Puppy Training Secrets

Archive for the ‘Puppy Training Tips’ Category

Effective puppy training techniques will help you have your new puppy obeying commands and behaving the way you want him to in a very short time.  There are a few secrets involved that most people do not realize.  Getting your new puppy to do what you want doesn’t only involved teaching him to to sit or down, you must also understand how to get your puppy to listen to you.  So how do you make your puppy want to listen to you?

Much of the success of training a puppy has to do with your attitude during the sessions.  Puppies do not have a long attention span, so keep your daily sessions short.  Be consistent in the words and hand signals you use and include multiple repetitions of a command to help your puppy learn better.  Also, do NOT lose patience with your puppy.  The minute you begin to bring emotional energy into your training exercise, you are shooting yourself  in the foot.

The easiest, most fun way to train is always from a positive perspective.  Use treats, a loose leash and a happy voice to motivate and keep your puppy’s attention.  If you begin to bring non-positive elements into the training, the message to your puppy is training is not only not fun, but dangerous.  Yelling and screaming or being hard on your dog will only serve to undermine any type of training you are trying to do with your puppy and will nurture a fear based relationship with your dog.

If you make training fun, keep the sessions short so you don’t overwhelm your puppy, the puppy will look forward to the learning process.  Not only does training give your puppy a “job” to do, it stimulates him mentally.  It also uses up energy and as we all know, a tired puppy is a well behaved puppy!  Training also helps your puppy understand how he is to behave.  Without training your puppy has no idea of how to live in a human household.  It would be the equivalent of you going to a new job, you walk in on your first day, no one tells you where your desk is, no one tells you what you are supposed to do all day, no one tells you where the restroom is, no one tells you what your responsibilities are, BUT they keep getting impatient and angry with you all day because you’re not living up to their expectations!

You can’t win—-and neither can your puppy.  Set your puppy up to always be successful and you will have a peaceful, rewarding, enduring relationship with your puppy for a lifetime. 

Be as comfortable with the trainer of your dog, as you are the teacher of your children.  And remember, “Opportunity Barks!”

Jim Burwell

Many people wonder what age is appropriate to begin training a puppy.  Doing training while your puppy is still young will certainly make things easier, but you can train a puppy at pretty much any age.

The best time to begin training a puppy is the day you bring the puppy home which generally is around 8 weeks of age.  Try not to get a puppy from a  litter younger than 8 weeks because  while a puppy is still in it’s litter they learn a lot about not biting from their litter mates which is helpful to you when you bring home the new puppy.

Here are a few tips to make the process of training as easy as possible:
Train consistently.  Whatever behavior you are trying to teach your puppy, practice every single day for about 3 minutes and do it the same way every single time.  It doesn’t really take much time in your day.  Two or three times a day for about 3 minutes each time is plenty.  Puppies have a short attention span and will tire and get bored quickly.

Make sure what you are teaching is age appropriate for the puppy.  Do not expect a young puppy 8-12 weeks of age to be able to hold a sit or a down for more than a few seconds.  If your expectations exceed the capability of the puppy you are setting you both up for failure and frustration.

Always use the same word for the command each time.  Pick one word and use only that word.  Do not confuse the puppy by saying down when you want him to lay down then turn around and say down when you want him off the couch.  Each behavior has its own word.

Never, ever punish your puppy at all – ever.  If your puppy does not obey a command simply say wrong in a totally non-emotional tone of voice.  Hitting, yelling at, or striking your puppy sets you up for having a confrontational relationship with your puppy who will soon become a grown dog.  Aggression begets aggression – simply do not do this.

Always praise your puppy when he does a behavior properly.  You can alternate giving a food treat to make the training more rewarding for him, but understand how to wean off food treats.  A simple Good Puppy said in a happy high pitched tone is also a great reward.

There is a lot to learn in training a puppy, but if you do it well, with the right information and the right techniques, you can easily have a well trained puppy in just a few weeks.

These are just some of the basics that will help you get started on the right foot with your puppy.  Puppies are very smart and learn quickly, especially when they are taught from an early age.

Be as comfortable with the trainer of your dog as you are the teacher of your children.  And remember, Opportunity Barks!

Jim Burwell