A female Boxer puppy. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
That first day with your new puppy is a joyous one to be
sure. During the following weeks, your joy can be lost in frustration. Some
owners regret getting a puppy every time they have to clean up their messy
house. You can bring back that joy you felt at the beginning by teaching your
new puppy how to behave. The below article will provide some excellent puppy
training tips so that you can enjoy the time spent with your furry companion.
Exercise the puppy for an hour daily, along with regular
potty time outside. You need to ensure your puppy is exercising; you will get
more out of training them. A puppy that gets to exercise and have fun will be
much easier to manage.
When you are walking your puppy, a good tip in training him
is to be alert for other puppies. You should not assume every puppy is
friendly; some puppies may be aggressive. If you notice an aggressive or
antisocial puppy, keep your puppy away from it.
Begin training your puppy with what may be easy for him to
learn. It will provide almost instant gratification, and it will show your puppy
what is expected. This way you will have better results throughout the course
of your training experience.
If your puppy jumps when you don't want him to, gently
squeeze his paws. This won't hurt your puppy, but it will give them an
uncomfortable feeling that will help teach them not to do it again. Before
long, you puppy will stop his jumping on people altogether.
Don't waste your money on cruel, ineffective gadgets such as
shock collars. They often don't function as well as advertised and are far more
expensive than conventional training methods. Using shock collars can actually
end up having a negative impact on your training. Trying things akin to this
will only cause harm to your relationship with your puppy.
Regulate your puppy's feeding time if you want to regulate
his "potty" times too. Feed your puppy three times regularly each
day. That way, you'll know when you need to take your puppy out to
"go".
Keep goals realistic and stay patient. When puppies have
learned certain behaviors over the years, or from a previous owner, it can take
quite a while to alter said behavior. A puppy that is trained early in life
will be more receptive to training and development.
It is essential to have the correct timing for your training
sessions. Start out with a small training session and up the time every day.
Note how far into the training session your puppy loses his attention span.
That's the time to quit.
If puppy agility classes are the ultimate goal of your
training, then you should choose a breed that is suited for it. It's true that
most breeds are capable of competing in this area, but some breeds are more
gifted than others. These include border collies, labs, and Australian
shepherds and sheep puppies.
Is your puppy getting proper nutrition? Like kids, a puppy's
mood can be severely affected by their diet. Your puppy's diet should be
adapted to its species and its age so your puppy is full of energy. Check with
your vet about any specific nutritional needs he might need attending to!
Remember that you are in charge when you are walking your puppy.
Remember that you are the master, not him. Short leashes and good training
collars make good starting points to obedience training where you can learn to
keep the puppy near under control. Understand that you are the one in charge,
not your puppy.
Vary your tone of voice when going through training
sessions. Praise, commands and corrections ought to have different tones
associated with them so that the puppy can understand what it is you want.
Commands call for firmness; corrections need a louder volume and praise should
be in your natural tone.
Consistency makes it easier to teach your puppy how to
control himself. Be sure to take your puppy out for scheduled, hourly potty
breaks when you're home. Make sure that you give praise if your puppy goes to
the bathroom outdoors. If you puppy has an accident inside your house, do not
scold him. He doesn't know better yet and punishment would serve no purpose.
Give your puppy time outside a quarter of an hour after he drinks or eats
anything, in addition to the first moment he comes out from his crate.
Leashes can be a new concept for puppies, so have them begin
preparing for it by wearing a collar during playtime. Your puppy should feel
comfortable in it for walks but also for identification.
You can use treats, love, and positive reinforcement to
train your puppy. The advice above will help ensure you come out with a great puppy
in the end. It takes time, but consistency and patience will see you through to
a positive end.