A puppy is exceptionally cute and fun loving; it is very difficult not to simply smother it with love and carry it around like a hand bag. However, it will grow bigger and will then need to be able to behave properly in a variety of different situations. If it cannot you are likely to re-home it or even have it put down. Yet, it is comparatively easy to apply a good puppy training regime and ensure a happy home as well as a responsive dog.
You can choose to utilize the services of a Durham puppy training school or individual trainer. However, you may also wish to supplement this with training at home; the sooner you start training the better behaved your puppy and grown up dog will be.
First Steps
A puppy should be guided into a daily routine. This means ensuring their food and water bowls are always in the same place and they know where there are. Your puppy should also be fed at the same time everyday; this is important to stop them from pestering for food; they will quickly learn when it is mealtime and remind you, if necessary.
Ideally, you should establish a routine around bedtime; this way your puppy will know when they are supposed to go to bed; using the same routine each time will ensure they settle down properly; regardless of the actual time.
You also need to repeatedly show them their toilet area. This part of puppy training usually requires the most patience but is well worth it.
Talking to your Puppy
You will probably talk to your puppy from the minute you get it, however it is important that some of the words it learns are basic commands, such as ‘No’ and ‘Good’. It is never too early to start puppy training with these words; in fact this is an essential step to ensuring a well behaved dog in the future. Understanding these words is also essential to your puppy being able to cope with other training methods.
Rewards
Many people use treats to encourage their puppy to behave. They can also be used to re-enforce the training commands. However, there is evidence that rewarding your dog with a treat is not the best way of puppy training. This is simply because if your puppy decides it is not hungry enough to want a treat it will continue chasing and investigating other animals; whilst ignoring your command. They will also realize that they can choose to ignore you and will do so when they want to in the future.
Respect
It is essential that your puppy knows you are in charge right from the start, dogs are generally very intelligent and will happily listen for your next command. Providing you ascertain that you are in charge from the very beginning they will see you as the alpha and respond accordingly. This level of respect and loyalty is essential to ensuring your puppy behaves properly. It is worth noting that these puppy training tips can be applied to older dogs, however if they have already started to adopt bad habits it is much more difficult to train them properly.
