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Introduction to Training:
Training your puppy early is important for you, the owner,
and your new puppy. They need to feel secure with the rules and
boundaries they are given. Training is vital so that puppies
learn to sit instead of jump on people, learn to go potty
outside rather than on the carpet, learn to chew on toys instead
of the furniture and learn to obey you. Their response to your
commands will keep them safe, help them to fit in with the
family routine and teach them how to do things the right way.
Puppies need to learn at a young age so as to avoid bad habits
and bad behavioral problems. Training a puppy can be frustrating
at times, but if you are patient and consistent, the training
will pay off.
It is important to
offer rewards to your puppy as
they learns new things. Positive reward-based methods tend to
get more positive results. Punishment tends to create
aggression, distrust, confusion, shyness and even helplessness
in a puppy. Instead of punishment, your goal should be to teach
the puppy that it’s fun to learn by offering a reward as she
does things the right way.
Don’t get discouraged when you are training her. She’s a
puppy and easily gets distracted. Just try the same techniques
over and over and eventually she will learn what you want her to
do. Remember, she’s a baby and needs gentle, consistent
training.
Here are a few basic tips on training your puppy:
- Use
puppy treats as a reward
for responding to your direction
- Praise them highly and with excitement when your puppy
comes to you. Other times use a quiet, soft voice, such as
when you want them to lie down. A gentle voice will keep
them calmer and they won’t react by jumping up.
- Reward your puppy with fun: a game of fetch, a belly
rub, a car ride or other activities that appeal to your
puppy.
- Socialization is important so that your puppy interacts
with humans and other animals in a friendly way. Let your
puppy spend time with other animals or people while she is
young so she will not be afraid of them later.
- Recognize signs of stress in your puppy. Stress includes
cowering or clinging, tucking in her tail, putting her ears
back and down, yawning, whining or turning away from people.
The same basic tips above can also help train older dogs who
are being introduced to a new home, learning a new trick or
requiring some behavior modification.
TRAINING EQUIPMENT
Training your dog from an early age will give you the best
desired results if you are consistent and patient. Untrained
puppies or dogs will think you want to play unless you use
patterns of training, a lot of praise and some treats as a
reward. You will need a few items to help you in the training
process, however.
Begin with a well-fitting collar. You should be able
to place two fingers between the collar and the dog’s neck.
Otherwise it is too tight or too loose. Let the dog get used to
the feel of a collar. It may make the dog itch at first, but
over a short period of time the dog will be used to the feel of
the collar.
There are choke collars available for specific training
methods for dogs that are more active and not as responsive to
your training. Be sure to understand how to use these collars so
that you are not hurting the dog. The choke collars are designed
to abruptly stop the dog from misbehaving and get him back under
your control.
A good leash is also necessary for training. Dogs do
not like being confined, but it is necessary for the purpose of
training that you hold your dog on a leash. Your dog will become
accustomed to being on a leash pretty quickly. Use it for
training and for taking your dog for a walk, and the dog will
actually get excited about the leash when you pull it out.
A training clicker can be an effective tool as well.
Your dog will respond to the sound of the clicker, if it is
accompanied by a command, a treat and praise. Over time, the
treats can be eliminated, but keep the praise coming for a long
time. Eventually, your dog will respond to the sound of the
clicker and your command because of your training methods.
Of course, an important training tool is tasty treats.
Make sure you have small treats that your dog loves on hand when
you work with him or her. This is important for the success of
your training and your dog will love you for it.
Another valuable tool is a training video for your
particular breed. There are many DVD’s available to help
with training methods. With all these easily available to you,
simply add time and patience for a well-trained dog that will
respond to your commands, be safe and become a very pleasant
companion.
Ready to give it a go?
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