Dog owners know that the best time to train a dog is when it is still a puppy. The younger you start, the easier it will be to establish good behaviors in and outside the house.
A puppy, in all its innocence, is also very open to learning new things despite the challenges that come with such an immature stage of development.
Because the window of opportunity for learning closes when the puppy is sixteen weeks old, it is imperative that you get as much training in as possible before this time.
Here are 10 great tips that you can try to make your puppy training routine better!
1. Join a puppy training class.
The time to join a puppy training class is some time after your puppy receives its first round of vaccinations. When choosing a class, make sure you select one that is grounded on the practice of positive reinforcement.
Here, the dog trainer does not yell, push, yank or pull your puppy during class time. When in class, make sure to bring treats that your dog absolutely loves to further improve its chances of learning new skills quicker.
The first sixteen weeks of a puppy’s life is such that it is as absorbent as a sponge when it comes to learning new things. It will simply soak up new experiences during this time, so make it a habit to frequently introduce it to both friends and strangers.
Expose it to passing cars, loud sounds, and other environmental stimuli. Have your friends offer treats to your puppy so it gradually learns that it is fun to be with other people.
3. Implement a schedule for play and potty time.
This is one secret that many dog owners swear by. Creating a schedule will give the necessary reminders for your puppy when it comes to relieving itself.
It also makes things a whole lot easier for you because you can set your phone to an alarm for all the times your puppy will have to potty. If you have a two- or three-month old puppy, know that it can only hold its pee for a couple of hours.
Ensure that the schedule is in a place where everyone can see it so all of you are aware of when the next toilet break has to be and who needs to attend to it.
4. Join in on supervised play time.
This tip requires the assistance of a professional dog trainer in the form of monitoring all types of puppy play within a given schedule. This supervised form of training is an ideal way for your puppy to learn about dog etiquette.
In this set up, there should be no more than 10 puppies that are all under five months of age. This is an ideal set up that translates into a positive experience for all.
Keep away from dog parks because there will be no professional trainer around to monitor them all. In fact, your puppy might even be susceptible to learning aggression in this environment, should older dogs end up bullying it at its young age.
5. Employ Crate Training.
Your puppy should have its own crate, which acts as its sanctuary. Here, he can relax and feel safe – making it a haven to escape to when necessary.
Make the create comfortable, feed your puppy its meals in it, and make it enticing with stuffed toys that he can play with. When you command it to go to its crate, these creature comforts will be waiting for it and your puppy will readily comply.
6. Exercise patience when mistakes happen.
The puppy learning process is never perfect. It will always come with various mistakes, which is normal! On your part, it is important to stay true to your potty training schedule.
It will also help to have an effective enzyme cleaner on hand when potty mistakes occur. When mistakes happen, the important thing is to focus on the root of the problem and do something to ensure it does not reoccur.
7. Introduce your puppy to the Trade game.
If your puppy has something in its mouth, don’t chase it. Rather, offer a cheese chunk and say “Trade”. Teach your puppy to drop the item and then pick it up. Once it’s in your hands, give it the cheese. Over time, your puppy will learn to drop items upon hearing you say “trade”.
8. Limit training sessions to 1-2 minutes.
Training should be done once or even twice daily, in sessions that are between 1-2 minutes long to accommodate your puppy’s short attention span. If your puppy happens to perform well, you can cut the training session short.
Rely on a timer or by bringing out five treats that you will use to practice until you have given out each one.
9. Introduce the idea of body handling as a fun one.
Teach your puppy to enjoy being handled. You can give clicks or treats when you touch its different body parts, or even when you pick him up and hug him.
This is very important when you have visits to the vet, which necessitates good behavior. If he’s getting a puppy shot, it is good to give your puppy five treats consecutively.
10. Employ preventive measures when it comes to puppy biting.
It’s an absolute no-no for your puppy to clamp its teeth on people’s skin, so let out a soft yelp when its teeth touches your skin. This signals to the puppy that you are hurt.
When it lets go of your skin, offer it a reward. Your puppy will learn not to do it again. If your puppy is an excitable one, try to dangle a toy close to your body so his attention can be redirected from biting you to the toy.
Summary
Puppy training is all about taking advantage of the short window of time for learning. This is when you introduce and reward good behavior so that bad behavior does not have a chance of developing.
With patience and consistency, your efforts will pay off when you puppy grow up into a well-trained adult dog.
Do you want to have a calm, obedient puppy that is ready for training? CLICK HERE to watch this FREE Step-by-Step Video from Doggy Dan’s Puppy Program!
Leave a Reply