Dog Training Guides & Tips

The Paw Plan Blog

Dog Training, Made Simple

Real guides for real dogs — from first commands to tricky behavior. Written to actually help, not to fill a page.

Destructive Chewing: Why Dogs Do It and How to Stop It

Chewed skirting boards and shredded cushions have four different causes — and the fix depends entirely on which one you have.

5.9k

Behavior7 min read

How to Stop a Dog Jumping Up on People

Jumping is a greeting, not defiance — and knees, shouting and pushing all make it worse. Here is the method that actually replaces it.

19.8k

Behavior8 min read

How to Stop a Dog Pulling on the Leash

Pulling is a habit your walk rewards every single day. Here is how to break the pattern — the stop-start method, the equipment that helps, and what makes it worse.

33.3k

Behavior7 min read

Leash Reactivity: Why Your Dog Lunges and Barks on Walks

The barking, spinning, lunging dog on the end of the lead is usually frightened, not aggressive. Here is the threshold work that actually changes it.

7.7k

Puppy Training7 min read

How to Potty Train a Puppy: The 8-Week Plan

The schedule that stops accidents before they happen — how often to go out, what to do at 3am, and why punishing a mess sets you back weeks.

19.6k

Commands & Tricks7 min read

How to Teach a Dog to Stay (The Three Ds)

Stay breaks down because people add distance, duration and distraction all at once. Here is the order that works — and the release word most owners forget.

Commands & Tricks7 min read

Teach 'Leave It' — the Command That Keeps Dogs Safe

Dropped pills, chicken bones, something dead on the verge. Leave it is the cue with the shortest path from training to emergency — here is how to build it properly.

17.9k

Puppy Training7 min read

Getting a Puppy to Sleep Through the Night

The first week is the hard one. A realistic night-by-night plan, why puppies wake, and how to tell distress crying from the ordinary kind.

16.3k

Puppy Training8 min read

The Puppy Socialization Checklist (3–16 Weeks)

There is a window that closes at about 16 weeks. Here is exactly what to expose your puppy to before it does — and how to do it without frightening them.

37.4k

Commands & Tricks8 min read

Teach a Reliable Recall (Even If Your Dog Ignores You)

The one command worth building properly. How to train a recall your dog cannot ignore — and the four habits that quietly destroy the one you have.

40.1k

Breeds7 min read

Training a Golden Retriever: What's Different

Soft, eager and slower to mature than they look. Why Goldens are easy to train and hard to raise — and the adolescence nobody warns you about.

43.5k

Behavior7 min read

How to Stop a Dog From Barking: 7 Methods That Actually Work

Excessive barking always has a cause. Here's how to find yours and fix it — seven trainer-tested methods, plus what to try when nothing else works.

12.7k

Puppy Training10 min read

The Week-by-Week Puppy Training Schedule

From week 8 to month 6 — exactly what to teach, and when, so you never feel behind. A calm, realistic plan for the first months together.

41.9k

Commands & Tricks8 min read

Teach Your Dog to Sit in Under 5 Minutes

The very first command, broken into steps a puppy can follow today. No prior training needed.

40.4k

Puppy Training9 min read

Crate Training Without the Crying

Make the crate a place your puppy chooses on its own — a gentle, guilt-free method that works even for anxious dogs.

37.1k

Behavior8 min read

Separation Anxiety: Helping a Dog Who Can't Be Alone

Whining, chewing, accidents the moment you leave? Here's how to rebuild your dog's confidence step by step — and when to bring in a pro.

23.5k

Commands & Tricks10 min read

Clicker Training, Explained Simply

Why a single click teaches faster than a treat alone — and how to start with the clicker built into Paw Plan.

34.2k

Breeds11 min read

Training a German Shepherd: What's Different

Smart, driven, and happiest with a job. How to channel a Shepherd's energy into focus instead of frustration.

36.1k

Puppy Training9 min read

Why Puppies Bite — and How to Make It Stop

Those needle teeth are normal, but you don't have to live with them. The bite-inhibition method, minus the guesswork.

21.9k

Behavior11 min read

Reading Dog Body Language: What Your Dog Is Telling You

Most bites are preceded by warnings people miss. Learn the ladder of signals — from a lip lick to a growl — and what each one is asking for.

27.8k

Health & Care10 min read

How Much Should You Actually Feed Your Dog?

Portion sizes, treats during training, and the numbers that matter — without the marketing noise from food brands.