Realistic expectations with baby puppies

Imagine this: a young girl tells her parents she wants to try figure skating, so they sign her up for classes.

At the first lesson, she wobbles, falls a couple of times, but by the end she’s skating from one end of the rink to the other without grabbing the sides. She’s proud, beaming, and says:

“Did you see me, Mum and Dad? That was so fun!”

Now imagine her parents sighing in disappointment and saying:

“We saw you fall twice. You only skated in a straight line. You didn’t even try a spin or one foot. What kind of figure skater are you?”

Holy crap, right? Wouldn’t that be horrible?

Everyone understands that it takes time, patience, and practice for a child to learn a new skill. It’s exactly the same with a puppy.

Your puppy wasn’t born knowing a single word of English. They don’t automatically understand “sit,” “stay,” “come,” or “leave it.” Every single behaviour you want from them has to be taught - and then practiced in different situations before it can be reliable.

If your dog isn’t listening, ask yourself:

• Have I actually spent purposeful training time on this?

• Have I practiced in more than one environment, or am I expecting them to generalise automatically?

• Am I treating my puppy like a baby learner, or like they should already know?

Just like the figure skater builds from standing up, to gliding, to spins and jumps, your puppy builds skills in steps.

That means:

• First learning what the word means in a quiet environment.

• Repeating it often, with rewards, until they get it.

• Practicing in new locations, with distractions, to help them generalise.

Expecting your puppy to listen in a busy park when you’ve only ever practiced in your lounge room is like expecting that figure skater to nail a triple spin after one lesson. It’s not realistic.

Give your puppy the same grace you’d give a child learning something brand new.

Focus on progress, not perfection. Celebrate the small wins - because they add up to big results.

If you’d like step-by-step guidance on what to teach your puppy and when, check out my Puppy Priorities course. It covers all the essentials of raising a happy, well-adjusted pup.

And for more in-depth programs and ongoing support, the Dog Matters Academy is your hub for dog training resources.