How To Train Your Puppy
Are you ready to start training your dog or puppy, pals?
Dog training is a lifelong process and some skills are more important than others. Master these essential dog training skills and be ready to prepare your dog for a lifetime of good behavior and companionship.
Whether you just brought home a puppy, adopted a shelter dog or want to change your dogs’ old training method – follow these steps!
But remember… Be patient! Be positive! It surely will take some time.
Read this important information before we continue with the methods:
- Supervise your dog. When you’re just starting to train him, limit the access to other parts of the house, whether that means locking doors up to bedrooms or crate-training so it has its’ own space. We recommend you our Portable Guard Gate. This safe gate is the easiest and most discrete way to protect pets all around the house. It can be moved from one place to another in the house when needed. When not in use, the gate takes minimal space and blends perfectly to your home and decor, with a simple, but elegant design. So why think twice? For just $24.95, close the gate. Stop worrying. Have fun!
- Set a routine. Dogs are creatures of habit. By feeding your dog at the same time each day and offering regularly walks and outside potty breaks, you can condition it to “go” at set times each day.
- Never punish your dog for eliminating indoors. Accidents happen, and dogs don’t understand cause and effect the same way people do. Clean up the mess, remind yourself that it will get better the more consistent you are and move on.
- Reward your dog for getting it right. Give it a treat as soon as it goes potty in the designated spot or performs the command right. You can reward him if he behaves better than before. Motivate him! Let him know that the treat comes after a correctly performed command!
METHODS:
1. Give your dog a practical name. The dog needs to be able to learn its’ name easily, so you can hold his attention during training. The name should also have clear, hard sounds the dog can recognize (we recommend you to include the letter “r”). Names such as “Buddy” or “Bee Bee” have distinct sounds that stand out from the regular flood of human speech your dog hears. “Sarah” is really good name for a female dog and “Rex” for a male one.
- Use your dog’s name often when you are playing, petting him, training him, or need to get his attention.
- If your dog looks at you when you say his name, you know he’s learned it.
- Create a positive association with his name so he’ll continue to focus on you when you say it. Praise him when he responds to his name, and give him treats.
2. Schedule enough time for training. Initially, you should start with several 5 minutes sessions spread out throughout the day and go no longer than 20 minutes. This is especially important with a puppies as they have a short attention span and get bored easily. Keep that in mind!
- Those sessions are not the only time you’ll train your dog, though. Training actually happens throughout the day when interacting with your pet. He’s learning from you every time you interact.
- Bad dog habits develop when owners let dogs get away with bad behavior outside of dedicated training sessions. So, always keep an eye on your dog outside of training sessions. If he knows it during training sessions, then make sure he remembers it outside of training.
3. Choose the proper equipment. A 50″ leash and flat collar may be all the you need to start, besides your treats. Puppies or small dogs generally do not need harsh equipment. Larger dogs may temporarily need specialized equipment to keep their focus. Our Safety LED Collar is recommended for all kind of dogs and the Safety LED Leash will match with it perfectly. Your dog will be safe (they equipment shines in the dark) and trendy at the same time.
4. Consider clicker training. Clicker training is a method of delivering immediate praise with the help of a clicker. You can click faster than you can give a treat or pet your dog’s head. It works by creating a positive association between the click sound and rewards. Eventually, your dog will consider the sound of the clicker itself reward enough for good behavior. You can apply the principle of clicker training to any dog command. Our customers are satisfied with the result of our Training Clicker. Try it out!
- Click the clicker device, then immediately give the dog a treat. This creates a positive association with the click sound. Later, that sound will “mark” a behavior as correct so the dog knows that he did something right.
- When the dog performs a desired behavior, make the click sound, then give him a treat. Once he’s performing that behavior consistently, you can give the behavior a command name. Begin tying the command and the behavior together with the help of the clicker.
- For example, before you ever teach your dog the “sit” command, give the click sound, a treat, and praise when you find him sitting. When he begins sitting just to get the treats, start saying the word “sit” to get him into position. Pair it with the click sound to reward him. Eventually, he will learn that sitting in response to the “sit” command will earn him a click reward.
5. Use “high value” treats when needed. When teaching difficult or important command, use a “high value” treat to raise the stakes for him. Examples include freeze-dried liver, roasted chicken breast chunks or slices of turkey lunch meat.
- As the dog learns the command, phase out the high value treats and bring them back as needed to advance your training, but always give him praise.