Your New Puppy: Dog Training and Dog Behavior Lessons to Help You Turn Your New Puppy into a Well-Behaved Dog

Dinner should be a chance to relax, not a nightly negotiation with your dog.

In this episode of Your New Puppies Podcast, I’m breaking down one of the most common struggles I see with puppies and adult dogs: dogs begging, barking, or demanding attention while their humans are trying to eat.

It does make sense that this happens. Besides the obvious food, everyone is gathered together, and there tends to be a lot of movement and chaos. Your dog just wants in.

The good news is you don’t need to teach new cues, run training drills, or micromanage every meal to fix this. This is a perfect example of how we can train without training by using consistency, structure, and a predictable routine.

In this episode, I talk about:

Why dinner time is such a challenging moment for dogs

Why attention (even negative attention) keeps the behavior going

How to give your dog something better to do before begging starts

When and how to remove access to the table altogether

How to build a predictable dinner routine

These are things you can start doing today. It may not be perfect immediately, but with consistency, most families see improvement within a week.

Enjoying this podcast?  Please rate and review it wherever you listen.  This helps other puppy parents find it.

Other resources mentioned and related to this episode:

Your New Puppy’s Podcast: YNP #018: Ditch the Bowl and Make Mealtime an Event

Your New Puppy’s Podcast: YNP #025: Is Human Food Good for Dogs?

Your New Puppy’s Podcast: YNP #084: My Favorite DIY Puzzle Feeders

YOUR Perfect Puppy: If you’re looking for ongoing guidance with situations like this, this episode is also a great example of the kind of real-life problem-solving we do inside YOUR Perfect Puppy, where I help you turn everyday chaos into manageable routines that work for your household.

Potty training was going so well… until it suddenly wasn’t.  

Let’s discuss why potty training regression is completely normal, what it actually means, and how to get back on track without feeling like you’ve failed your puppy.

You have a stretch of good days, you start to feel confident, and then all of a sudden, the accidents are back. It feels like you’re back at square one, you start asking what you did wrong, and you might even wonder what’s wrong with your puppy.

Here is the truth.Regression is normal. It doesn’t mean you failed. It doesn’t mean your puppy forgot everything. It means you are in the middle of the process.

If this episode really resonates, I also recommend Episode 79: “Are You Still Struggling With Potty Training?” where I walk through the three key points I always cover with clients who are stuck.

In this episode, I talk about:

What potty training actually looks like (progress in NOT a straight line)

The most common reason for potty training regression.

Why regression seems to happen right at the end.

How a small change in routine can have a big impact on your progress.

The difference between a random accident and true regression.

Enjoying this podcast?  Please rate and review it wherever you listen.  This helps other puppy parents find it.

Other resources mentioned and related to this episode:

Complete Guide to Potty Training Your Puppy: A free download that walks you through my complete process

YNP #065: 

YOUR New Puppy:  My signature new puppy course that has helped hundreds of new puppy parents raise their puppies into well-mannered, happy dogs.  Includes live support from me so you don’t have to do this alone!

Additional Potty Training Episodes:

YNP #009: Why Indoor Pads Should Not Be Used When House Training Your Puppy

YNP #010: Complete Guide to Potty Training Your Puppy

YNP #039: Common Potty Accidents

YNP #041: Raising a Puppy in an Apartment

YNP #056: Potty Training for a Working Household

YNP #072: Should You Use a Potty Bell?

YNP #079: Are You Still Struggling With Potty Training?

YNP #085: How to Handle Potty Training Overnight

YNP #090: When Your Dog Hates the Rain

YNP #092: Why Not to Punish Puppy Potty Accidents

Potty training was going so well… until it suddenly wasn’t.  

Let’s discuss why potty training regression is completely normal, what it actually means, and how to get back on track without feeling like you’ve failed your puppy.

You have a stretch of good days, you start to feel confident, and then all of a sudden, the accidents are back. It feels like you’re back at square one, you start asking what you did wrong, and you might even wonder what’s wrong with your puppy.

Here is the truth.Regression is normal. It doesn’t mean you failed. It doesn’t mean your puppy forgot everything. It means you are in the middle of the process.

If this episode really resonates, I also recommend Episode 79: “Are You Still Struggling With Potty Training?” where I walk through the three key points I always cover with clients who are stuck.

In this episode, I talk about:

What potty training actually looks like (progress in NOT a straight line)

The most common reason for potty training regression.

Why regression seems to happen right at the end.

How a small change in routine can have a big impact on your progress.

The difference between a random accident and true regression.

Enjoying this podcast?  Please rate and review it wherever you listen.  This helps other puppy parents find it.

Other resources mentioned and related to this episode:

Complete Guide to Potty Training Your Puppy: A free download that walks you through my complete process

YOUR New Puppy:  My signature new puppy course that has helped hundreds of new puppy parents raise their puppies into well-mannered, happy dogs.  Includes live support from me so you don’t have to do this alone!

Additional Potty Training Episodes:

YNP #009: Why Indoor Pads Should Not Be Used When House Training Your Puppy

YNP #010: Complete Guide to Potty Training Your Puppy

YNP #039: Common Potty Accidents

YNP #041: Raising a Puppy in an Apartment

YNP #056: Potty Training for a Working Household

YNP #072: Should You Use a Potty Bell?

YNP #079: Are You Still Struggling With Potty Training?

YNP #085: How to Handle Potty Training Overnight

YNP #090: When Your Dog Hates the Rain

YNP #092: Why Not to Punish Puppy Potty Accidents

What’s Next?

Feeling a little unsure about what to do with your new puppy? You’re not alone! 

You’re just a human trying to raise a dog.

That’s exactly why I created YOUR Perfect Puppy — my digital program that gives you a clear plan to follow and direct support from me every step of the way. From potty training and basic cues to building trust and confidence, we’ll cover everything you need to raise your well-mannered dog with less stress and more joy.

And because puppyhood doesn’t stop after four weeks, you’ll also get ongoing access to Playtime Paws Academy — my membership community with weekly live calls, a private forum, and an entire library of enrichment activities to help you navigate real-life challenges as they come up.

Click here to check out YOUR Perfect Puppy.  I’d love to support you through this journey.

Bringing a puppy home is a joyful time… except sometimes reality hits a bit harder.

Welcome to the Puppy Blues.

It’s common to underestimate the effect this big life change will have on our emotional well-being.  

I’m doing this wrong?Why is this so hard?I feel like a failure.There’s something wrong with this dog.It’s not supposed to be this way.

These are all normal things to think and feel when you bring your puppy home. 

Feelings of anxiety, frustration, exhaustion, or even guilt are something that nearly every new puppy parent experiences.

Yet we don’t seem to talk about it.

In this episode, let’s discuss what the puppy blues are, why they happen, and most importantly, how to navigate them without feeling like you’re failing your puppy or yourself.

You’ll learn why these feelings are normal, temporary, and something you can plan for, along with practical tips for finding your new rhythm with your puppy.

Whether you’re preparing for a puppy or already in the thick of it, this episode will give you reassurance, strategies, and a roadmap to survive (and enjoy!) these early weeks.

In this episode, I talk about:

What the puppy blues are.

Why just about every new puppy parent experiences them.

Practical ways to minimize the overwhelm.

How to find your new rhythm with your puppy.

Where to find extra guidance.

Enjoying this podcast?  Please rate and review it wherever you listen.  This helps other puppy parents find it.

Other resources mentioned and related to this episode:

Science Daily: A dog’s puppyhood can cause ‘puppy blues’ reminiscent of baby blues

Your New Puppy’s Podcast: YNP #005: Crate Training: How and Why to Make Their Crate Your Dog’s Best Friend

Your New Puppy’s Podcast: YNP #028: 5 Reasons to Use the Crate When You’re Home

Your New Puppy’s Podcast: YNP #061: A Typical Puppy Schedule

YOUR New Puppy:  My signature new puppy course that has helped hundreds of new puppy parents raise their puppies into well-mannered, happy dogs.  Includes live support from me so you don’t have to do this alone!

What’s Next?

Feeling a little unsure about what to do with your new puppy? You’re not alone! 

You’re just a human trying to raise a dog.

That’s exactly why I created YOUR Perfect Puppy — my digital program that gives you a clear plan to follow and direct support from me every step of the way. From potty training and basic cues to building trust and confidence, we’ll cover everything you need to raise your well-mannered dog with less stress and more joy.

And because puppyhood doesn’t stop after four weeks, you’ll also get ongoing access to Playtime Paws Academy — my membership community with weekly live calls, a private forum, and an entire library of enrichment activities to help you navigate real-life challenges as they come up.

Click here to check out YOUR Perfect Puppy.  I’d love to support you through this journey.