11/09/2025
Puppy Training: The Common Mistakes
Bringing a puppy home is one of the most exciting things you’ll ever do. The cuddles, the fun, the little paws padding around your house it’s easy to get swept away.
But here’s the reality: taking on a puppy is a huge responsibility.
And the way you handle those first few weeks and months can shape the dog you’ll live with for the next 10+ years.
So let’s talk about the most common mistakes people make with puppies, why they matter, and what you can do instead.
1. Confusing puppies with babies
People want to cuddle and comfort your pup like a child. But here’s the catch: your puppy is not a baby, it’s not natural for dogs.
It’s a completely different species with instincts, drives, and needs of its own.
Dogs don’t have rational thought the way humans do. They don’t “grow out of” behaviours they repeat what works for them. If you smother a puppy with fuss every time it’s anxious, excitable or demanding, you’re teaching it that those states of mind get rewarded.
What to do instead: Show calmness. Reward stillness. Let your pup learn that human attention comes when they’re relaxed, not bouncing off the walls.
2. Forgetting mum’s role
Before your puppy came home, mum was in charge. She gave them discipline, boundaries, and reassurance. She taught them how to cope with the world.
When that pup arrives in your house, you take over that role. You become “dog mum/dad.” And that means more than just love it means providing leadership, structure, and consistency.
Without it, pups quickly become confused and unsettled.
3. Too much freedom, too soon
One of the biggest mistakes I see is owners giving their puppy the run of the house, the garden, even meeting other dogs before the pup understands any rules.
This can feel kind, but it’s like giving a toddler the keys to the car. The pup hasn’t learned how to control itself yet, so it ends up making bad decisions.
What to do instead: Gradually introduce freedom, once your pup shows impulse control and can listen to you in each environment.
4. Encouraging arousal, not calm
Many owners accidentally nurture the very behaviours they don’t want: barking, jumping, mouthing, over-excitement.
How? By stroking, talking to, or giving attention while the pup is hyped up.
What to do instead: Wait for calm before giving affection. Show your pup that relaxation opens doors, not over-excitement.
5. Poor exposure to the world
Exposure is vital but it must be done the right way. Throwing a pup into busy streets, crowded parks or overwhelming situations too early can cause fear, stress, or future reactivity.
What to do instead: Build up slowly. Pair new experiences with calm, not chaos. Your job is to prepare your pup, not flood them.
6. Relying on short-term courses
Many believe a 6- or 8-week puppy course will “finish” their training. That’s simply not true.
Puppies aren’t trained in 6 weeks, or 6 months. Training isn’t an event, it’s a lifestyle. It’s about shaping behaviour through daily repetition until it becomes second nature.
What to do instead: Think of training as an ongoing journey. Keep layering habits, keep reinforcing good behaviour, and understand that growth takes time.
7. Skipping impulse control
Play and freedom are important. But balance is everything. If you only focus on fun, without teaching your pup how to stop, wait, or stay calm, you’re raising a dog that doesn’t know how to cope with frustration.
What to do instead: Practise short sessions of “doing nothing.” Teach your pup that being still, waiting, and watching is just as rewarding as playing.
8. Allowing space invasion
Another mistake? Letting puppies invade human or dog space whenever they want. Jumping on laps, barging into rooms, pushing past other dogs.
While it might seem harmless at first, it teaches your pup that the world revolves around them.
What to do instead: Teach respect for space. Invite the pup in, don’t allow them to take it.
9. The results of these mistakes
When these areas are ignored, pups can grow into dogs who:
Struggle with over-stimulation
Develop anxiety, reactivity or even aggression
Find it hard to trust their humans
Become uncontrollable in public
This isn’t about being strict for the sake of it. It’s about giving your pup the tools to cope with life confidently and calmly.
10. The goal: balance
Raising a puppy isn’t about military-style control. And it isn’t about letting them do whatever they want.
It’s about balance.
Clear rules and boundaries
Calmness and impulse control
Play, exploration and fun
Gradual responsibility as they mature
When those parts come together, you create a well-rounded dog who can walk into any environment and feel safe, confident and calm.
11. The bottom line
Puppies don’t just become good dogs by accident.
The dog you end up with is the one you create, day after day.
What your pup practises is what they’ll repeat.
The relationship you build is what they’ll trust.
The leadership you provide is what shapes their behaviour.
If you put the work in now calmly, consistently, with balance you’ll be rewarded with a dog you’re proud to take anywhere. Think before you do.
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