Puppy Training Tips
You are going to love your new fur baby, but they are also going to frustrate you to no end. Take a look at 20 short and sweet training tips that can help you raise a good pup without losing your mind.
- Your Puppy Is A Baby
Treat your puppy like a baby and then a toddler. They know nothing of wrong or right and it is your responsibility to teach them. When they do bad, it is imply because they do not know. - Enroll In Training
If you have never trained a puppy before, you might find obedience training to be a good idea. This is especially useful with larger breeds that might eventually be hard to control. - Give Your Puppy Exercise
Your puppy has a lot of energy, let them get it out. As soon as they get leash trained, walking is a great way to get this energy out while reinforcing training lessons. A tired puppy is a well behaved puppy. - Baby Gates Are Your Friend
There is no reason for your puppy to be given free reign of your home immediately. It is just too much and would be overwhelming. Use puppy gates to section off a small area of your home and then gradually increase it. - Show Them What Is Right
If they do something wrong, show them how to do it right. If they chew on shoes, give them a chew toy. If they potty on the floor, take them outside. Then, when they do the right thing, praise them. - Correct Even When Cute
As a puppy, it might be cute when that little German Shepherd jumps on your guests. Not so much when they are 70 pounds. Correct bad behavior, even if it is cute at the time. - Use Positive Reinforcement
Praise goes further than scolding. Praise your puppy when they do good and always have small treats on hand. - Avoid Retractable Leashes
During initial training, you should avoid retractable leashes. They can snap, spooking your pet and they provide too much freedom. Stick with a standard 6 foot leash in the beginning. - Choose A Good Harness
A harness is generally superior to a simple collar when walking. It gives you better control and, if your dog is a puller, you can attach their leash to the front ring. If they pull, the force makes them turn. - Socialize Your Puppy
As soon as your puppy has had their final vaccinations, you should begin socializing them. You want them to be accepting of other dogs and other peoples. Without socialization, your puppy will revert to their natural instincts to protect. - Join A Meet Up Group
One of the fun things about getting a full bred pup is finding a meet up group for your breed. Nearly every dog breed from Chihuahuas to the Weimaraner will have a meet up group. - Get A Bell
Put a bell on your door so that your puppy can let you know when they need to go. In the beginning, ring the bell yourself every time you take your puppy out and show them how to do it. They will catch on. - Train In Short Intervals
Puppies have short attention spans and it is best not to overwhelm them. Teach them in short 5 minute intervals at first and work up from there. - Leave A Door Open
An even better idea is to leave a door open so that your puppy can go in and out when needed. This only makes sense if you have a secure yard of course. If you are worried about bugs, get a walk through screen door. - Potty Train On A Leash
Your puppy needs to learn how to go potty on a leash and off of one. Even if you own a home with a yard, there will be times when they have to do so. Teach them early. - Have A Safe Place
Your puppy will need sleep and lots of it. Make sure that they have a warm, quiet, safe place to go. - Mess With Their Ears, Paws & Mouth
Get them used to you touching their ears, paws and mouth early. That will make it much easier on you later in life when you need to clean ears, teeth and cut toe nails. - Drive Them Around
If you want them to be car dogs, train them early. Take your puppy for a drive and teach it to stay seated and not jump around. - Be The Boss
Make sure that your dog know who is the boss right away. This is especially important with giant breeds like Great Dane puppies. - Reinforce Training
Don’t think that your puppy is done training at 9 months, 12 months or even 3 years of age. They will regress unless you reinforce the training over the years.