--- title: "5 First Tricks for Your New Puppy" id: "202776" type: "post" slug: "5-first-tricks-for-your-new-puppy" published_at: "2020-03-05T06:46:38+00:00" modified_at: "2023-07-19T10:46:19+00:00" url: "https://houstonpetland.com/2020/03/05/5-first-tricks-for-your-new-puppy/" markdown_url: "https://houstonpetland.com/2020/03/05/5-first-tricks-for-your-new-puppy.md" excerpt: "Coming home with a new puppy is one of the most exciting events that could happen in an animal lover’s life. Their excitement and cuteness are infectious with their little paws and a head too big for their body. Between..." taxonomy_category: - "Tips & Tricks" --- [Home](https://houstonpetland.com/) / [Blog](https://houstonpetland.com/blog/) / **5 First Tricks for Your New Puppy** [Tips & Tricks](https://houstonpetland.com/category/blog/) # 5 First Tricks for Your New Puppy March 5, 2020 · 4 min read · [cosmick](https://houstonpetland.com/author/cosmick/) [Stay connected via Google News Follow Us For The Latest Pet Updates and Guides.](https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=houstonpetland.com) Coming home with a new puppy is one of the most exciting events that could happen in an animal lover’s life. Their excitement and cuteness are infectious with their little paws and a head too big for their body. Between belly rubs and playing with toys, new pet owners will run into a few behavioral issues that might frustrate them if they’re not addressed soon enough. This is where training comes in; it is extremely important to teach manners and begin to establish trust between human and dog. Like people, all dogs learn differently. Some are more food motivated, others love getting pets, or their favorite toy as a reward. Finding this motivator is key when training because it will create a positive and exciting experience for the puppy. ### These are five tricks to teach your new puppy in the first month of adoption… 1. **Their Name** This is the most important thing for your puppy to learn because it will help you get their attention in several different scenarios, whether it’s trying to find them after they got off leash or having them do a trick for you. **How-To** Enjoying this read? You'll love our puppies. Adorable, vet-checked pups looking for their forever homes — available now. [Meet our puppies](https://houstonpetland.com/puppies-for-sale/) 1. Having their favorite thing in hand, say their chosen name as you give them their treat or toy. They will soon associate the name with something you’re going to give them that is very interesting. Repeat for only a couple minutes at a time because puppies do get tired. 2. When you come back home from work or class, greet them by saying their name over and over. Petting, toys, or treats enhance the positive association they have with their name and owner. 1. **Leave It** When you can get your dog’s attention with their name, puppies have a habit of getting themselves into trouble either way. “Leave It” is a simple command that redirects the puppy’s attention towards you instead of something like a frog or electrical cords that they would like to chew up. **How-To** 1. Let the puppy see you have a reward in your hand, preferably something small so when you make a fist it is completely covered. This works best with treats. 2. Before they can snatch it up, close your hand and say “leave it” 3. The puppy will try to gnaw and paw at your hand for the reward, but stay strong. 4. Once the puppy looks away or loses interest, reward them with the treat and repeat. 5. Once they get the hang of that, drop the treat on the ground, say “leave it,” and quickly cover it with your hand. 6. Repeat step 4 with this new variation. 1. **Come** The “come” command is pretty simple because it reiterates the same steps like teaching them their name, just at a distance. **How-To** Still reading? Our puppies are waiting. Healthy, happy pups ready to meet their families — see who's available today. [Meet our puppies](https://houstonpetland.com/puppies-for-sale/) 1. When your pup is out of arm’s reach, get their attention with their favorite reward. 2. As they trot towards you, say “come” and reward them with the treat, toy, and/or lots of love. 3. When they are preoccupied with something else, call out their name and “come.” Reward them handsomely when they do run over to you, expecting something fun or tasty for them to have. 1. **Sit** Having a puppy sit might seem impossible because of all their wiggles, but rest assured, it is possible. With a little bit of incentives, your pup is sure to follow suit. **How-To** 1. Have your puppy’s attention with their reward while they are on leash. 2. With the reward in hand, hold it above their head and move it slowly towards them, parallel with their back. 3. Your puppy will want to back up, but having a hold on their leash keeps them from moving and ultimately tricking them into sitting down. 4. Just before their butt hits the ground, say “sit” and reward them. Repeat until you can do this without the leash. 1. **Down** This will be the hardest command out of the others, especially with stubborn puppies. Laying down means that the dog is giving up control, forcing them to be in a relaxed, vulnerable position with their new owner on command. It takes a lot of trust, but you should have a strong bond with your pup by doing the aforementioned tricks. **How-To** 1. Your puppy should be in a sitting position to make it easier for them to transition into laying down. 2. Hold a reward at their face, not allowing them to get it, and slowly lower your hand towards the ground. 3. If your puppy gets up out of sit, have them sit again and repeat the process. 4. Before their elbows hit the ground, say “down” and reward them when they do go into a down position. Repeat. [Stay connected via Google News Follow Us For The Latest Pet Updates and Guides.](https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=houstonpetland.com) Available Now## If you loved this, you'll *love our puppies* Meet the happy, healthy pups ready to join your family today — browse the whole litter below. 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My husband and I went to Petland on Saturday to simply look at the puppies and we ended up falling in love with one so much that we brought her home with us. Jennifer made the process of taking her home super easy and smooth, she answered every question we asked and was very knowledgeable about everything! Posted on Google ume rubab Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. it was really nice their all the animal were so cute !! The puppy’s and kittens were adorable !!❤️ Posted on Google Leslie Rivera Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Went to Petland to just browse around and ended up falling in love with our Maltipoo, her fur color and the eyes captivated me. Anthony our counselor, was very informative and friendly. I would greatly recommend this pet store. Can’t wait to start this new journey with our puppy. Posted on Google 12.xndrik Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. recently adopted a cavapool and Christopher helped us out a lot. He was helpfull, respectful , and walked us through the whole process. It was an amazing experience 10/10. Posted on Google Chris M Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Best place to work PUPPIES!!!! Posted on Google MIGUEL MOLINA Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Great time. I was looking around with my family and Chris helped us out found a new family member. Great place to greet and play with dogs. Posted on Google David Almanza Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. We visited Petland today and had an incredible experience choosing our new furry family member — a miniature Goldendoodle! From the moment we walked in, Christopher made us feel welcome, informed, and supported throughout the entire process. He was extremely knowledgeable about the breed, answered all our questions with patience, and never made us feel rushed. You could genuinely tell he cared about both the pets and the people. His friendly attitude and professionalism made the whole experience smooth and enjoyable. We left Petland not just with a puppy, but with total confidence that we were prepared for this new journey — all thanks to Christopher. If you're thinking about getting a pet and want a helpful, knowledgeable guide, ask for Christopher. He made our day. Highly recommend - 10/10! Posted on Google Diana Perez Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Kalese and Chris were phenomenal and so attentive. They made me feel so welcome and so happy to be finally going home with our baby ```