10 Must-Have Puppy Training Tips

WHY SHOULD I TRAIN MY PUP?

Teach Life Skills
Each dog needs to learn how to survive and live in a home environment. Although domesticated dogs might look spoiled and have an easy life than wild dogs, living with a human comes with certain pressures. Teaching your dog the basic manner skills and providing him with enough physical exercise and mental enrichment can prevent the development of anxiety problems and other related stress behaviors such as aggressiveness, inappropriate barking, and destructive chewing.
To Avoid Behavioral Problems
This is the primary reason as to why there is a need to train dogs. Surely you do not want to raise a rebellious furry pooch that does not listen to every word you say and just do everything he wants to like the Alpha he thinks he is.
Training your dog builds up a language of communication between you and him which promotes comfort and security. The more time you invest in teaching him to live in the human world, the more you can avoid behavioral problems that come from lack of understanding. Most dogs end up being punished for their negative behaviors which can teach them to be aggressive with their master. All of this can be avoided if you take time to train and teach them to understand.
Building a Positive Relationship
The best way to build a healthier relationship with your pup is to understand how he learns and use the principles of positive training in order to make learning as easy, successful and rewarding as possible.
Positive training, which motivates and rewards dogs for good behavior allows you to build and foster your relationship with your pup based on respect and mutual trust instead of intimidation and fear. Dogs taught using positive training are more behaved, self-controlled and tolerant in most situations.
Increasing Sociability
Increasing your pup’s enjoyment of social interaction can give him the confidence to deal with the pressures of a domestic life. We always expect for our dogs to be friendly with everyone they meet, even if they might be uncomfortable in some situations. This is why it is important to socialize your dog by giving him a good experience in the presence of various people, environments or other animals. By doing this, your pup will have the confidence and reduce the chances of him experiencing anxiety or discomfort in his adulthood.
For Companionship and Loyalty
By properly training your pup can help in strengthening the bond between the two of you. By guiding your pup into making the right choices, constantly training him to be a well-mannered and behaved pup, and understanding what he needs to be happy, you also train him to put his loyalty to you and offers companionship until the day he takes his last breath. Properly-trained dogs are known to be extremely loyal and will help their owners in times of threats and dangers.

WHEN SHOULD I TRAIN MY PUP?

Despite being domesticated, dogs are still an animal with a natural instinct to follow the pack. And from his point of view, his pack would be you and other family members. Dogs can be educated at a very young age on the rules of the pack. Waiting until your pup reaches 6 months or a year old to start training is just a waste of precious time. Puppies can perfectly learn instructions on where is their toilet area, or what parts of the house they are allowed to enter and which are forbidden for example. From 7 weeks, when your pup already gained independence from their mother, he is ready to learn the rules of coexistence and basic commands needed to become a member of the family pack.

The Learning Process

A dog learns throughout their whole life. Even if you think that the training and educating process is all done, neglecting to teach your dog every now and then can make them acquire other unwanted habits. It is necessary to educate a puppy at a young age to facilitate the retention of information and make them more receptive.

And like humans, dogs also have different stages to learn. Each stage has a different level of difficulty.

In this way, we can divide your puppy training into 3 stages:
•From 7 weeks
•From 3 months
•From 6 months and older

FREE PUPPY TRAINING

From 7 Weeks

This stage is when you just adopted your puppy and it’s his first time at home or it is the time to help the mother in educating the litter. During this age, you can teach your pup only a few, yet important things:

Controlling their chewing and biting
It is quite normal for puppies to bite and chew on everything on their path since teething can cause discomfort in their gums. In order to avoid destroyed personal items and furniture, you can buy chewing toys for him and praise him whenever he uses it.
Where to sleep
If you don’t like sleeping with your pup, then it is quite necessary that you define their place to rest and remain firm in the decision. If you don’t, then it will only cause them confusion.
Where to do the toilet
Because they still don’t have all their shots, you should assign some certain space inside or outside the house for them to do the toilet, either on a newspaper or in the garden outside. Be patient and take them there right after eating.
Respect the space of others
If you do not want your puppy to sleep on the furniture or pounce on people, then try to push them with a firm “no” will be enough to teach them that to respect your space in a short time.
Teach them to behave while you’re gone
When a puppy is left alone, they usually become whiners and barks until you come home. This can cause your neighbor to be pissed. If this happens, then you can just pretend to go out, and once you hear moaning and whining, come back and portray and annoyed attitude without using any violence. This should reduce his bratty noise making. Also, buying your puppies their own Kong is another effective options since it can keep them entertained while you are not home.

From 3 Months

If your previous rules were all learned and maintained, then this stage should be easier for you and your pup. During this phase, your pup can learn to:

Behave walking
Keeping track of their humans during the walk is an important part of puppy training. So you do not need to run after them they start to pull on the leash. Instead, start pulling the leash when you notice them to try getting away and start teaching him commands such as “walk”, “come”, and “quiet”.
Do the toilet in one place or outside by himself
If you want to teach your dog to do his needs during walks and make his shots, then this is the ideal age to teach him. You can start by removing the newspaper away in places that attract their attention. Little by little, he will find his only bathroom and can relieve himself independently. Don’t forget to praise him whenever he does it in one place.

From 6 Months

From 6 to 8 months, your pup can now be able to pick up more complex commands. Commands such as lie down, paw and other tricks that you want them to learn can be easily achieved at this phase. It is also the best time to start socializing with other dogs. From this point on, your dog probably knows the basic rules and acquired the necessary good habits in order to live with their human pack.

10 PUPPY TRAINING TIPS

A well-trained pooch means multiple pairs of un-chewed shoes, fewer accidents to clean, and not to mention that a well-behaved dog reflects you as well. However, puppy training is never easy. So here are 10 must have puppy training tips for successful training! Ready. Set. Train!

Be Patient

TIP 1

Of course, patience is the number 1 tip. Keep in mind that your pup is just a baby and you are training him since he does not know any better. In the beginning, there will surely be accidents, so you need to be patient with him if you wish to achieve success.

Be Consistent

TIP 2

In order to keep your puppy from being confused, you should always train with consistency. If you tell him one thing this day and teach him the exact opposite the next day, then you can’t expect him to properly learn.

Be Confident

TIP 3

Dogs need to know who is the “Alpha” or who is in charge from the very beginning. Confidently commanding him or holding onto his leash will let your dog know that he is not the one running the show, but you are.

Use Treats

TIP 4

Treats are by far the best training trick.If you wish to train your dog effectively then you need to find his “bribe”. Find a treat that will make your pup do backflips so that when you need to teach him more complicated commands, your pup will be more inclined to listen.

Hold The Leash Properly

TIP 5

In holding his leash, you need to make sure that you do not hold it too tightly. You should allow enough slack so that your pup does not feel discomfort.

The Replacement Theory

TIP 6

Replacement Theory is a method to keep your pup from chewing or biting on inappropriate things. Remember that he is just a baby and does not fully understand things, So, whenever you catch him nibbling with your shoe, take it away, firmly say no and replace it with something that he is allowed to chew on.

Stop The Biting In The Very Beginning

TIP 7

Most puppy owners tend to allow their puppy to nibble or chew on their feet and hands just because it is so darn cute and does not even hurt. However, when your puppy become a full-grown dog with a perfectly sharp set of teeth, he will love to bite you like old time sake and this time it will definitely hurt. It will be too late for you to train him out of it so you need to discourage biting and chewing from the very beginning.

Utilize Confinement

TIP 8

Confinement is a good method when it comes to training your new puppy. Whenever your pup is alone or you are not there to keep an eye on him, you can keep him to a specific playroom just for him or on his crate. Most puppies will quickly learn to restrain their bladder since they do not want to make a mess on their personal space.

End Training Sessions On A Positive Note

TIP 9

“Good boy!” - “Excellent job!” - “You did well today!” Always praise your dog every after successful training. He has worked hard to please you during his training so the least you can do is give him a lot of praise, petting or playtime. This will guarantee that he will show up for his next training session with his tail wagging and ready to learn.

Use Discipline, Not Cruelty

TIP 10

There is nothing that a pup can do wrong and requires cruelty. Keep in mind that they just want to please you and is trying their very best to do that. If you consistently stop your pup in the middle of his wrongdoing and sternly saying “No” or doing the ignoring theory, then the point should be made and your pup will learn bit by bit. Remember: Negative attention is still attention to a pup. So if you ignore him or stop him, then you are showing him that his actions are unacceptable or that he will not get any attention from you if he keeps on doing it.

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Mo believes that all doggies are good doggies (and that includes the ones who get their noses in the trash and the ones who chew up the couch). She is GoodDoggies.Online's resident dog mom and her experiences with her dog Delilah, affectionately known as the obedience school dropout, has encouraged Mo to start an online resource for other dog parents like her who want to try out DIY Dog Training. So whatever your dog’s issue is, we hope you find what you’re looking for here. And don’t forget, all doggies are good doggies!

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