The Dog Site

Puppy obedience training can vary greatly from adult dog training. Extra care must be taken to avoid harming your pup physically or mentally. These early months are a developmental time for a puppy.  The experiences endured will build a basis for future socialization and training. Give your pup the best chance to live a happy, content life by practicing proper training methods.        

Most people begin puppy toilet training right away. This is an ideal time, even if your pup still has accidents. In time, he or she will understand where is acceptable to relieve themselves. The faster your little dog picks up on this, the faster you can stop worrying about your clean carpets or new couch being damage by puppy puddles! In the meantime, there are plenty of tools available to help minimalize accidents. Use a crate or kennel to confine your pup when you cannot watch him, especially at night.  Any accidents will occur in the crate. Dogs naturally try to avoid relieving themselves in their den. A puppy training pad can also assist greatly while your new little boy or girl learns the ropes of being at home.

Some people prefer to go the route of puppy litter training. This can be beneficial, especially for people who live in the city or in an apartment.  Always use the appropriate type of litter. Cat litter is not always compatible with pups. Most likely, some will wind up in their mouths.  When this happens, cat litter can clump and become a major health issue. Only use proper types of litter in the recommended quantities based on the age and size of your pup. Do not permit your pup to play in or around the litter box.

Leash training puppies is a practice that can help save you time and headaches later on. Rather than wait until your pup is older and more set in his or her ways, begin young. Start by acclimating the pup to wearing a collar. He may fight but eventually will accept it. Next comes the leash. Start small, maybe one minute or less each day and work your way up.

Use a light lead, and start by leaving the leash on the floor. Let your pup learn the feel of the leash and collar together. Always praise and encourage, a little positive reinforcement goes a long way! Puppy leash training may seem traumatic for the dog at first, but he or she will quickly become accustomed to it.

Just like their older counterparts, pups respond well to praise and food rewards. Remember to be careful of quantity when using food rewards. You do not want to create an obesity problem at a young age.  It is also beneficial to combine the rewards, so your pup is never sure which he or she is going to get.

New puppy training should never involve harsh punishment or complicated commands. Never frighten your overly frustrate your pup. Take your time and eventually he or she will learn and grow accustomed to life at home. This will open up many doors to more involved training, which can strengthen the dog human bond.

Copyright Danny Taylor

If you’re considering some form of training program for your dog, think only of what you’re hoping to gain, as against the patterns you’re trying to eliminate. When you begin each training session, create a picture in your minds eye of the goal you’re aiming for, and picture it having already happened. Don’t waste any time pondering over the negative behavior you’re trying to avoid.

Without knowing where you’re going, it’s unlikely you’ll ever get there. This is so true with everything in life, and it applies to basic dog training as well

Sometimes we fall into the habit of thinking mostly about what we don’t want. This is also the case with dog training too. Not wanting our dog to pee anywhere inside our house is right up there, or chew our shoes, or to carry on running when we call him back to us, or bark like maniacs when our sweet old aunt comes to visit.

Just think about it for a moment. Lets imagine you’re about to pick up a new puppy. Are you actually considering spending the next eight to sixteen years of your life chasing your dog around saying, “No no no”? Isn’t it easier and more satisfying to teach your dog correct behavior from the beginning?

So rather than worrying about, “The dog had better not chew my shoes, or furniture,” try, “My dog will chew and play with his own squeezy toys.” Instead of, “I hate it when the dog harasses and jumps up on people who visit the house,” change it to, “My dog should greet and welcome my guests controlled and quietly.”

By concentrating on what it is you want to achieve, you will have a much clearer path to successfully training your dog. What better way to start your training program.

Should You Use Rewards?

The most important aspect people have realized in house breaking puppy in the past few years is a move in focus from highlighting corrective action, or penalizing mistakes, and moving towards rewarding good behavior.

The practice of rewarding your dog’s good behavior is a smart one, especially for potty train puppies. Perhaps the most important reason is that if you use punishment, regardless of the reason why, the results are likely to be quite disheartening for your pet. Some dogs – not all, but it can happen – could possibly react to punishment by withdrawing and becoming frightened of you. Some dogs, especially timid breeds, may close off completely. They seem to lose their sense of adventure. They may seem broken-spirited.

You also get a better sense of accomplishment and enlightenment when using reward training techniques. It’s a great feeling to be the bearer of rewards and praise for a well behaved pet.

But the best news is that this approach to dog obedience training works extremely well. The main reason being that rewards of this nature help to stimulate and build acceptable behavior. If a behavior is rewarding, your pet will want to repeat he behavior as often as possible. With regular practice of how to apply that simple rule, using rewards will make your training days a lot easier and more productive.