New Puppy Survival Guide
Kona
I had three weeks to work with Kona before she went home. This is a super comprehensive, concise puppy training playlist!
Meet Kona
Opens on YouTube from the beginning, with the episodes together in order. Browse all episodes.
The puppy basics, all happening at once
It’s easy to watch a lesson on “sit” and feel ready to teach a new puppy. But actually living with a puppy means teaching those first skills while also figuring out where they will sleep, when they need to go outside, what they’re about to chew, why they’re barking, what their favorite things are, what to do when they’re home alone, how to stop that biting…
With Kona, you can follow all of those overlapping decisions from the first day and see how we decide what to prioritize, and when. We work on attention, biting, house training, being alone, leash walking and meeting the world outside the house. The series includes the mistakes as well as the progress, and a later check-in after her time with me when she’s all grown up!
This is a great place to begin if you have a new puppy and want to see how the separate lessons fit into an ordinary day.
A few moments from the series
Kona faced some of her toughest training challenges in downtown New Orleans. The city can be a SUPER challenging environment for dogs. Whenever you change a variable in your training, especially a huge variable like taking your dog to a new place, you need to be prepared to take steps back in your dog’s training! Remember not to expect your dog to behave the same way in public that they do at home.
Read what I wrote during Kona’s series. For help choosing experiences your dog can handle, see Socialization and meeting the world.
Explore the other series · Find help with a specific behavior