Episode 94. Everything You Need to Know About Puppies Before You Bring One Home with Kathy Callahan, CPDT-KA

It’s the Puppy Episode! I’ve always heard that the best way to set yourself & your dog up for success is by putting in 12 months of solid training with your puppy so you can reap the rewards for the next 12+ years (hopefully!) with your amazing dog.

So how do you best set up your new puppy for success – not just in your home but in the world too? What is proper puppy socialization? And what isn’t?

Kathy Callahan, CPDT-KA, has spent the past 10 years fostering 200+ puppies while attending dog training school in her free time -– so she knows a few things about puppies. Kathy believes that equal parts empathy and preparation are needed to successfully raising your puppy.

As the author of the book, Welcoming Your Puppy From Planet Dog – How to Go Beyond Training and Raise Your Best Friend, Kathy shares with us everything we need to before we bring one home. From setting up your home to setting your expectations, Kathy’s book is not just a “how to” reference but a mindset guide as well.

Kathy shares her insights with us on everything from the all-important potty training to juggling the Puppy Shots Dilemma. We talk about how to build your puppy’s database of new people, places and things to set them up for their best life with you.

Kathy & I discuss:

Her early experiences with dogs and the dog training experience that stuck with her for many years;

How her family first started fostering and what she’s learned from the 200+ puppies that have passed through their house in the past decade;
How Kathy’s professional dog training career unfolded;
What Kathy means when she says you’re kidnapping your puppy from Planet Dog?
Planning & Preparation versus Reacting;
What is the appropriate age for puppies to be adopted?
What is socialization? And what isn’t? Kathy’s best practices for socializing your puppy the right way;
Common fears in dogs and what can be done as a puppy to help prevent these;
The Puppy Shots Dilemma: how to balance your puppy’s socialization with health concerns;
How to set up your house for potty training success;
The #1 most common problem that Kathy sees with new puppy parents and what does grief have to do with your new puppy?