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| Basic Training Where to begin Puppy training can begin at an early age, even as young as 8—12 weeks, and often goes much faster and smoother when the pup is young. Early training can help with important areas of puppy learning including establishing leadership, socializing, and preventing unruly behaviors. To successfully train a puppy, it is important to use correct training methods. Puppies don't learn well with forceful training. In addition, too much force during your puppy's formative months can ruin your bond with your pet. Instead, use positive motivation to facilitate—rather than force—the training process. The biggest motivating factors for training and rein-forcing obedient behavior are food, a favored toy, affection, and social attention. Here's the how-to Generally, the healthiest choice for a reward is the puppy's own dry food, along with praise. Special treats arc usually not necessary. Training just prior to the puppy's routine dinner is an excellent time, as the puppy's interest in the food will be focused. Initially, the food reward should he given immediately following every correct response. As the pup gets better at performing the desired behavior, stop giving a food reward for less than exact responses, and only reward quick, well- performed responses. Once you reach your goal, continue to give praise for every correct response but only provide the food reward on an intermittent, random basis. This will render the longest retention of learning. Also, remember to use hand signals along with food rewards. A dog is more likely to respond to a double signal (verbal and visual) command. rather than only a verbal command. Come Teaching your puppy to come when he is called is quite simple. Hold a piece of dry food out between your thumb and forefinger, extend it toward the pup, and say his name. As he approaches you, repeatedly wave your hand toward your chest and say "come." This gives your pet both verbal and visual cues to respond to. When he reaches you, give him the food and, as he eats, quickly take a few steps back and repeat the procedure. Sit To teach your dog to sit on command, start with the puppy in the standing position. Hold a piece of dry food directly in front of his nose between your thumb and forefinger, and say the pet's name. Slowly move the food over the pet's head so that his nose points straight up. As the puppy's nose goes up, his rear end will be leveraged into the sit position. Say "sit" as he assumes the position and give the food reward. Be careful not to hold the food lure too high above the pet's head, or he will jump up for the food. After some practicing, the pup will automatically sit when you sweep your hand in an upward movement, even without food. Lie down Teaching your pet to lie down on command is easier if the pup is on a smooth surface, such as tile or linoleum. Begin with the puppy in the sitting position. Hold a piece of dry food directly in front of his nose. Say the pct's name and. with a swift movement, move the food down to the floor directly next to the puppy's front paws. As the pet slides into the down position, say "down," and give the food reward. This command usually takes a little more patience than the first two. Be careful to move the food to the floor, right next to the paws. Otherwise if the food is five inches or more in front of the pup, he will probably stand up as he tries to get the food. With time the downward sweep of your hand by itself will cause the pup to go into the down position. Stay The stay command is the most difficult for the puppy to learn. Young puppies don't like to sit still for very long and love to follow people. Keeping this in mind will help you understand your puppy's actions, and you will be better able to train him. The best time to begin training is when your puppy is calm, possibly after a long walk or play session. Start with the puppy in the sitting position. Ask him to sit using a hand and a verbal signal, but no fond. As soon as the puppy is sitting, lean toward him, make fixed eye contact, extend the palm of your hand toward the pup, and in a firm voice say "stay." Wait only one second, then return to your dog. Calmly praise him, and give the food reward while the dog is still sitting. Repeat the command. Many owners will immediately walk away after giving the command, triggering the young pet to follow. Gradually you can request that the pup stay for longer and longer periods, If the pet strays from eye contact, calmly repeat "stay" in a serious tone as you lean toward him. Once the pet will successfully stay for ten seconds at one step away you can start working on distance. Slowly increase distance and time until your pet fully understands the concept. Additional Tips 1. Remember that patience and consistency are key! 2. On days when the pet seems fidgety and has a shorter attention span, keep the training session short and stop before the pup begins ignoring commands. 3. Start the training in a quiet area. When the puppy's responses to commands become dependable, move the training to environments with more distractions. Be sac the pet knows one command before proceeding to the next. 4. Tone of voice is important. When teaching "come", "sit", and "down" use a happy, high-pitched tone of voice. This will help motivate the pet to move. "Stay" requires a slow, deep-toned command. 5. Avoid repeating your command over and over. If your puppy is not taught to obey on the first command, he will learn that it's not necessary to obey until multiple commands are given. 6. Praise your puppy and say "good dog" whenever you are giving a food reward. This will reinforce desired behavior and help in training as the food reward is gradually withdrawn. |
| House Training Your home has just been blessed with a new puppy who arrived cuddly, warm, and ready to he loved. Unfortunately, it did not arrive housetrained. Housetraining your new puppy can he easy and effective if you dedicate the necessary time and patience. A successful plan includes supervision, confinement and encouragement. With these elements, most pups can be trained in a relatively short period of time. Getting the message across If you want your puppy to eliminate outside, you must be aware of various conditions and activities that typically stimulate puppies to eliminate, including feeding, drinking, playing, and waking from naps. Learn to be aware of these activities and be alert that your puppy needs to eliminate. Begin to condition your puppy by using a command such as "out" as you take it outside. With time, your puppy will learn to signal if it has to go out. The next step is to teach your puppy where you want it to eliminate. To accomplish this you must accompany your puppy every time it goes outdoors. Choose a specific location with easy access. The area will soon become a familiar spot as the pup recognizes the odor from previous excursions. Mildly praise any sniffing or other pre-elimination behaviors and consider associating a unique training command such as "potty time" or "hung up" with the act of eliminating. When your puppy eliminates, praise it heartily, offer a tasty food reward, or start playing. Your puppy will soon learn what is expected of it whenever it goes outside and hears the special command. As you begin housetraining, try to take your puppy outdoors every one to two hours. As it grows older and gets the hang of things, you can wait longer between outings. Scheduling Puppy's dinner time Controlling your puppy's feeding schedule provides some control over its elimination schedule. Most will eliminate within a predictable time after eating, usually within the first hour. Because of this, it is best to avoid feeding a large meal just before confinement. Offer food two or three times each day at the same times, and make it available for no longer than 30 minutes. The last meal should be finished three to five hours before bedtime. Preventing Mistakes The most challenging part of the housetraining process is pre-venting your pup from eliminating indoors. Until it is housetrained, you will need to provide constant supervision. You should not consider your puppy housetrained until it has gone for at least four to eight consecutive weeks without eliminating anywhere in the home. Until your pup accomplishes this, keep it within eyesight of a family member 100 percent of the time. A leash is handy tool to keep your puppy nearby when you are preoccupied and it might wander away. When you are unable to provide constant supervision because you are busy, sleeping, or away from home confine your pup to a relatively small, safe area. Always take your puppy out to eliminate just before confinement. A wire or plastic crate provides an excellent area in which to confine your puppy when you cannot observe it. A crate has some limitations. Do not use it for longer than your puppy can physically control elimination or for more than four hours during the day. Most puppies will quickly adapt to the crate if you make training fun. Feeding in the crate, tossing toys inside for the pup to chase, and hiding treats in there should all encourage your puppy to look forward to being in the crate. If your puppy is home alone each day for long periods, confine it to a larger area such as a small room or exercise pen. The area should provide enough space for it to eliminate if necessary and to rest several feet away from a mess. For easier cleaning, place paper at the sites where it is likely to eliminate. It is important to associate good things with the confinement area, rather than making it solely an isolation area. Spend some time in the area playing with your puppy or simply reading nearby as it rests there. Returning to the scene of the crime To help prevent your puppy from returning to previously soiled areas, remove urine and fecal odor with an effective commercial product. Saturate areas of soiled carpeting with odor-neutralizing products - merely spraying the surface is not as effective. If your puppy begins eliminating in certain areas of the home, deny access to these areas by closing doors to the rooms, using babygates, or moving furniture over the soiled areas. Motion alarms will teach your puppy to avoid an area. Most pets avoid eliminating in areas where they eat or play. Feeding or placing water bowls, bedding, and toys in previously soiled areas can discourage elimination at those spots. Keeping your cool No puppy has ever been housetrained without making a mistake or two. Be prepared for the inevitable. It does not help to become frustrated and harshly discipline your puppy. Punishment is the least effective and most overused approach to housetraining. A correction should involve nothing more than a mild, startling distraction and should he used only if you catch your puppy in the act of eliminating indoors. A quick stomp of the foot loud clap, tug on the leash, or abrupt "No" given with enough intensity to interrupt the behavior without frightening your puppy is all that is necessary. Immediately take your pup to its elimination area outdoors to finish. A correction that occurs more than a few seconds after your puppy eliminates is useless because it will not understand why it is being corrected. If the punishment is too harsh it may learn not to eliminate in front of you, even outdoors, and you run the risk of ruining the bond with your puppy. And don't even think about rubbing its nose in a mess. There is absolutely nothing it will learn from this, except to be afraid of you. Some pets will squat and urinate as they greet family members. Never scold them. This problem is due typically to either nervousness or excitement, and scolding will always make the problem worse. With a little patience and a consistent approach, your puppy will be as housetrained as the rest of your family. |
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