Behold!
The puppy Training guide is finally out!
Congratulations, He is home
Finally, you are now holding your furry bundle of joy in your arms.
Ma’am, It feels like a dream come true, doesn’t it? I know
But Be careful, Don’t get carried away or this dream will turn into a nightmare.
Your decision to become a dog parent is may be one of the best decisions of your life. But this decision comes with a lot of responsibility.
Caring for a dog requires a lot of patience, kindness, attention, veterinary care, and training; lots and lots of training
It’s a beginning of an era for you, a journey you and your furry buddy are walking together.
It will be difficult sometimes but believe me, it will be rewarding as you watch your puppy learn and grow from a pup to a young adult.
So make sure to start this life the right way with the right training.
What about the Hows, Whens, and Wheres?
you might wonder
Don’t worry we are here to help!!
In this article, we gonna talk everything Puppy Training, a guide for you and your puppy in your new shared life.
This guide is the accumulation of several professional dog trainers expertise at the top of their game
We guarantee you within a month your puppy will be set and ready to call your house, home
So let’s not waste any more time
Shall we?
Table of Contents
Puppy Training Guide
Bringing your puppy home
This guide actually starts the moment you lay hands on your puppy in the shelter if it is a rescue, or at the professional dog breeder’s
Wherever you get your puppy from, you have to prepare for the journey from that place to your home in advance.
Take into consideration that this journey is
the first time your puppy leaves his mother,
so try to make it easy on him.
You’ll need a dog carrier and a warm blanket, plus water for longer journeys. Also, a puppy collar with Adaptil, which imitates dog hormones and reminds your puppy of his mum.
Try to make the journey as calm as possible. It’s advisable not to bring the kids if you have any. Instead, ask them to prepare the perfect welcome at home.
Your puppy may sound distressed but don’t worry, leaving his mother is a big life change for him.
It might be a super exciting thing for you and your family but for your puppy not so much
Your role here is to ensure the transition is as stress-free and happy as it can be
Your Puppy is Home
Try to make him used to your voice by quietly talking to him and please don’t smother him with attention
For the first few nights at your house, your puppy may cry at night,
it’s normal,
It would be very touching and painful to listen to,
I know,
But you have to leave him be until he gets accustomed to his new life.
Make sure you are logistically prepared to bringing your puppy home.
Pick up the following items to make your pup’s Homecoming a smooth one.
- Collar & Leash
- Crates and containment
- Dog Bed
- Food and water bowls
- Food, treats
- Grooming supplies ( Blow dryer – Bristle brush – Comb – Conditioning spray – Cotton balls – Ear cleaning solution – Grooming table or grooming area – Scissors – Nail clippers – Shampoo and conditioner – Styptic powder – Toothbrush and dog toothpaste – Slicker brush – Towels)
- Identification
- Toys
Now, after you brought your puppy home the real training starts now,
Good Training Needs a Good Name
Choose your puppy’s name wisely and respect it. Pick a name for your new puppy that you love, but also suitable for the purposes of training.
It is preferable to give him a short name ending with a strong consonant. So whenever you call him, your puppy can always hear it clearly.
Names with a strong ending such as (Jasper, Jack, Ginger) are easy on your puppy’s ears, especially when you place a strong emphasize at the end.
Whatever the name is, try to associate it with pleasant, fun things, rather than negative.
The idea here is that to make him think of his name the same way he thinks of other great stuff in his life, like “walk,” “cookie,” or “dinner!”
If you are adopting an older dog, he’s probably used to his name. However, changing it is not impossible.
If you got him from a shelter, they may ignore telling you that he has a name already assigned to him by staff.
And If you got him from a breeder, he is probably having a long name that you may want to shorten or change.
In case you rescued him from an abusive situation, it’s a good idea to give him a new name that may represent a fresh start.
Dogs are extremely adaptable.
And soon enough, if you use it consistently,
He will respond to his new name.
Commands, Say It Only Once
your puppy is still very young, he doesn’t understand everything around him, and he still feeling kinda strange to this world, So be patient and be kind.
Your pup’s only aim is to please you. Remember that
Whatever you want from him Say a command only once, then point to the direction So the dog understands. It won’t matter for your pup if you said the “SIT” command 6 times or more
Teach Him to Come When Called.
Come, Johnny! Good boy! To come when called is the most important command that need to be mastered first and foremost.
As long as he is coming to you, your alpha status will be reinforced.
Start by telling him to come using his name.
When he does come to you, shower him with affection and treats, show him that this is a big deal.
Reinforce that by calling his name whenever he’s busy with something interesting.
Perfecting this command as early as possible is really important and you’ll ultimately see the benefits of this he gets older.
Crate Training or a Private Den?
Crate training a dog as a housebreaking method has proven to be a very successful and a kind way to teach your dog control over his bladder.
Don’t ever use it as punishment.
His kennel or crate will be like his “Den” where he feels safe
Dog’s don’t soil their dens, So You both will be happier.
It also helps with separation anxiety that he might have
When he gets adapted to his den, he will feel very comfortable waiting for your return.
Start by leaving him for very short periods. He will learn that you eventually return, and he isn’t left.
Then, as you extend the time, he will rest quietly and be happy to see you.
Most of all, Be his friend. Play with him. Have him feel that being with you is the best place in the whole world to be. You won’t regret it!
House Rules, You Are The Boss
Make your decisions on what your puppy can and can’t do.
Can he be allowed on the bed or the furniture?
Is there an off-limits area of the house that he is not allowed in?
Should you give him his own chair at your dining table?
Try to settle these rules very early, So you can avoid confusion for both of you.
Stick to your rules and enforce them, No matter how much he looks at you with his cute googly eyes.
Doggie Social Skills
Take your puppy and a small Zip-Lock bag full of his puppy food with you everywhere you can.
During the first months of his life, Introduce your puppy to all your friends and family. Ask them to feed him treats
Take him to a lot of different locations and make the outings fun.
A lot of obedience training can be taught when your puppy is older without serious ramifications, but the window for socialization and teaching bite-inhibition, We will discuss that later, is very small and those two things will most affect your dog’s temperament as an adult.
Without proper socialization, your dog may develop aggression or fear issues, which are very hard to treat later on.
If your puppy has not had enough vaccines to protect him from disease yet, then carry him when you take him to places where other dogs have been.
Reward his good behavior.
Reward your puppy’s good behavior with positive reinforcement.
Use treats, toys, love, or heaps of praise.
Let him know when’s he’s getting it right.
Likewise, when he is doing something bad, abstain affection for a while so he would know that something wrong happened.
Bite Inhibition
Puppies naturally tend to bite, It’s perfectly normal behavior for them.
At this young age, you will realize that puppies will nip at their littermates, roll around with each other, knock each other down, and cuddle this is all a part of their learning how to socialize and interact with their surroundings.
And this is How Bite inhibition training goes:
During your playtime with your puppy, he will definitely try to nip you.
If he ever nipped your finger, it’s advisable that you make him feel that he has done something wrong, a loud “ouch” would be sufficient.
Take your time “recovering” as you were “really hurt” then instruct him to come and resume playing.
If he does the same, pretend that you were hurt again and end the playing session this.
The repeating of this process will gradually teach your puppy that biting isn’t a good thing and will encourage him to use his “soft mouth” interacting with other living beings.
That’s it, now your puppy is set to face his new life well-trained
Remember, love is the most important ingredient of this equation, so for this to work make sure he feels your love
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What did you think of this puppy training guide, whatever you think comment below and let me know
And as always if you liked what you read here and you wanna read more feel free to check my other articles on Top 5 Easy-to-Train Dogs or How to Train a Dog to Attack
If you got any more tips or suggestions regarding puppy training please share it with us and the readers in the comments, we are all here to learn
If you have any questions leave them in the comments, we will respond ASAP
Have a nice day and Read you next time