'?
A marker word is a word we use to tell a puppy that what they just did when we said it, is what is being rewarded. Puppies and dogs live very much in the moment, and we want to make sure we are rewarding the right behaviour so that it will be repeated again. Behaviour that is rewarded will be repeated. The most common marker word is "yes", so as an example, to build the behaviour of a sit, the moment your puppy puts their butt on the ground you want to immediately say "yes", and then give a treat. 

How long should it take to housetrain a puppy?
This is a very tough question to answer. It depends on a variety of factors but you can do a lot of things to help make the process as smooth and quick as possible. Being proactive and prepared at all times. 8 week old puppies need to go to the toilet every hour, after eating and after play. 

What should the first puppy training cue be?
The first cue I like to train any puppy is "Touch". This means to come touch your nose to the palm of my hand, a perfect thing for a puppy as it helps minimise biting, works on a beginner recall cue, and is a great cue to use to distract them when they are up to no good! Here is a link where you can download a handout on how to train this cue!