Dauntless Dogs

23/06/2025

We have a class starting soon!
Clever Canines Trick Class on Jun 24, 2025 08:00PM

Contact us for more details!

New group classes starting almost every week. Basic obedience, advanced obedience, tricks, scent detection, and more!

22/06/2025

🐾 Balancing Rest, Play, and Training — Your Puppy’s First Weeks

When you bring home a new puppy, it’s easy to feel like you need to “do all the things” at once — but balance is key!

✨ Here’s what we aim for at Dauntless:

✅ Rest is essential.
Puppies need a lot of sleep — often 18–20 hours a day! Overtired puppies get mouthy, zoomy, and cranky. Make sure your pup has quiet time in a crate or pen between play and training.

✅ Play is learning too.
Play is how your puppy explores the world! Keep it positive and interactive — think tug, gentle fetch, short playdates with friendly dogs, or sniffy walks in safe areas.

✅ Short, fun training moments.
Puppies don’t need long lessons. Instead, weave mini-training into daily life — practice sit for meals, name recognition during play, or recall when they’re exploring. 3-5 minutes at a time is plenty!

✅ Watch for signs of overwhelm.
If your puppy is nipping more, getting the “zoomies,” or ignoring cues — they probably need a break or a nap.

🌟 Ready to keep building a confident, well-mannered pup?
Our Polite Puppy class (8 weeks to 5 months) and Proper Puppy Board & Train program are designed to guide you every step of the way!

📞 Call us at 410-360-6761 or visit DauntlessDogTraining.com to learn more.

💬 Tell us — what’s been the trickiest part of balancing it all with your puppy?

20/06/2025

🐾 Preventing Common New Puppy Mistakes

You’ve brought your pup home, started your routine, and begun socialization — now let’s make sure you avoid the most common traps that can create big challenges down the road.

At Dauntless, these are some of the top pitfalls we help owners prevent:

🚫 Too much freedom too soon
It’s tempting to let your puppy explore the house, but this leads to potty accidents, chewing, and boundary confusion. Keep using crates, pens, tethers, and baby gates — earn freedom gradually!

🚫 Inconsistent rules
Everyone in the house should be on the same page. If jumping is cute at 10 lbs, will it still be cute at 70? Set the expectations now and stick to them.

🚫 Letting fear “slide”
When puppies act fearful, it’s easy to coddle or avoid the thing that scared them. But that teaches avoidance. Instead, go slow, make it positive, and help them win small challenges.

🚫 Overdoing or underdoing socialization
Either flooding your pup with too much at once, or waiting too long to start — both can backfire. Remember: thoughtful, positive exposure at their pace is key.

🚫 Neglecting rest
Puppies need lots of naps (we’re talking hours and hours per day!). Overtired puppies = cranky puppies = more biting, zoomies, and meltdowns.

✨ Remember: Every day shapes who your puppy becomes. The goal isn’t perfection — it’s consistency, patience, and setting your dog up to succeed!

What’s been the trickiest part of your puppy journey so far? Let us know! ⬇️

19/06/2025

We have a class starting soon!
Puppy Play Date on Jun 21, 2025 11:15AM

Contact us for more details!

New group classes starting almost every week. Basic obedience, advanced obedience, tricks, scent detection, and more!

19/06/2025

🐾 Building Confidence: The Key to a Well-Adjusted Puppy!

The first few weeks at home aren’t just about potty training and crate time — they’re your chance to shape a confident, resilient dog.

Puppies are naturally curious, but they need positive guidance to learn that the world is safe. Without that, fear or reactivity can take root.

Here’s how we help pups grow brave at Dauntless:

✅ Expose them to new things — gradually and positively.
Different surfaces, sounds, sights, people, and gentle dogs.

✅ Encourage exploration without forcing it.
Let them approach at their own pace. Reward curiosity!

✅ Handle early and often.
Touch their paws, ears, tail — make it a normal, positive experience.

✅ Set up little challenges.
Crawl under a chair, step on a wobbly surface, go through a tunnel — help your pup feel like a winner!

✨ Want hands-on practice?
🎉 Join us at our Puppy Confidence Carnival on June 28th, 11am–1pm at Dauntless!
We’ll have fun stations to help puppies under 8 months experience new sights, sounds, and obstacles — with guidance from our trainers.

Confidence isn’t about flooding your pup with too much at once — it’s about setting them up to succeed!

💬 Tell us: What’s one thing your puppy has been nervous about?

18/06/2025

🐾 The First Few Weeks at Home — Setting Your Puppy Up for Success!

Bringing your puppy home is exciting… but it’s also when the real work starts! The first few weeks are all about helping your puppy feel safe, start learning, and build healthy habits that will last a lifetime.

Here’s what we focus on at Dauntless when guiding new puppy owners:

✅ Structure is everything.
Set up a predictable routine for potty breaks, meals, crate time, play, and training. Puppies thrive on knowing what’s next.

✅ Crate = safe place.
Start crate training from day one. The crate isn’t a punishment — it’s a cozy den that helps with potty training and prevents destructive habits.

✅ Supervise, supervise, supervise.
Don’t give your puppy free roam of the house. Use baby gates, pens, and tethers to help prevent accidents and teach boundaries.

✅ Socialization (smart & safe!).
Keep working on positive exposure:
• People of all ages
• Surfaces, sounds, environments
• Healthy, vaccinated dogs

✅ Keep sessions short & positive.
Your puppy is learning everything right now. Every interaction teaches them something — so keep it upbeat and clear.

✨ Pro Tip: The first weeks are when bad habits can start — but also when lifelong good habits are easiest to create. Be consistent, and don’t hesitate to ask your trainer for help early on!

What was your puppy’s biggest challenge the first week home? Drop it below! ⬇️

17/06/2025

🐾 Bringing Puppy Home: The Journey Isn't Over! 🐾
You picked your pup — now what? One of the biggest questions I get:
“Should I wait until my puppy has all their shots before socializing them?”
❌ Short answer: No, but be smart about it.

🐕 The Critical Socialization Window (3-16 weeks)
This is when puppies are the most open to new experiences. Missing this window can lead to lifelong fear and reactivity.
But here’s the kicker:
🔹 Puppies also go through critical fear periods — times where bad experiences can make lasting impressions.
🔹 That’s why positive, controlled socialization is key.

💉 Vaccines Are Vital, But So is Socialization
You don’t have to pick one over the other.
✅ Avoid high-risk areas (dog parks, pet stores)
✅ Socialize with healthy, vaccinated dogs
✅ Enroll in reputable puppy classes with vaccine protocols
✅ Focus on sights, sounds, surfaces, people, and gentle dogs in safe settings.

🐾 Smart Socialization = Confident Adult Dog
Missing early socialization = harder adult training

Overwhelming negative experiences = fear issues
It’s about quality exposure, not just quantity.

A good breeder starts this, but it’s up to YOU to finish the job.
When done right, you’re not just raising a pet — you’re raising a well-adjusted companion.

16/06/2025

We have a class starting soon!
Bold Beginner Class on Jun 18, 2025 07:00PM

Contact us for more details!

New group classes starting almost every week. Basic obedience, advanced obedience, tricks, scent detection, and more!

16/06/2025

Special Topic: Boy or Girl? 🐾
One of the most common questions:
“Should I get a male or female puppy?”

Here’s the honest answer: It depends on your goals, your home, and the individual dog. But here are some general trends we see:

🔹 Males are often more consistent.
What you see is what you get. They tend to be more emotional and sensitive, but also more pliable, easygoing, and eager to please. They wear their hearts on their sleeves and can be a little dumb in the best ways.🤣

🔹 Females tend to have a stronger work ethic.
They can be more intense, a little more independent, and will absolutely make YOU work harder to get more out of them. Smart and savvy, they often “ask why” before following through.

These are generalizations, of course. Every dog is an individual, and breed tendencies play a huge role too. As always talk to your breeder! They will know best with their own dogs and within the breed.

A few other things to think about:
➡️ Household Dynamics: Opposite-sex pairs are usually smoother.
➡️ Management: Intact males may mark or be dog-selective if unmanaged; females have heat cycles to consider.
➡️ Lifestyle Fit: Your energy level, experience, and goals should always outweigh gender stereotypes.

👉 At the end of the day, temperament and compatibility matter far more than gender.
A good breeder will help match you with the right pup for your family.

15/06/2025

Part 6: How to Pick Your Puppy

So, you’ve found a breeder, asked the right questions, and now… it’s a waiting game. Once those puppies are born, the excitement REALLY kicks in—but how do you pick the right one?

For me, I will always defer to the breeder’s recommendation. They’ve been with these puppies every single day, know their personalities, and understand which homes will be the best fit for each pup. Trusting their experience is key.

❗ Picking a puppy based on looks alone is a recipe for disappointment. That adorable fluffball might not have the temperament you’re looking for! Remember, this is a 10-15 year commitment, not a photoshoot!

One of the most valuable tools in making a good match is temperament testing, like the Volhard Puppy Aptitude Test. This evaluates a puppy’s confidence, social attraction, sensitivity, and reaction to new stimuli. It’s a guide—not a crystal ball—but it gives important insight into each pup's personality.

For most families, a “middle of the road” puppy is ideal:
✔️ Confident but not pushy
✔️ Playful but not overwhelming
✔️ Curious but not reckless

Of course, every family’s needs are different. That’s why good breeders focus on matching puppies to homes, not just making sales.

Even if you're on a waitlist for a specific color or gender, keep an open mind. The right dog matters more than the right look.

14/06/2025

🐾 Picking a Puppy: Special Topic — Why Puppy Culture Matters 🐶
Before we continue with the “how to pick a puppy” series, I want to take a quick pause and talk about something that’s incredibly important to me: Puppy Culture.

If you’ve followed our journey, you know I’m pretty particular about breeders. Health testing, temperament, and ethics are non-negotiables. But there’s another crucial piece of the puzzle that sometimes gets overlooked: how the puppies are raised in those critical first 8-12 weeks.

🍼 What is Puppy Culture?
Puppy Culture is a structured, science-based program designed to guide breeders in raising puppies during their most sensitive developmental stages. It focuses on shaping confident, resilient, and well-socialized dogs by introducing them to the world in small, intentional steps.

This includes:
✅ Early Neurological Stimulation (ENS)
✅ Startle recovery & enrichment protocols
✅ Problem-solving exercises
✅ Early socialization & novel experiences
✅ Introduction to crates, grooming, handling
✅ Building optimism & coping skills

🧠 Why It Matters
Puppies are like little sponges in their first few weeks. Those early experiences shape who they become as adult dogs. A breeder who invests time and effort into early development is giving you a dog with better emotional resilience, adaptability, and confidence.

For me, choosing a breeder who does Puppy Culture or follows a comparable program shows that they care deeply about their puppies’ long-term success — not just sending them out the door at 8 weeks.

A puppy raised with this level of intentionality will:
🐕 Handle new situations with more confidence
🐕 Recover from stressors more easily
🐕 Be better prepared for training and socialization
🐕 Transition into your home with less overwhelm

🚩 Breeding isn’t just about good genetics, it’s about how those genetics are nurtured. If a breeder doesn’t prioritize socialization, enrichment, and early developmental protocols, that’s a dealbreaker for me.

It’s not about “raising a show dog”, it’s about setting every puppy up to be a successful companion.