Training a Puppy- 10 tips

Here are simple tips and tricks to puppy training and avoiding some pet mess in your home. The most important thing you need to know about behaviour training for your pet is that you should be patient and make an extra effort in every step you take.   It is so easy to forget the work that is required to house train a puppy. When you first set eyes on a puppy the first thing on your

Going through the puppy stage

mind is how adorable and we tend to see things through rose coloured glasses.  The extra work in the beginning, especially with housebreaking puppy will have huge pay offs in the long run. When training your dog consistency is Key! As with anything  to create a habit takes time and practice.

1. The first thing you should do is to create a teacher-learner relationship in the early puppy stage. Let your pets know that you are the teacher and they are the follower, and you should respond to your pet’s response by way of petting as a reward. Usually, puppy training starts with the sit and stand command. You can put your hand above their nose while giving the command (your dog’s name), sit. Then move your hand to the back of their ears as you command. So that they will look up, lower their back end and sit. Repeat saying “good sit” until he/she follows.

2.  Don’t forget to praise your pup. Pet them after they accomplish the command by rubbing their throat and chest while saying “OK” this will let them know that they’ve done a good job. If you don’t succeed right away, repeat it until they obey. Repeating this procedure over and over in the beginning will soon become a natural reaction to your command. Always make sure that everyone that will spend time with your pet will carry out the same procedure. Petting your dog is the best praise you can give. Always observe your pet and praise after every successful command.

3.  Schedule meal times for your puppy. They will get used to this very quickly and it will help you and them to develop their bathroom habits so that you will know when they need to go outside. This will also prevent overloading their body systems; you should feed them 3 times a day a day up to the age of 6 months then reduce it to twice daily. This will let their systems adjust and at the same time let them follow their usual bathroom rituals which will usually follow not long after they eat.

4. When you are away for home. If you are out all day and worry about not being able to give them their regular 3 meal times, you can leave the food down but this method does have its draw-backs. You won’t be able to monitor exactly how much they are eating. Plus it is much more difficult to house train them as the regular scheduling is not there.

5. Puppy’s bathroom area.You will probably want them to use one area of your garden as a bathroom and not be doing their business everywhere, so after they do eat, follow them to the area where they relieve themselves and let them sniff for a right spot but don’t force them. If they find the right spot, crouch down and direct your finger to the fecal matter or urine where you want them to do their business. Don’t look at them, look straight at the stuff and if they sniff it then that’s the time you say “good dog” and don’t forget to execute the pet and praise rule.

6. Teach your dog what you expect from them. Before you decide to let your dog sleep on your bed or even in the bedroom where you sleep, consider the consequences 6 months or so down the road when they may not be this little cute and cuddly bundle any longer. Also keep in mind that they will go through their teething stage and can also cause some damage during that time.  Many dog owners have complained about their puppy peeing on their bed. It may be a better idea to get them their own dog bed while they are still young and in the learning stage. If you really want to spoil them there’s certainly no shortage of accessories that you can get them in order to make their life even more comfortable.

So-where are you sleeping?

7. There will be times that you have to go out and can’t take your pup with you. Make sure that when you leave your house that you put your puppy in an enclosed safe area of your home where they are comfortable and cannot cause damage. If you put them in the same place each time you leave them they will soon get used to it. Make sure there is an area where they can go to the bathroom, if they are ready for it you can get a dog potty like the potty park or put lots of paper down on the floor. Leave everything that he needs in that room, toys, food and water. By the time you return home, don’t expect that this area is still going to look the same. This will be another job for you to get used to in the early stage of puppies; they will play with papers, chew them and drag them all over the place. Expect that there will probably be a mess that you’ll have to clean up. Many find that having a crate or carrier to put them in works well.

8.  Be Patient . Puppies like us humans, do make mistakes so, be patient with your puppy. Never punish your puppy for mistakes or accidents they have made because they will not understand and you will feel guilty later. It will take time for your puppy to learn how to be a well behaved dog and be trained the way that you would like them to be.

9. Expect that most dogs will bark, whine or howl. Try not to let this irritate you because this is so natural for dogs, you shouldn’t expect them to never bark because it’s a way for them to express themselves, but you can control it by letting them know it’s not acceptable. Again you have to be consistent with your training. Any dog that is left alone for long periods of time could become a barker because there’s no one there to correct them. When they are alone they could have a tendency to bark, they may feel lonely, frustrated, and bored. I’m sure we have all experienced when a neighbour has gone out and left their dog outside that barks incessantly. Often the only one that is not aware of the barking is the owner himself who comes home and the dog immediately goes quiet. You will not be popular in your neighbourhood if you let this happen. If you do leave your dog outside anytime when you go out, drive around the block or hang around for a while to check your pet’s reaction to being left.

10. Make sure you spend adequate time with your dog. Spend time playing and exercising him. If you are going to be gone away from home for a while it’s especially important that they get some activity before you confine him in a puppy-proofed room. When you arrive home they will need the attention and activity again so do the same thing when you return.
Spending time with your dog will make him a happy dog and you will gain the dog’s respect and love too.  Having a well trained dog or any pet is important, especially if you want someone else to take care of your pet while you are away.

Remember if you are going to give your puppy a shoe to chew, he will probably not know the difference between the one you gave him and your best Gucci shoes or someone else’s. Do use common sense. There are certain things you should not blame anyone but yourself for.

Take it from me, puppy training can be fun and not that difficult. Love what you do.

By Mei and Shirley