Puppy Training Fundamentals

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     There are some important guidelines you need to consider when teaching your puppy the basics of good behavior. When training a puppy it is the methods or techniques used that will make or break your training regimen with your dog. Follow these five important guidelines and teaching your puppy is easier than ever.

1 - Be Gentle - Your new puppy is going to be very sensitive at first, and as a result will not be able to handle anything that is too stressful, both emotionally and physically. Although learning generally takes place quickly, now is the time your puppy will react badly to stress or being trained too rough. Keep in mind that fears developed during these early stages can affect your pet for the rest of his life. They can inhibit the dog's ability to learn and to socialize - so it is important that you exercise a gentle and caring approach that assures the puppy of your support.

2 - Keep It Short - Puppies are like small children, they have extremely short attention spans, which means any training sessions have to be short if they are going to be effective. Your puppy will learn only when his attention is focused on you; and you will not see the results you want when your puppy is physically or mentally tired. Plan short sessions at a time you're your puppy is not too tired or hungry.

3 - Exercise Patience - Expecting results overnight will only frustrate you and make your training regime too intense to be enjoyable for you or your pet. Relax, and realize that things like this take time, and understand that there are some things that puppies learn more easily than others. You should also expect some training sessions to go better than others. This may mean that one day the puppy suddenly seems to have forgotten what you thought he knew. Exercise patience and refresh his memory.

4 - Simplicity Is Best - Teaching your puppy should be done in a step by step process if you want to achieve the best results. This is the best way for a puppy to learn. Build on the knowledge that he learns overtime. If you plan and work a simple, step by step program your puppy will learn faster and enjoy the process more thoroughly than if you try to use a vigorous training regime.

5 - Build Confidence - Confidence is the core of every healthy adult dog, and building trust begins with confidence in a puppy. Building confidence in your puppy is not difficult to do, to begin, all you have to do is spend some quality time with your puppy - make this a positive experience for both of you. This will help build confidence in your puppy and he will at the same time, come to feel that he can trust and rely on you.

Although puppies need at least some training, you should also insure that there is plenty of play time. Your dog is your best friend and it is important that you treat your friends with love and respect - don't ask for or expect too much.