Essential Tips for Training Your New Puppy

Bringing a new puppy into your home marks the beginning of a rewarding journey, but it also comes with the responsibility of training. Proper training not only fosters good behavior but also strengthens the bond between you and your furry friend. Here are some valuable tips to help you train your new puppy effectively:

1. Start Early: When introducing your puppy to your home, it's a crucial transition period for both of you. Ease their adjustment by familiarizing them with their new surroundings, ensuring a sense of comfort and security. A helpful method to aid your puppy's settling process is by introducing an item, like a toy or blanket, carrying the scent of their litter or previous home. An additional method to assist their adjustment is by allowing the puppy to explore their new surroundings, helping them acclimate to unfamiliar scents and spaces. Begin training your puppy as soon as they arrive home. Early training sets the foundation for good behavior and prevents the development of bad habits.

2. Potty Training: Creating a consistent routine is crucial when potty training a puppy. Take your puppy outside to the designated potty area at regular intervals throughout the day. This includes after meals, naps, playtime, and waking up in the morning. When your puppy successfully goes potty in the designated area, praise them enthusiastically and offer a small treat as a reward. Positive reinforcement helps them understand that they're doing the right thing. Learn to recognize your puppy's signs that they need to go potty. These signs may include sniffing around, circling, or whining. When you notice these signs, immediately take them to the designated area. If accidents happen indoors, it's important to clean them up properly. Use an enzymatic cleaner to eliminate any lingering odours that might attract your puppy to the same spot again. A great enzymatic cleaner is the Nature's Miracle Stain & Odour Remover Spray 946ml Dog. This will help prevent future accidents in the same area. Potty training takes time and patience. Remember that accidents are a normal part of the process, and scolding or punishing your puppy will only confuse them. Stay consistent with the routine and positive reinforcement, and your puppy will eventually catch on.

3. Positive Reinforcement: Use positive reinforcement techniques such as high value treats, praise, and affection to reward good behavior. This encourages your puppy to repeat desirable actions. The Aura Soft Bites Bacon Dog Treats are a great small, tasty reward. Be sure to use your voice to praise your puppy.

4. Consistency is Key: Maintain consistency in training methods, commands, and rules. Use the same cues and rewards consistently to avoid confusion for your puppy. For instance, if you prefer your puppy to refrain from using the couch, it's essential to maintain a consistent approach rather than sometimes allowing them up. Inconsistency may confuse your dog, hindering its ability to understand your expectations. Maintaining steadfast rules and boundaries over time will gradually impart which behaviors are encouraged and which are discouraged.

5. Short, Frequent Sessions: Keep training sessions short, around 5 to 15 minutes several times a day. Puppies have short attention spans and can become frustrated, so multiple short sessions work better than one long session. Be sure to reward your puppy and maintain patience. To start you should pick a distraction free area that your puppy is confident in. This will ensure your pup is focused on you.

6. Basic Commands: Teach basic commands like sit, stay, come, and down. These commands are fundamental for communication and are a great building block. Be sure to give lots of rewards when beginning this process. 

Sit

Begin by positioning a small treat, like the Aura Soft Bites Bacon Dog Treats, directly at your puppy's nose level, then gradually move it backward between your puppy's eyes and over their forehead. As the treat moves upward and over, your puppy's head will rise to track it, causing their butt to lower. The moment their butt touches the ground, verbally praise your puppy followed by giving your puppy the treat.

Should your puppy attempt to jump instead of sitting, it's probable that you're holding the treat too high. Aim to keep it connected to their nose, allowing easy accessibility with all four paws planted firmly on the ground.

Come

Lower yourself onto the floor, positioned across the room from your assistant, and summon your dog towards you using your recall word spoken once in a cheerful tone. Follow it up with some encouraging claps or kissy noises. Upon your dog's arrival, promptly reward them with a small treat and shower them with abundant praise.

Alternate with your partner in calling your puppy back and forth, ensuring each call results in a treat and praise when your dog reaches the designated person.

7. Socialization: After your puppy finishes its vaccination series, you can start bringing them to places with more people around. Expose your puppy to different environments, people, and other animals from an early age. This helps them become well-adjusted and less fearful in various situations. It's important to note when socializing them to read your puppies body language. You don't want to put your puppy in a situation that will lead to them having a bad experience. 

8. Patience and Understanding: Be patient with your puppy. Understand that they are learning and may make mistakes. Avoid punishments and instead redirect their behavior positively. Rushing training and becoming frustrated can lead to a bad experience for you and your puppy and may make it difficult to train them in the future.

9. Crate Training: Introduce crate training gradually to provide your puppy with a safe and comfortable space. When the crate is not in use keep the door open so your puppy has their own space to go to when they want to rest and relax. Their kennel shouldn't just be the place they go to when you leave the house. Dogs naturally like to have a den and their kennel should be treated as their space. The crate should allow your puppy to stand, turn, and lie down comfortably, but not be so spacious that they can use one corner for potty and the other for sleeping.

10. Supervision and Prevention: Supervise your puppy closely and puppy-proof your home to prevent accidents and destructive behavior. Use baby gates or close doors to restrict access to certain areas. Keep chews and toys available when supervised. Puppies have a natural inclination to chew, so it's important to offer appropriate chewing items to prevent them from seeking out other objects to chew on. A great popular chew are "Bully Sticks". They are a safe and natural chew that allows your puppy to chew with harming their teeth or stomach. Check out the Free Range Bully Stick Standard 11-12 inch Dog Chew Odour Controlled for a great long lasting chew.

11. Body Handling: Enjoying cuddling and petting your dog can be a delightful experience, yet when it's time for grooming or teeth brushing numerous dogs tend to avoid these situations. Handling exercises with your puppy at a young age is ideal. Engaging in a daily puppy massage serves as an excellent method to conduct a health check and acquaint your furry friend with handling. Delicately stroke and gently squeeze your puppy's paws, examine their paw pads, and touch their nails, all the while praising and providing treats to them for their cooperation. This will make their future grooming and vet experience more comfortable.

12. Seek Professional Help if Needed: If you encounter difficulties in training or notice behavioral issues, seek advice from professional dog trainers or behaviorists. They can provide guidance tailored to your puppy's specific needs. Be sure to research your trainer and find one that suits your puppies needs.

Remember, every puppy learns at its own pace. Celebrate small victories, be patient, and enjoy the process of bonding and training with your new furry companion.

Read our blog "New Puppy? Here's how to pick a high-quality puppy food." to learn about puppy food. To learn about the puppy must have items read our blog "New Puppy Must Haves: Your Complete Puppy Checklist".

Consistent, positive, and patient training sets the stage for a well-behaved and happy adult dog. With time and dedication, your puppy will become a well-mannered and cherished member of your family.