Getting a puppy

[Chkadii]

You're in for quite an experience with that little guy! The best general advice I can give is to teach him what he should be doing rather than letting him have free reign with hopes of correcting what he shouldn't do. Dogs are very discerning, but awful at applying abstract thoughts. If he chews a shoe, and you scold him, he might think he can't chew that shoe, or he can't chew that shoe in the spot he was laying in when he was scolded, or (this is the worst) that he can't chew it in front of you - so he should hide and chew it in secret. It's MUCH easier to give him a chew toy and reward, reward, reward for using it.

You know the phrase "let sleeping dogs lie"? Yeah, that's because it was such hard work to get them there. And you have a million things to do that you couldn't do before because you had to have your full attention on the puppy. Aussies have TONS of energy. I am telling you this as an owner of a basset hound pup that runs me ragged. Make him earn everything he gets, and play with him until he passes out cold. For example, instead of giving him food in a bowl, get a toy that he has to roll around to release kibble. Another option is to portion off his regular meal, and then use that time to train him instead of feeding him dinner and then training with treats. Dogs get worn out by mental exercise like they do with physical exercise, so don't skimp on working his puppy brain.

As far as resources go, check out kikopup on Youtube. She's got tons of training videos up that are very helpful and easy to learn.

Name ideas:
Ridley (Ridley Scott)
Lowry (Sam Lowry from Brazil)
Hal (HAL 9000 from 2001: A Space Odyssey)

Best of luck with your new puppy! It's such a frustrating experience, but you'll feel the rewards of a good dog who loves you in spades.