Training & BehaviorHow to teach my puppy to stay home alone, walk nicely, and not pee on lawns?
Lots of questions! Good for you wanting to make the world a better place for dogs :) Always be willing to learn! Keep an open mind and soak up all the knowledge you can. The dogs will thank you for that.
OK. Staying home alone is something that needs to be build up over time. If you are 3-4 hours and she is behaving and quiet and relaxed you're on the right track! Just keep building by adding 10-15 minute increments each time. My rule for kennel is their age in months plus 1=how many hours they should be able to be kenneled (after working up to it), to the max of 8 hours. Any longer than that and they need a break.
Loose leash walking can be taught easiest on a harness. You can use treats or toys to encourage them to stay close to your side and focus on you. If they get pulling to hard I stop, wait till they look at me then take a step backward. This usually invites them into you, and they quit pulling. They also didn't gain any forward momentum, so they didn't accomplish anything by pulling. Keep working on this and the pulling should lessen.
If you're in public and she is pulling, there is probably too much excitement and its overwhelming. Try giving more space and add distance between you and all the people.
If she is bowing when she meets dogs, its usually a play bow or invitation to play. I would try to sign up for some puppy classes or find a group of friendly dogs to play with. Socializing is important for our dogs, just as much as us.
And lastly, the grass. Keep her on a leash and simply restrict her access to people's lawns. Shorten the leash up when passing by and if you have to, pick up your pace walking. She will come right along with you. Of course, you can start her walk after she relieves herself at home and then hopefully she won't have to go again on her walk.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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