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Puppy Training Tips Alexandra Bassett Puppy Training Tips Alexandra Bassett

How to Bond with Your New Puppy: 11 Expert Tips for Instant Connection

Fostering a strong bond with your new puppy is one of the best ways to turn them into a dream companion. 

Building a bond can begin from the moment you pick your pup up and bring it home, so being prepared and knowing how to make your puppy’s first experiences with you the best they can be can help you bond with them.

Here are our top 10 tips for how to build an instant bond with your new puppy starting on day one.

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Dog Separation Anxiety Alexandra Bassett Dog Separation Anxiety Alexandra Bassett

How To Prevent Separation Anxiety in Dogs

Preventing separation anxiety in dogs is far easier than trying to treat it once panic behaviors have set in. The process should begin the day your new puppy or rescue dog comes home and continue anytime your household routine, environment, or work schedule changes. Many cases arise when dogs adopted during holidays or work-from-home periods get constant attention—only to struggle when suddenly left alone for hours once normal routines resume. By building independence from the start, you can keep your dog calm, confident, and content when home alone.

Five Key Steps to Prevent Separation Anxiety

  • Gradual Alone-Time Training: Begin with short absences of 1–5 seconds, then gradually extend the time only when your dog remains relaxed.

  • Predictable Goodbye Cues: Use a calm phrase like “back soon” to signal departures and avoid emotional farewells that fuel anxiety.

  • High-Value Enrichment: Offer food puzzles, stuffed Kongs, or lick mats reserved just for confinement training to create positive associations with alone time.

  • Safe, Comforting Spaces: Set up a crate or gated area with cozy bedding, soothing background noise, and a familiar scent from you.

  • Balanced Daily Routine: Combine exercise, play, and mental stimulation through training games and enrichment to ease restlessness.

By consistently practicing these preventive strategies—and adjusting them after vacations, moves, or major changes—you’ll raise a dog that feels secure when left alone and avoid the struggles of separation anxiety later in life.

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Doodle Dogs Dog Savvy Los Angeles Doodle Dogs Dog Savvy Los Angeles

What is a Doodle Dog?

Doodle dogs are fast becoming the most popular dog breed in America because of their friendly nature and hypo-allergenic and low-shedding coats. There are many kinds of Doodle dog breeds of various sizes depending on the Poodle variant with which they are mixed, however the most popular are the Goldendoodle, the Labradoodle, and the Double Doodle.

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Puppy Training Tips Alexandra Bassett Puppy Training Tips Alexandra Bassett

How to Safely Socialize Your Puppy Before Full Vaccination

Puppy Training Tips: How to Socialize Your Puppy Before They’re Fully Vaccinated

Socialization is how you help your puppy build positive associations with the world around them during their critical early development stage—between 4 and 16 weeks of age. But if your puppy hasn’t had all their shots yet, how can you safely expose them to new people, sounds, and environments? We’ll show you how.

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Dog Training Tips Alexandra Bassett Dog Training Tips Alexandra Bassett

Dog Training Games: How to Play Hide & Seek to Improve Your Dog’s Recall

At Dog Savvy Los Angeles, we believe dog training should be fun, easy, and effective. One of our favorite games? Hide & Seek. This simple game takes little effort but delivers big results—boosting your dog’s recall skills by creating strong, positive associations with coming when called. You can play it anytime, anywhere, and your pup will love it.

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