Ready to learn the ultimate guide for training a puppy?
Getting a dog and owning a puppy from the best dog breeds will transform your home into a chaotic but happy space. The unconditional love, adorable nature, and infinite energy of a puppy will delight your whole family and make them feel alive. But don’t lose sight that raising a puppy requires time and dedication.
If you have a new puppy and aren’t sure how to get started training it? Our tips below will help guide you through caring for a puppy so that you enjoy a harmonious relationship together.
1. Start House Training as Soon as Possible
The most effective tip for house training is to give the pup ample opportunities to use the restroom outside and reward successful attempts. Read more about this how a crate is an excellent tool for house training your puppy. It allows him to learn how to hold his bladder for longer periods and prevents accidents in the house.
When the puppy is ready, take them out for several potty breaks throughout the day, at scheduled times, like after meals and after long periods of play. Praise your puppy for going outside, and don’t forget to give them a treat. If you catch your pup eliminating in the house, don’t scold him; instead, direct him outside and reward him when he goes.
2. Praise and Reward Good Behavior
When taking care of a dog, it’s important to praise and reward your puppy for all forms of good behavior. This encourages the pup to repeat the desired behavior. Treats, petting, and verbal praise are great ways to reward your puppy for desirable behavior.
On the other hand, redirecting unacceptable behavior with gentle corrections helps your puppy understand what behavior is desired or undesired. An important tip is to use a firm voice but not to yell or display aggressive behavior. This can cause distress or confusion in the pup.
3. Provide Exercise and Mental Stimulation
Puzzles and treat games are one of the best ways to provide the pup with plenty of both. The activities can help burn off extra energy and can stimulate your pup mentally and physically.
Start by introducing small and simple activities such as hide and seek involving treats and toys. This helps teach your pup how to use its nose to locate objects and reinforces your pup’s basic commands. As the pup gets better at this, move on to more complex activities and puzzles, such as interactive dog food maze toys.
You should also provide your pup with plenty of daily walks. This is a great way for them to decompress for further stimulation.
4. Be Patient and Consistent
In puppy training to learn the desired commands, patience and consistency are key. The aim is to create a positive connection between a command and a treat or verbal praise.
Repetition is necessary, and your pup will eventually associate the command with reward. It’s crucial to maintain patience while teaching them, particularly if they don’t seem to be responding quickly.
5. Keep the crate close to your bed
Keep your puppy right next to you during the night to help calm first-night jitters. Stack a solid table or chair on top of your puppy’s crate to raise it to the same height as your bed. To get a better sense of the distance, stick your fingers through the crate door. If your puppy howls at night, take him outside to relieve himself, and then put him back in the crate right away. Put the crate on the floor first, then slowly move it away from the bed and into the room where your dog will sleep.
6. Make a cozy bedtime experience
For your puppy, the first few nights in your house might be stressful since it’s a new environment for him. Place a plush comfort animal in the crate. This will aid him to slowly adjust in the new place and having a comfort animal will give him an impression that he is still sleeping with a companion, just like when he was still in the pet store or with the rest of the litter.
7. Observe your puppy’s potty signs
When taking your dog outside to relieve himself, pay close attention to his body language. What does he do in order to get ready to do business? These are the same actions your puppy will take indoors as well. Usually, when a puppy starts to circle around, he is either about to poop or is thinking about it. That is the go signal that you must go outside with him.
Check These Effective Tips for Training a Puppy
Training a puppy is a fundamental part of raising a puppy and having a pet-friendly home. Start dog behaviour training ASAP, praise and reward good behavior, provide plenty of exercises and mental stimulation, and be patient and consistent to ensure your puppy learns the commands.
With the help of these effective tips, the pup will learn to obey commands and work positively with the family.
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