Puppy Dog Training

Puppy Dog Training is the most important part of having a pup. Once you bring home your puppy around the age of 6-9 weeks it is necessary to start training it as soon as possible.
If the pup is going to be a member of the family and live inside your house you will want to start teaching him toilet habits very quickly. This does not mean you will get instant results but it does mean you will be on the right track.

Any training has to be done in a firm but gentle manner, you do not want to make the puppy nervous. It is important that you have fun with the pup whilst still teaching him how to behave. Taking him out straight after meals and to the same place is a good idea. Have a command of your choice and use it constantly. The most important part is to reward the puppy when he does the right thing. This can be a pat, or a small treat. You will find the first few times he has no idea what you want, but nature will take over and once he relieves himself and he gets a reward he will get the idea.

Be patient with a puppy and he will start showing how he wants to please. It is more important to reward rather than punish him for mistakes.
Once your puppy has had all the vaccinations required I would start taking him to puppy classes. The reason for this is not that you cannot teach him at home, but he needs to socialise with other dogs and learn to get on with them. This is important , otherwise he will either be aggressive or timid. You do not want your puppy to be in either of these groups.

When the puppy first arrives from the kennels he will be used to being in a group with the rest of his family and for the first few days he will probably cry at night. Make sure he is warm and sometimes an alarm clock ticking by his bed will comfort him.

It is too easy to start a pattern that you find does not really suit when he is an adult dog. For example at night if you bring him into your room remember he will expect that every night. It is easier to put up with him learning to sleep on his own for a few nights than to break another pattern when he is older.

If he is going to left on his own for periods it is good to start leaving him for very short periods, that way he knows you will always come back and he will cope.

Never leave a puppy unattended in your house in a room where he can do damage, you will come home to a mess and then become angry with the pup. It is not his fault.

One option you might find helpful is giving him a crate to sleep in when you are out. Once he knows it is his own special area and he has water and toys in it he will happily sleep in it whilst you are out.

Puppies quickly grow so it is important that they know you are the boss and they respect you and want to do as you say. This can only be achieved if you are patient, firm and consistent.