Top 10 Puppy Training Tips
You will need to consider what is the best way for you to train your puppy. Whether you chose to train your fur baby yourself, take classes or hire a private trainer, you can implement these easy tips to make the process easier.
Tip 1:
Start simple training as soon as they come home.
While it is an exciting time when you first bring your puppy home and you will be tempted to just play and cuddle, it is smart to start training your puppy as soon as you bring them home.
By starting early, this will set good foundations for your fur baby.
The first command you should teach your fur baby is to come. Get down on their level and tell your pup to come, using their name. When they do come to you, get excited and use lots of positive reinforcement. Next, try the “come” command when they’re distracted with eating or playing. As your puppy gets older, you’ll continue to see the benefits of this command.
Then start with these basic commands such as sit, stay and down. As your puppy starts to learn, you can move onto other commands.
Tip 2:
Try to start your training in a quiet environment.
New puppies can be easily distracted, particularly if there is a lot of activity happening.
Just like young children get easily distracted by things in their surroundings, so too can your little
puppy.
This is an important time for your paw’s development, and they need to be able to focus on you and the new skills you are trying to teach them.
Tip 3:
Be consistent
Think of your puppy as a toddler who has no concept of right or wrong and needs to be taught. Repetition and consistency are key.
If you repeat cues and say it one time one day, and three times the next, you are not consistent. For more effective communication and training with your dog, try to make your verbal, as well as non-verbal, cues consistent. It makes it much easier for your dog to learn new commands or tricks
If you teach “sit” in the kitchen and then move to the bedroom, your dog will probably not perform the command as well. Why? Because it’s a new location with new distractions. Go back and consistently re-teach the behaviour. Once you have trained your dog in numerous locations, the success in a new location will occur faster.
Tip 4:
Train in short sessions
When teaching tricks, work in short, 5-minute intervals.
Generally, you might aim for at least fifteen minutes in total of training per day.
This training can be incorporated into everyday tasks.
Do remember that your puppy is still very young, so don’t overwork them with a rigid training schedule and try to always be patient.
Tip 5:
Be calm and positive
Your puppy has worked hard to please you throughout their training. Leave them with lots of praise, perhaps a treat, some pats or five minutes of play. This almost guarantees they’ll show up at their next class or training session with their tail wagging, ready to work!
Tip 6:
Socialise
Socialising your puppy as soon as possible and is an important step in ensuring your puppy properly interacts with other humans, dogs and new situations.
Properly socialising your puppy can be a hard step, but the following these few tips can help you make a positive start.
Your tone of voice, body language and stress levels affect how your pet reacts, so always set a good example and remain calm.
Typically, new puppies should be exposed to:
- Unfamiliar people
- Unfamiliar dress (hoods, jackets, sunglasses, hats)
- Body handling (ears, paws, tail, and so on)
- Urban environments
- Parks, bodies of water, woods, and beaches
- Vehicles
- Different types of flooring and ground surfaces
- Common neighbourhood objects like street signs, bicycles, strollers, skateboards, benches
- Cats
- Other dogs
Meeting other pets can be stressful, so allow them to observe each other at a safe distance and never force them together.
Make sure your puppy is up to date with vaccinations and parasite protection before it starts mingling with other dogs. Ask your vet when it’s safe for your pup to socialise with other dogs.
Tip 7:
Crate Training
Between 15 and 18 weeks, this is the age that you should begin crate training. Crate training is the process of teaching your puppy that a crate is a special place for them.
Their crate is a place where good things happen for them, generally it will be their sleeping space or near to their eating space. A crate trained dog learns to accept the place as her own without crying.
Unfortunately, crating is not an easy thing for most puppy owners, but it is best in the long term. It is great for them to be happy crating especially when you travel.
Here are some reasons why crating a dog is excellent:
- It provides a place where a dog will call it his own home and will feel secure in it.
- Speeds up house training process
- Keeps your puppy safe when you can’t supervise them
- Protects your property and possessions when you’re not around
- Crate training is a wonderful way of preparing your puppies for the next trip to the vet.
Tip 8:
Reward good behaviour
Reward your puppy’s good behaviour with positive reinforcement.
Use toys, treats, clicker training and lots of praise.
Let them know when they’re getting it right.
Along those same lines, never reward bad behaviour, as it’ll only confuse them.
Reward-based training is very effective does not involve aversive techniques, physical punishment or the assertion of dominance over the dog.
Tip 9:
Toilet training
Your puppy will most likely not be house-trained when you bring them home and as such accidents will occur in their first weeks. Often, a puppy will have an accident in the home because they are given too much freedom, too soon, and are unsure of the appropriate place to go.
To help avoid this, there are several steps you can take:
- Ensure your puppy only has access to one or two rooms in the house, where the family spend the most time, ideally it would be great if the rooms had tiled floors
- Crate the puppy when you can’t supervise them. Puppies are less likely to soil their sleeping area as they see this as their safe space and want to keep it clean
- Have regularly scheduled feeding times. This will allow you to monitor the puppy more closely, as they are more likely to need to be let out soon after they’ve eaten
- Reinforce desired actions, by praising your puppy for urinating outside
- To make sure you can give them immediate praise, it’s a good idea to go outside with your puppy
- Never punish or reprimand a puppy who has had an “accident”. Instead, find ways to prevent your puppy from ever having the need to urinate outdoors
- Don’t wait for your puppy to signal that they want to go out. Most puppies will not learn to signal their need until they first learn to “hold” in the house. Take them out on a regular schedule
Take them out frequently, after every meal and nap, before bed and as soon as you get up in the morning, so they get used to this routine. At the beginning, take them to the same place every time so they can recognise their own scent.
If you notice your puppy turning around and round, or sniffing the floor indoors, this is a sign that they need to go. In the event of an “accident”, don’t scold your puppy, but disinfect the spot to remove their smell.
If they do make a mess in the house, make sure you clean the area thoroughly so there is no trace of their scent. If they smell their scent, they will return to that area again.
Tip 10:
Say no to nipping and jumping
Puppies love to jump up in greeting and while you might think it is cute while they are still small, it becomes a very bad habit as they grow up. When your puppy jumps up at you or on another person, don’t reprimand them; instead turn your back on them, ignore the behaviour and wait until they settle down before giving them attention or positive reinforcement. Never encourage jumping behaviour.
Instead of scolding your fur baby, a great way to discourage your mouthy puppy is to pretend you’re in a lot of pain when they bite or nip you — a sharp, loud yell should work. Most puppies are so surprised that they stop immediately.
If those cues don’t work, instead try trading a chew toy for your hand or pant leg. This swap trick can also work when a puppy discovers the joys of chewing on your favourite shoes.
These are just a few things to consider when training your new fur baby.
Make sure you talk to your vet about any health questions you might have.
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