TRAINING YOUR PUPPY
Puppies are extremely impressionable. How you train your puppy will have dramatic and long lasting effects. The first 14 weeks of your puppy's life will impact him for the rest of his life. You can make him a better pet and prevent behavior problems by following these guidelines:
Housebreaking:
Establish a routine. Keep your puppy's meals regularly scheduled to encourage more predictable elimination patterns. Take him out every two hours during the day and as needed at night. Select one toilet area. Take him to the toilet area five minutes after feeding, awakening, riding in a car, greeting new people, or chewing on toys. Also take him out when you see him circling or sniffing around. Immediately reward him with a food treat and verbal praise when he relieves himself in the appropriate place. Use a verbal command such as "go potty" when you take him to the elimination area. Do not play with your puppy until he does his business.Socialization:
Dogs relate to people as pack members. It's up to your family to become "pack leaders" by performing simple exercises and stopping aggressive play. Failure to do so may cause other problems. Introduce your puppy to a variety of positive experiences. Visit three new places each week (AFTER THE INITIAL VACCINATION SERIES IS COMPLETED) and introduce him to five new people at each place. Take him in regular car rides. Visit local pet stores and your veterinarian's office. Enroll your puppy in puppy kindergarten classes and basic obedience classes.Brush your puppy daily. At the same time, handle his feet and ears and open his mouth for inspection. Massage him all over. If the puppy fusses, say "no" firmly. When he is quiet, talk to him in a soft, pleasant voice. Expose him to various types of people, places, and experiences. Take care that he has a good experience. Gradually acquaint him to very loud noises, like that of a vacuum cleaner. Practice removing bones and toys from his mouth. Practice taking his food bowl away during feeding.
Prevent Bad Habits:
Provide appropriate objects for chewing (i.e. NYLA-BONE and KONG products) and praise him for chewing on these objects. It is best to rotate toys to prevent boredom. Gently punish inappropriate chewing (clap hands, shout) while directing him to appropriate objects. Put your puppy in a crate when you are unable to supervise.Don't allow aggressive behavior: Mouthing hands, tug-of-war, jumping up, growling, guarding food, and nipping. Competition between dog and owner should never be developed, even when it is playful. To handle aggressive play, stand perfectly still and cross your arms indicating that you are not interested in playing "rough." If the puppy persists, simply walk away. When he gives up, go and get an appropriate toy and praise him for playing with it.
Don't allow jumping up. Never pet or talk sweetly to a dog that has only two feet on the ground. Turn away and ignore him! Kneeing, hitting him under the chin, or squeezing his paws may actually lead to increased jumping. If your pet continues to jump on you, carefully push the dog off of you and indicate a command such as "off". Make definite decisions about manners. Will your puppy be allowed on the furniture? Are any rooms "off-limits"? When you tell your puppy "no", you must be prepared to enforce your decision immediately.
Nothing is Free:
The "nothing is free" technique helps you establish leadership. The concept is to teach your puppy "nothing in life is free". Your dog must obey a command before he gets anything that he likes. No food rewards are used. The reward is what he wants in the particular situation, be it love, praise, pats, going out, etc. Don't allow your dog to be demanding in obnoxious ways. The only way he should get what he wants is by behaving.Additional Training:
- Additional training can begin as young as 8 weeks of age. Your dog should learn to:
- Sit and stay on command
- Come when called
- Walk on a leash
- We can recommend good obedience classes.
- The Ultimate Puppy Toolkit by Premier Pet Products
- Katz on Dogs- A Commonsense Guide to Training and Living with Dogs by Jon Katz
