14 Training Tips for First-Time Dog Owners
(And Fosters)

Getting a dog for the first time is a wonderful experience but can also be challenging. Many first-time dog guardians struggle in those early weeks and months.It takes time to settle into an easy rhythm,and it takes time to train your dog how to behave.

The decisions you make about dog training make a big difference to the relationship you build with your pup.

Here’s what first time dog guardians need to know.

  1. It’s important to use reward-based training methods because there are risks to using methods that rely on pain and fear. In practice what this means is that you will use positive reinforcement (most likely, food) to teach your dog to do behaviours that you like and want to see more of.
  2. It’s important not to use prong collars, shock collars, little tugs on the leash, shake cans, etc. That’s because research shows that aversive methods like these are associated with a whole host of risks including fear, anxiety, aggression, and a worse relationship with you.
  3. Use positive reinforcement to teach your dog to do the behaviours you like.
  4. There aren’t any fixed rules about what those behaviours are. Common behaviours that people like include coming when called (important for safety), walking nicely on leash (so that walks aren’t a struggle), maybe a sit and a nose touch to the hand.
  5. The rules of the house are up to you, and you can decide what works for your family. It’s your choice whether or not your dog is allowed on the sofa and the bed, for example. Once you’ve decided what the rules are, be consistent, otherwise it will be confusing for your dog.
  6. If your dog does something you don’t like, think about what you’d like them to do instead, like keeping all 4 paws on the floor or sitting nicely to greet people. Then train them to do that. Sometimes it can take a while, but be consistent in training. You’ve probably heard the phrase “dogs do what works”. Your dog will learn which behaviours earn them treats.
  7. Don’t begrudge the treats. The whole point of themis to motivate your dog to do the behaviours you’d like,so they have to be food rewards that are motivating. Some people make the mistake of only wanting to use kibble. That might work for a few dogs who are very highly food-motivated, but even then you’ll get better results if you use better treats. It’s okay to use people-food like chicken, cheese, and roast beef for this, especially for behaviours that are important to you. It’s also okay to use food that people aren’t so keen on but dogs love, like stinky sardines or tripe.
  8. If you think your dog doesn’t like treats, ask yourself a few questions. Did they just finish a big meal? If so, they might be uninterested in treats right now, but you can try again later. Are your treats good enough or are they maybe a bit blah from your dog’s perspective? In which case, you can get better treats. Or is your dog actually stressed? Then you need to make the situation less stressful for them.
  9. Dog training takes practice. We break behaviours down into small steps and teach a very easy iteration first, then one that’s a bit closer, and so on until we get to that final behaviour.
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