Find a breed
Know the dog before you buy the week.
Original breed notes from Andrew Darov, a professional dog trainer. Search the library, then raise the puppy in front of you — crate, night, toilet, mouth.
Popular breeds
Sporting
Labrador Retriever A friendly, food-loving retriever that needs daily exercise, training and a job for its nose and mouth.
Sporting
Golden Retriever A fetching, people-facing sporting dog whose gold coat does not lower the daily mileage.
Herding
German Shepherd Dog A versatile German working shepherd that needs daily training, real exercise and a calm settle taught on purpose.
Non-Sporting
French Bulldog A compact companion with a clown reputation and a respiratory system you do not get to ignore.
Non-Sporting
Poodle A water-retrieving athlete that people mistake for a decoration once the coat is clipped.
Herding
Border Collie A brilliant, intense sheepdog that needs real daily work, training and a taught off-switch.
Toy
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel A toy spaniel that wants your sofa and still has a nose that will follow a crumb into the garden.
Hound
Beagle A friendly scent hound that follows its nose and needs patient recall training, sniffing walks and a secure garden.Expert advice
Puppy · 9 min
Puppy peeing in crate: why it happens and how to fix it Most crate accidents come from a crate that is too big, a stretch that is too long, bedding that soaks it up, or a stressed puppy. Fix the cause, clean well, and keep the next weeks easy to win.
Behavior · 9 min
German Shepherd puppy biting: why it is hard and what helps German Shepherd puppies mouth harder and for longer than many breeds. The fix is the same method as for any puppy, with more sleep, a tug game with clear rules and a few months of patience.
Expert Advice · 9 min
Questions to ask a dog breeder before you buy a puppy A good breeder expects questions and asks plenty back. Use this list on the first call and at the visit: health screening, the parents, how the puppies are raised, the contract and what happens if things go wrong.
Puppy · 9 min
10 week old puppy schedule: sample day and what changed At ten weeks the day is still mostly sleep. Wake spells stretch a little, toilet trips stay frequent and short outings begin. A sample day with times, and what moved since week eight.
Behavior · 9 min
Halloween trick or treat with a dog: a calm door plan Trick or treat means hours of knocks, masks and an open door. Set up the room, move the doorbell outside and keep the sweets high, and the evening gets much easier for your dog.
Skills · 10 min
How to teach a dog to heel: position, steps and uses Heel is a short, precise position at your side for tight spots. Build it standing still, add one step at a time, and use a loose lead for the rest of the walk.
Puppy · 9 min
Puppy waking up at 5am? How to move the morning later Early waking is a full bladder, a habit, or a bright, noisy room. Find which one, keep 5am dull, and shift the day in small steps.
Behavior · 9 min
Dog barking for attention: how to stop demand barking Demand barking works because it gets an answer. Take the answer away, give the dog a quiet way to ask, and plan attention before the bark.
Expert Advice · 10 min
How to choose a puppy from a litter: visit checklist The mother, the room the puppies grow up in, and a breeder who knows each puppy tell you more than a ten-minute test on the lawn.
Puppy · 10 min
Puppy only sleeps on me: move naps to the crate Lap naps are fine early on. Build a second place to sleep so the puppy can rest when you need your hands back.
Behavior · 10 min
Dog scared of fireworks: a calm night plan Before Bonfire Night or New Year, build a quiet den, cover sound and light, walk early, and keep toilet trips on lead. Medicine is a vet conversation, early.
Expert Advice · 10 min
When do Labs calm down? Age, energy and settle Labs rarely flip a calm switch at one birthday. Energy shifts with age; settle skills and food work make the house livable while the brain catches up.
Byline
Andrew Darov
Andrew Darov is a professional dog trainer. He runs a boarding and holding business and takes dogs in for a month-plus residential correction, then publishes that method in these articles. He leads seminars and teaches other trainers and veterinarians. He writes this English site for owners in the US, the UK, and the EU. He is not a veterinarian. There are no invented reviews on this site.
Every page on Dogmindlab carries this byline. Read the veterinary disclaimer and the editorial policy before you treat a protocol as a diagnosis.
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