A new puppy brings delight into your family. His rambunctious antics and affectionate responses have everyone giggling with happiness. Surely, his loyalty and affection will be a part of your family for many years to come. But this depends on the training which you are just now beginning. Here are some tips to help you complete this training successfully.
When feeding your dog, always expect the dog to be in a calm state and ready to eat. Hyper activity at feeding time will not allow the pet to properly address feeding rituals. Establish a ritual of a calm animal who sits and waits patiently for you to give food. After this behavior is taught, your dog will probably begin sitting patiently as you prepare their food.
TIP! Your dog can learn an infinite number of commands. The amount of words he can learn are limited only by what you want to teach him.
Crate training is a good skill for a dog of any age to have. Teaching your dog to stay in their crate quietly takes time and patience but can be a valuable tool while potty training or a safe place for him to stay while you are away from the house.
Properly trained dogs can be taught to regard their crate as a place of safety. When possible always keep the crate in a central location so that the dog learns to understand that it is there and available all the time. He will begin to seek it out when he is tired and even when he is scared and seeking comfort.
Prepare to administer lessons to your dog repeatedly. Most dogs will not pick up a new command with just one or two tries. Sometimes it is helpful to focus on one or two commands a day so that through your sessions you are repeating enough times to fix the commands solidly in your dog's memory.
TIP! If your dog is sick or injured, don't punish it for doing something outside of it's control. If it vomits in the house, that would normally be considered a bad action, but in the case of sickness they may not be able to control it.
Make your expectations realistic. It is never too late to change a dog's behavior. However, it takes time to do so. For example, if you have allowed your dog to do a certain behavior since he was a puppy, and you no longer want him to do it, it will take longer to undo the behavior. Having patience and realistic expectations makes training a dog to undo or learn a new behavior easier.
Participating in a group class can be a very effective way to train your dog. Group classes are almost always less expensive than individual training sessions. They also offer your dog the opportunity to socialize with other pets. Look for a smaller group though, so that you still have plenty of one on one interaction with the trainer.
Set a routine as much as possible when training your dog. Dogs respond well to regular activities such as exercise or bathroom breaks, so putting them on a routine encourages good behavior. Feed your dog at the same time each day to further establish a routine, and be as consistent as possible.
With these tips, you are ready to proceed confidently with your puppy's training. Consistency and attentiveness will win out over his unbridled impulsiveness. You want your pet to fit into your family life and become a faithful friend for many years. Following these training tips can pay off with just that result.
