Training Your New Puppy

  Puppy Training:  Getting an Early Start

The earlier that you can begin training your puppy the better.  They are going to have a myriad of things to learn in a short time period and an early start can get them started down the right road.  They will also be learning about their environment and what their limits are in your home. The sooner he knows that You're the Boss, the better! 

Many people tend to have a habit of letting the puppy do whatever it wants because he is so cute and loveable.  They give the puppy a ton of attention and affection.  This is not necessarily bad, but you must use it sparingly to ensure that your puppy still learns self-discipline and control.  This is the perfect time for you to assume the leadership role in your puppy’s life to ensure that he doesn’t develop any bad habits and become an unruly animal that you can’t live with when it’s older.

You can win the trust and respect by asking for simple obedience commands.  A puppy can begin to learn to sit and do various small commands when they are young.  For example, when you take your puppy on a walk, have the puppy sit down while you put the leash on him and before you walk out of the house.  If the puppy doesn’t instantly follow the command, gently put him in position and give him the sit command.  Praise the puppy for sitting and then go on your walk.  Soon the puppy will learn the pre-walk routine that you have taught him.

Speaking of going on walks, you are also going to need to train your puppy to accept a collar and leash readily.  Young puppies are often very confused and even erratic when you first put a collar on them.  It is important that you choose a collar the fits your puppy securely.  Only use choke collars for training and not as an everyday collar.  When you put the collar on your puppy he will probably jump, squirm and roll.  He may even try to scratch it off.  This is all normal and a part of puppy training.

For excellent FREE advice on Puppy Training and other subjects, read Daniel Stevens' 6 Day Mini Course. This Course is  Normally Worth $29, BUT You'll Receive it for FREE! This 6-Day Course will Teach YOU Secrets to Correcting Dog Behavior Problems Using REAL-LIFE scenarios, such as...

• How to prevent your dog from destructive attention seeking behaviors,
• How to get your dog to respond to 'off-leash' commands,
• What to do to overcome separation anxiety,
• Selecting the right puppy for you,
• Stopping aggression towards strangers and other dogs,
• Overcoming general disobedience and much, much more...

Next, the puppy will need to accept the leash.  When you put the leash on let the puppy drag it around while he gets used to it.  Be sure to watch and ensure that he doesn’t get hung up on anything.  Leave it on for short periods of time at first and then begin adding pressure by holding onto the leash.  The puppy may have another hysterical fit, but he will soon learn to give to the pressure.  When he is comfortable with you holding onto the leash you can begin walking around your house or backyard.  You will want to practice at home a lot until the puppy is comfortable.  You can then begin introducing the puppy to new areas with new distractions.

Remember to always keep a puppy’s training periods short.  They don’t have very long attention spans, so their training needs to be minimal and in about 5 minute increments.  Any more than this, your puppy will quickly become bored and won’t be able to concentrate.  Play training is also good for puppies.  Turn each session into a game and your puppy will learn much more quickly.

Probably, The most urgent need will be House Training. While the puppy is not clean in the house, all other training activities will be very difficult, especially if the puppy is scolded or punished each time he has an accident. Don't Do It!  He won't know why he is in trouble and he'll just be confused. Crate Training is one of the most popular methods to help the puppy learn quickly and easily.  

For the best advice on all aspects of Dog Training, whether it's Fighting, Barking, Biting, Chewing, House Training or especially for your puppy, take a look at Daniel Stevens' book SitStayFetch  He's got a ton of Free Bonuses, a one-to-one email consultation and a Money Back Guarantee!