Before you bring a dog home from the shelter, celebrity animal trainer and Link My Pet ambassador Brandon McMillan says all new pet-parents need to think about how to set their new dog up for success. “If you don’t train your dog, that’s like not sending your little kid to kindergarten. Once your dog learns their ABCs and 123s just like a human, that’s where your basic control and manners come in.”
Celebrity animal trainer and Link My Pet ambassador Brandon McMillan revealed to NBC Local what three things every new rescue dog owner needs to know about training their pet, and he says it's like teaching your kindergartener their "ABCs and 123s."
McMillan, who owns a top dog training facility in Los Angeles, said training your dog at a young age teaches it obedience because it is when the owner's "basic manners of control" get instilled in the dog before they get used to getting away with bad behavior.
"If you neglect them of basic education when they are a puppy, or even an adolescent, then yeah they are going to have behavioral issues when they are older because you didn't send them to kindergarten," McMillan said.
So, how should you go about training your new puppy? Let's break down McMillan's three points to know for new dog owners.
1. Safety always comes first
Dogs, like humans, have personalities that may not always match with an owner. McMillan said prospective dog owners should talk to the shelter they are adopting from about the dog's personality, and how it gets along with other dogs, children and cats, in particular.
"If you don't do your prep work there (shelter), then you might bring the dog home and find out" your new dog does not get along with your kid or other pets, McMillan said.
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2. Set them up for success
Bringing a new dog home can be stressful for the dog, and if they are untrained puppies they are sure to get into trouble if they are left to roam around a home alone.
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"So when I say set them up for success, don't drop them off at home and leave right away. You want to spend some time with the dog at home. You want them to feel comfortable and know this is home," McMillan said. "And if they are a very young puppy, I would not give them free range of the house when you leave."
"There's no way on Earth you're going to leave a puppy alone in a house for a few hours and it not get in trouble," McMillan added.
3. Training builds trust
Dogs, as pack animals, naturally look for leadership.
"In pack animals, there is always a hierarchy in the pack," McMillan said. "And they are always looking for some form of leadership."
Dog owners should strive to be both the parent and the friend of their pet, and that is where training comes in.
"Training will not only build trust, but it builds a bond, a friendship," McMillan said.
"If they don't trust you, they are not going to learn one thing from you," McMillan added. "You always want to make sure you form that bond, form a trust with a dog, and they are going to learn whatever you throw at them."
