Getting a new puppy is an exciting time in one’s life! Adding to your family and gaining a friend for life is a great gift! However, with all the excitement it can be easy to forget to train your adorable new family member. Here are 10 important tips to training your puppies!
Puppy Paradise
All of us dream of parenting the perfect dog, a pup that is a canine good citizen, well behaved and dependable at all times. Well, dreams do come true if the training is done with care and dedication. Remember, pups learn from day one and need to be taught what is right verses what is wrong in addition to proper socialization.
Furthermore, puppies are like children, they need constant supervision and training. Training a puppy does not need to be a headache. All you need to keep in mind are these 10 important tips to training your puppies:
1. Schedule
Until your pup is fully trained, you need to keep an eye on him or her at all times. When you cannot, then you must crate them. Moreover, creating a schedule for the puppy will help the puppy settle down quickly. The schedule must include things like hourly bath rooming visits, eating times, rest periods, walks, play time, training, and so on. A puppy with a busy day has no time to be bored and get into mischief!
2. Build Respect
Second, teach the pup to respect you. Dogs live in packs and instinctively follow a leader. If you establish your leadership quickly, then training will become easy. This is because the puppy will obey you at all times and not challenge your authority.
3. Positive Training Methods
Use only positive training methods. Never shout at, hit, or punish a dog. It is not just cruel, but can also lead to behavioural problems in the future. Use of electric shocks, prong collars, sprays, and so on could hurt the animal. Instead direct them away from the bad habit. Stick to positive methods such as treats & cuddles!
4. Reward System
Next, teach the puppy that nothing in life is free. This is a system that is widely acknowledged as a useful training tool. If you practice this, the pup will learn that to get something like love, a walk, or a treat, he must behave well. This will result in a well behaving puppy, looking for rewards!
5. The Word “No”
Teach the meaning of the word ‘NO’ from day one. Do not encourage behaviours like jumping, mouthing, tug-o-war, barking, or running out of open gates and doors. Praise good behaviour and ignore or walk away when there is bad behaviour. Eventually, the puppy will learn that if he misbehaves he will lose his companion/playmate.
6. Correcting Behaviour
To correct a behaviour, you must catch the pup in the act and startle him by rattling a can of pebbles. Once you have done this, make him correct his behaviour and immediately offer him a treat and praise. Puppies do not recall what happened earlier, so scolding him after an event is of no use.
7. Calling the Puppy
Always call/use his name positively. Never say “Bad TOM” or “No TOM” this will cause confusion and the pup will think that if you call his name then it is something bad. The puppy must associate his name with happy events like hugs, pets, walks, and treats. When this happens, he will come willingly when you call out his or her name.
8. Short & Sweet Training
Create a training schedule that is short and sweet such as 10 minutes thrice a day. Long repetitive lessons can be boring, and the pup will lose interest in learning. Make learning fun for your puppy, and use trick training to teach commands like sit, down, come and roll over.
9. Create a Bond
Bond with the puppy and both of you will enjoy your lessons. The pup must look forward to spending time with you and not avoid you by running away or hiding. Be sure to socialize your puppy early. Socialization is one of the most important lessons. The puppy must learn to be around other animals, people, sounds, vehicles, and other activities. So, slowly introduce the pup when he is little to everyday activities and sounds. Take him to the mall or park, introduce him to children and other pets, and make him unafraid of loud noises.
10. Continuous Learning
Lastly, learn all about crate training, leash walking, house breaking, and food training. These are kindergarten lessons that every puppy must master. Knowing about all the idiosyncrasies as well as peculiarities of the breed this will give you valuable insights on how to successfully train the pup.
10 Important Tips to Training Your Puppies: Final Thoughts
As a pet-parent you have many choices. You could choose to train the dog yourself or register at a professional training school. Training a dog has many stages: kindergarten, obedience training, doggy sports, showing and conformation. There are also other programs for therapy dogs, hearing dogs, and so on. What level you choose to train your puppy depends on you, as well as the learning abilities of your dog. As you know, different dogs, like humans, have varied talents. Choose well and both you and your pup will have many fun times together!
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