I was standing in the kitchen of a client's house trying to think of a way to get out of there. You see, I was in the middle of a knock down, drag out fight. The husband and wife of a cute little chocolate lab were not happy with each other and they were trying to drag me into it.

In this profession it's common for the dog trainer to get in the middle of these arguments. They loved their little puppy but were not happy with his behavior. Before the he-said, she-said bickering could continue, I stepped in and explained that there are some simple steps that both of them could follow. With a little common sense and patience they could have a very happy relationship with their puppy. Here is what I explained to them:

Bonding with your puppy is important. When it comes to training a puppy you want to make sure that you use positive reinforcement. You want to spend a lot of time rewarding your puppy for doing the behaviors that you want.

Expose your puppy to many different places and people Start socializing your puppy. Bring your puppy everywhere. Expose your puppy to as many people as you can. Bring your puppy to the beach, hikes in the woods, parades, happy visits to the vet' s office, your groomer, any place that will expose your puppy to different sights, sounds and experiences.

Puppies go through a socialization period. The more you expose your puppy to before four and half months old the more stable your pup will be as a dog. Develop a plan to socialize your puppy. Make a list of the places and people that you want to expose your puppy to.

Start crate training. I have been told that crates are mean and cruel. What you have to understand is that NOT using a crate can be unfair to a puppy that is left unattended for long periods of time. As a former animal control officer I have seen puppies that were seriously injured or killed because the pup was allowed too much freedom.

A puppy does not understand that they should not chew on electrical cords, chicken bones, and old sponges. A puppy that is not confined to a crate has a good chance for injury. It is good to use a crate when you bring your puppy into the house.

All dogs are domestic wolves, become the pack leader while your pup is young. Once you have started to socialize your puppy and you have started to crate train your pup, you can start to teach your puppy how to live with us humans.

Some things you want to teach a new puppy are: 1. House training 2. Basic obedience commands 3. Leash and collar. In addition to the three steps outlined above, you also need to teach your pup that you are the pack leader.

You need to give your puppy some boundaries. Teach your puppy that you are the pack leader.

When you put a leash and collar on your puppy, let your pup drag the leash around. It will take some getting used to on your puppy's part. NEVER put a choke collar on your puppy. Your puppy is still developing, mentally and physically. You don't want to injure your puppy.