My puppy won't focus, air nips during training. How to help?

Hi there. It sounds like Bea is having some trouble with her focus. While much of that is just being young and full of energy, I feel you would benefit from clicker training (a treat and reward system) as well as a well organized puppy class. Puppy classes are often offered at your local pet smart as well as through several trainers as help puppies to develop a sense of ability to socialize without being distracted enough by their surrounds that they ignore their owner. To many puppies-they see this as an exciting time to meet new friends and play with their owners. For us it is a wonderful area to help the puppies feel safe and bond with us over respect and learn boundaries. She is likely just reacting to stimuli (things she doesn't often get to see) and doesn't realize she's being "bad" as well as being full of energy. This will take a lot of patience and treats on your part when she performs or listens to you. She will get there, it is just a learning process.

Hendrix is super cute! I would recommend starting with some basic commands. Start with sit,come and stay multiple times through the day with treats as rewards. Most dogs at this age will only pay attention for a small amount of time, even minutes, than as they get older continue to do the training but increase the amount of time per day. Also when Hendrix bites you can say no and replace it with something that should be chewed on. hope this helps

Hi and thanks for posting on PetCoach! Attention span will get better with age, but implementing a new training technique can help grab and keep his attention too. One simple technique can you try is introducing the 'watch me' command. Say "watch me", point to yourself, and when Jack looks at you, give a high value reward such as very tasty treat. Practice this technique daily. I have linked a helpful video to help you get started. https://youtu.be/BgGi2CqQ8Xw I hope this helps!

This type of behavior can be very concerning, especially when there are small children around. The good news is that your puppy is still very young and this is a good time to teach her good and appropriate behaviors. You are already doing a great job by exercising her regularly (a fast-paced 20-30 minute walk 2-3 times a day is best) and by redirecting her aggressive tendencies with chew toys. Another tactic you can use in training is to immediately stop play and ignore her if she starts becoming aggressive. This will teach her that that type of behavior does not get her what she wants (your attention). It is also a good idea to always use positive reinforcement when she is being well behaved. Puppies respond better and learn faster from positive reinforcement (like verbal praise and treats) than negative reinforcement (like yelling or hitting them). It would also be wise to start some initial training of basic commands as well, like sit, stay/wait, come, etc. This will help her focus and energy levels and will help establish your role the dominant one in the relationship. I hope this helps. Remember, persistence early on will help you raise a great puppy. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck!

Pilot sounds like your average, rambunctious and mischievous puppy dog. All of what you are describing are perfectly normal puppy behaviors. With proper training, enrichment, and patience on your part, Pilot should become a well-adjusted adult dog in time. Beginning obedience class at this early of an age might be a little frustrating, but I still think it is a great idea as long as the trainer is patient as well. The dog trainer should be able to provide you with many training techniques and ideas on how to make your dog most suitable for your own situation. Good luck!!

A good trick to start with is by teaching Spots his name, and the command "look at me". This involves taking a favorite treat, placing it in front of his nose, and then bringing it to your forehead while saying either his name, or the command "look at me". Once he looks up at you, praise and give him the treat. This will help him start to learn his name, and give you a better way to gain his attention. Puppies generally have short attention spans, so training sessions of 5-10 minutes max throughout the day are often better than one long session. if he gets too bored or distracted, simply stop the session and try again later. For the leash training, you may want to help Spots get used to being on leash just by having the leash hooked to him and letting him drag it around (with supervision in case he gets stuck on something). Giving praise, and starting out with short walks, before gradually increasing them can also help. If likes to bite the least, giving him a toy to keep in his mouth instead on the walk, or teaching him to drop the leash and then trading the leash for a treat instead can help him as well.

Thanks for using PetCoach! A couple ideas: try something like FreshPatch which essentially sends you a patch of real grass in a cardboard container. Or, try crate training since most pups will not pee in their “house”. Here is a good link for crate training. http://www.aahneenah.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/crate-training-your-puppy.pdf As far as the aggression, you’ll need to get that under control as soon as possible. Any form of aggression toward humans should be met with a firm “no” and stopping all play/walking. Practice just walking by and touching his back end frequently so that it’s normal and no big deal. Neutering often helps with aggression so keep that in mind. Finally, some dog require more intensive care so talk with your vet about anti anxiety medication or professional training.