The 6 Essential Tools I Use When Training My Puppy
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I started clicker training Archer from day 1.
He’s the first puppy in training I’m exclusively using clicker training for teaching new behaviors.
Over the years we’ve used many different tools for training our puppies, but clicker training is a little different as it requires a few more pieces to the puzzle. Fortunately, these pieces are still very easy to carry around during any puppy training exercise.
So, what are these 6 essential tools I use when training my puppy?
Check out the picture above and see if you can identify all 6 before moving on.
6 Essential Tools I Use When Training My Puppy
Okay, so maybe you couldn’t see all the tools in the first pic, but you could see 5 out of 6 and I bet you can guess #6…hint: check out the pic below š
Maybe I should change the title to 6 Essential Tools I Use When “Clicker” Training My Puppy since this list is specific to clicker training.
That being said I bet you were able to guess number 1 on my list pretty easily…
#1 Clicker
There’s more than one type of clicker available, but we go simple and use the standard box clicker for training our puppies.
If you plan on clicker training your puppy then do some research and find a clicker you like. They even have quiet clickers just in case your puppy is noise sensitive.
UPDATE: Although any clicker works and some are louder/quieter than others our current favorite is this Mighty Paw Clicker (by the way, we highly recommend getting a wristband with your clicker)
#2 Treats
There are thousands of treats available to use during training.
We feed our dog’s Wellness and either use kibble as treats or Crazy Dog Train-Me Treats.
#3 Treat Pouch
We recently started using a new treat pouch that has been more durable then our old PetSafe model.
We really liked our new Mighty Paw Treat Pouch.
I’m going to do a little research and you’ll probably see a blog post on dog treat bags really soon š
This pic is of our old PetSafe Treat pouch. Time to update this pic with Archer. I miss that guy š
#4 Leather Leash
Sorry folks, but we don’t have a link to a recommended leash for training your puppy.
Our leather leash is 10 years old, warn in, and soft as can be.
We love the leather leashes over the nylon as they are much softer on your hands. If you can find a good leather leash let me know in the comment section below.
UPDATE: Guide Dogs for the Blind has the exact adjustable leather training leash we love and use with all of our puppies in training.
#5 Martingale Collar
We recently changed to a Martingale Collar based on suggestions from trainers at Canine Support Teams and Wags and Wiggles.
We heard these were originally designed for Greyhounds (heads the same size as their necks) so their head wouldn’t slip out.
After an incident, we had with Linus slipping his flat collar to chase a coyote across the golf course š we’ve found the martingale training collar to be a good choice when out and about as it will tighten, but not choke your dog (make sure and have it adjustedĀ properly).
#6 Easy Walk Harness
We really like the Easy Walk Harness used in conjunction with our Martingale Collar.
While it doesn’t totally deter pulling it does help by turning your dog slightly when he tries to pull forward.
If you look at our pictures we like to attach our leash to the martingale collar and easy walk harness simultaneously.
We’ve found this to be the best setup when working with Archer.
So what do you guys think? That’s not everything we use when clicker training our puppies, but I would consider these the “Essential Tools”.
However, if you look closely at the pictures you might see another tool we use with our puppies (not really a training tool).
Did you guys catch the other tool in the pics? What are your essential tools when training your puppy.
Tell us about your experiences training your puppy in the comment section below.
Top Picks For Our Puppies
- BEST PUPPY TOY
We Like: Calmeroos Puppy Toy w/ Heartbeat and Heat Packs - Perfect for new puppies. Helps ease anxiety in their new home. - BEST DOG CHEW
We Like: Mighty Paw Naturals Bully Sticks - All of our puppies love to bite, nip, and chew. We love using Bully Sticks to help divert these unwanted behaviors. - BEST DOG TREATS
We Like: Crazy Dog Train-Me Treats - We use these as our high-value treats for our guide dog puppies. - BEST FRESH DOG FOOD
We Like: The Farmer's Dog - A couple months ago we started feeding Raven fresh dog food and she loves it! Get 50% off your first order of The Farmer's Dog.
Check out more of our favorites on our New Puppy Checklist.
I encountered a puppy in a bad condition two weeks ago and brought him home, but my mother scolded me for it. She told me never to let it roam around the house and I’m constantly worried because I figured he’s quite the playful type. I’m really thankful for this article for proving information on what tools we could use to train our puppies, and I think my puppy would love having treats after doing a good job. If everything else fails, I’d just look for some puppy obedience training available near us to make sure my mother allows me to keep him.
I have an 8 month old labradoodle. Heās crate trained and does wonderful. My problem is this. We are going to have to move his crate to another room in the house. I donāt work and so heās only in the crate at night and maybe a few hours a week during the day.
Any suggestions on how I can make this transition easier?