Advice and Tips on Training a New Puppy

It’s often asked by new dog and puppy owners “when is the best time to start training my puppy”?’ Many people seem surprised when they’re told “right away”.   As soon as a pup is at about 8 weeks or so, it’s time to start training. Now, this doesn’t necessarily mean they have to be trained formally, but in a rather relaxed, positive way.   

Lead training must commence each day at about the same time for a minute or so.  You can do this by tying a light lead appx. 2 meters, on the puppy’s collar and offer plenty of verbal encouragement to have the pup drag the lead around.  Never, ever leave him/her unsupervised with the lead on.   

Use the puppy’s name in a friendly, encouraging way as he’s following you around.  Every now and then, pick the lead up and allow the puppy to feel a slight tension.  This needs to be increased ever so slightly over a week.  After seven days of this type of training a new puppy, he/she should be walking on your left side very happily for about three minutes a day. 

There are two very important things to remember about puppy training:  food and retrieves.  They can be given as rewards to your pup everytime he/she does something correctly, whether it be coming to you, sitting, going to the toilet, etc.  Retrieves are one of the best rewards.  They can be anything from a squeaky toy to an old pair of socks.  If you want to use food, use only small bits and pieces of food that the pup really enjoys.  

When using retrieves as puppy training techniques, let him have the article as a reward after chasing it.  When he picks it up, just run backwards, clap our hands, and offer praise and encouragement.  Say “<puppy’s name>Come!” a few times.  Stay low to the ground so that he doesn’t get intimated. 

When your puppy comes up to you, don’t snatch the retrieve from his mouth; instead you should encourage him gently to you, wait until he’s right in front of you, and then quietly take the article from his mouth.  Continue offering verbal encouragement and praise.  Petting him is also a good idea. If he doesn’t want to let go, all you have to do is offer a piece of food in an exchange for whatever’s in his mouth. 

If all is going well with your puppy training techniques, he/she should have learned the following in seven or so days:  walking on a lead, retrieving, and coming when called. The great thing about this method is that the puppy doesn’t even think he’s being trained.  When he’s 4 months old, 80% of his training should already be completed.  Keep these tips in mind during the training: 

·         Be consistent 

·         Always be positive and treat your doggie with respect 

·         Keep all the sessions short 

·         Always wait until the puppy is successful before finishing a session. 

Puppy toilet training 

Since baby puppies are unable to eliminate their own waste, their moms do so for them.  She licks them to simulate the elimination and cleans up after them.  Around 3 weeks old, a puppy will begin to soil for itself, and mom continues to maintain the cleanliness in the nesting area.  Thus, dogs want to avoid soiling their eating and sleeping areas as instinct.  

You can assist your pup in staying away from its nesting area by guiding it to its toilet area.  They’ll instinctively seek an absorbent area, such as carpet or grass.  As they mature, they’ll continue to move further way from their living area, although you may have to provide some guidance.  When doing puppy housetraining, keep in mind that they do make mistakes sometimes.  

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By Danny Taylor