Did you just got a new puppy? Congratulations!!
Are you thinking about getting a puppy and want to be prepared? Welcome!!
You got a new furry, four-legged addition to your family! There is nothing better than an adorable puppy for a trusted lifetime companion. You are well on your way to an amazing journey together with your new best friend!
We're sure you're more than ready for all the cuddles and fun times to come with your puppy. But maybe you're a little terrified of the training everyone's been telling you about. Or maybe you want to be prepared for this next chapter of your life with your new furriend! We've put together a few pointers below that are sure to help you with this process!
Here's what we came up with - a list of the most important things to remember when training your pup:
1) Be PATIENT
You've heard this one too many times. And it's because it's the most important piece of advice when it comes to training your puppy! A new puppy can - and will be - quite the handful, but PATIENCE is the name of this game and you are going to win it.
It's important to remember that puppies have a lot of energy and will want to play during training. Your pup will jump around, bite, gnaw at your hands and feet, and be a completely restless baby. You need to keep your calm and get over the annoying yet adorable (annoyingly adorable?) things your puppy will do. Training is no simple feat and your pup will not make it easy for you.
Also don't forget, puppies are extremely smart and can push your buttons, but they can also be very responsive. When you sense that one approach is not effective, switch it up for a higher excitement factor. For example, when your puppy doesn't want to obey commands, try something more interactive and exhausting - like making him chase you for the treat. This will show him it's not only about the learning, but that there's also fun in obeying your commands!
Be patient during the training phase, as it's extremely important. And trust us - it pays off!
2) Be CONSISTENT
Remember that learning takes repetition and consistency in training! The more you and your puppy train together, the more likely you are to get results. We recommend training your puppy with the basic commands - sit, down, stay, wait, place, and go - every day. You can also add or replace these commands with your own, but they are all the basic ones every dog should know. To see our short video with these simple commands, CLICK HERE.
Your training process itself should also be consistent. At the beginning, use consistent commands and rewards so your puppy learns exactly what you want him to know! You can use verbal commands, hand commands, or both. When you reward your puppy with treats, you're reinforcing a certain behaviour. Using consistency, you should expect similar results every time you give a command.
As your puppy gets better at following your voice and hands, you can wait longer before you reward. You can also reward only sometimes; this way, your pup won't always know when he will get the treat. It's good practice to switch things up once your puppy learns consistency first!
3) Be CONFIDENT
There's only room for one alpha dog and it's you. You ARE the giver of food and treats. And with the right approach, your puppy will learn to trust and respect you.
It's good to get yourself in a calm and confident mindset before training sessions. It's also important to remember that you can be both firm and caring at the same time. Your puppy can smell anxiety and will try to break you (in a cute way), but you need to be strong!! When you're not getting the response you want, stay confident that your puppy will get it sooner or later. If you're using treats like most people, your puppy WILL learn what you want him to do. You just need to have faith and be confident in your training! :)
4) Reward & Positive Reinforcement
Reward your puppy when they are doing what you want to reinforce positive behaviour. "Positive reinforcement" is a fancy term for "rewarding the puppy when he's doing something good". Rewarding is straight-forward - puppy does the right command, he gets the treat. This helps them learn what behaviour is acceptable and "good".
By contrast, when the puppy does not follow the command, remove or don't present the treat at all. They will learn that if they don't do what you want, they don't get the treat. This will help them learn faster and more effectively than any form of punishment.
5) Socialize Your Puppy
This last item on our list is a critical component of puppy training. It is so important that it should probably be at the top of the list. We can't stress this enough: take your puppy out to meet other puppies and adult dogs!! Yes, training with you is fun and will teach them manners, but there is nothing like being around other dogs that will teach them social skills. Meeting other dogs will help your puppy experience being around his own species! It will help him cope in different situations and around different temperaments. Your puppy will learn how to behave around other dogs, what to do and what not to do in certain situations.
Not only that, but he will make FRIENDS with other dogs - this is crucial in healthy neurological development. Puppies need to play, and who better to play with than another puppy/dog? Don't worry - you're still his favourite human - but dogs need to hang out with other dogs sometimes too.
Awww. You've reached the end of this blog post!! :( But don't worry - we post on a regular basis. Stay tuned for more helpful dog posts coming soon!
We hope you like our list of the top 5 tips For Training Your Puppy and find them helpful!! If you have any questions, please feel free to call us/Facebook us/Instagram your stories/tag us/Tweet to us!
We learn from masters in the dog training business. Here are some local Doggie Training masters who are really good at what they do: