Dog Cages And More: 10 Best Ever Puppy Training Tips

 

There's a reason that we call an irresistibly cute and innocent expression 'puppy dog eyes'... puppies often have humans wrapped around their little paws! If you're bringing a puppy home, it is essential that you're prepared for the whirlwind of cuteness that is about to rip through your lives, and have all the necessary tools at your disposal to make the process of teaching your tiny terror to live happily in a human home rather than a dirt den as easy as possible. Today we check out all the important tools you'll need from puppy cages (and eventually dog cages), to more intangible items... like love and consistency!

1. Don't allow your puppy to develop bad habits
The cornerstone of all puppy training is to not allow your pup to develop bad habits in the first place. This is where tools like puppy cages and puppy crates become an essential training tool if you aren't home for a time.

2. Make sure your puppy meets people
Socialization problems are some of the most common in the canine world. Make sure your puppy meets all different sorts of people during the initial 3-month socialization period.

3. Introduce your pup to other animals
Doing this while he's too young to cause them any damage is ideal!

4. Keep your puppy with you
Whenever it is at all possible, bring your puppy with you where you're going. Yes, you'll look like Paris Hilton (a little!), but it is usually acceptable to bring a puppy to the shopping centre in a bag.

5. Don't reward fearful behavior
Many new puppy owners reward fearful behavior - if your dog shows that he is afraid of his dog cage or dog crate for example, we soothe, cuddle and babytalk to them in an attempt to get them closer. This actually reinforces their idea that the cage is something to be afraid of.

6. Make his entire puppy pen into a toilet
Puppies have little to no bladder or bowel control... but the more that they have accidents on your flooring, the more it will reinforce the idea that those places are where they're supposed to go. So if you aren't home, put your pup in a puppy playpen with the entire floor covered in newspaper, in outside on the grass if it's warm enough. And if you are home...

7. Take your pup to the toilet every 30-45 minutes
If he goes to the toilet in the appropriate area, give him a lot of praise!

8. Make sure he isn't whining/barking for a reason
If your pup is whining, the first thing you should do is make sure he doesn't have a good reason!

9. Reprimand for whining/barking if there's no reason
Don't hesitate, or your puppy is likely to start using his whine as vocal blackmail.

10. Never use the dog cage as a punishment
As with 'time out' for human kids, it is tempting to put your puppy in his dog cage as a punishment when it is needed. Resist the temptation, or you may find you have a puppy that won't go willingly to his dog cage when asked.