Adopting a puppy is a big decision, but it also fills your life with joy. It’s exciting to watch them explore your home for the first time and fall asleep in your arms between play sessions with mini tennis balls or tug toys. Puppies are curious and ready to learn, so many dog owners start training them right away.
If you’re a first-time pup parent, you may wonder where to start. There are quite a few dog-training centers such as Delaware K9 Academy Dog Training. However, use the following eight top tips for training your puppy to make the experience easier. As you get going, you’ll learn how to communicate and live together as a new family:
1. Find Their Favorite Treat
There are endless varieties of dog treats on the market, which is great news for your new puppy. Like humans, every dog has food preferences. During their first week at home, see which treats they jump at and which flavors don’t interest them. They may dance in circles for peanut butter treats but ignore bite-sized salmon-flavored pieces.
After you find one or two types of treats your puppy goes nuts for, put them in a bag and keep them in your pocket at all times. If you can pull a treat out of thin air when your puppy does something right, it helps their training. They’ll only think about getting a reward if they see you reach for a treat before you start training.
The key is to make it look like their positive behavior makes treats appear, rather than encouraging them to hyperfocus on getting whatever’s already in your hand.
2. Crate With Kindness
Many dog owners start crate training early because they have to leave their dog home alone during the day. Puppies will learn to love their crate if you introduce it with kindness. Fill their crate with toys and leave the door open so they can use it to nap during the day. Dogs have an instinct to find a safe place to sleep and relax. The crate’s shelter provides that, as long as you don’t use it as a punishment for bad behavior.
Only put your puppy in their crate with positive reinforcement, like treats or lots of petting.
3. Establish House Rules
If you live with other people, you’ll need to establish some house rules so everyone understands how to train your puppy. Teaching your new pup not to jump on the couch won’t matter if your family lets them do it when you’re not looking. Ensure your family members know what’s not allowed, so you can work as a team to teach your dog how to behave at home.
4. Start Calling Their Name
During your first drive home together, you can call your puppy by their name and it won’t matter to them. They have to learn their name over time, so remember to teach this as well. When you say your puppy’s name and they look back at you, reward them with encouragement and a treat. When they turn 12 weeks old, they fully develop their cognitive skills, so they should learn their name within their first month of training.
5. Find Your Stern Voice
Eventually, you’ll smell the stench of a potty accident or find something chewed to pieces. These things happen with puppies, but don’t let anger get the best of you. Reacting out of anger scares puppies instead of instructing them, so it’s more productive to practice reprimanding with a stern voice. They’ll immediately recognize your change in tone and likely give you a pouty face with big sad eyes.
Although they won’t stop their bad habits overnight, they’ll start learning what’s wrong by your tone and work hard to make you happy and avoid the same mistakes.
6. Follow the Rule of 7
The Rule of 7 is a training technique that introduces puppies to new environments that encourage their development. Take their surroundings, for example. During their first month at home, they should explore seven different kinds of surfaces, like hardwood floors, carpets and grass. This technique covers aspects of where your puppy eats, what they play with and who they interact with so they become more confident and well-rounded.
7. Keep Chew Toys Handy
When you first considered getting a puppy, your initial concern may have been their inclination to chew. Puppies start losing their baby teeth early and spend their first eight months teething, which is why they chew on everything. The gnawing relieves their gum pain, which is why new pup parents should keep chew toys handy.
Whenever your puppy starts biting on your knuckles or chewing something they’re not supposed to, swap it out with a dog toy. With time, they’ll learn to chew on toys from the pet store, not your furniture or smaller household objects.
8. Teach With Patience
Puppies have a limited attention span, so their training will happen in short bursts throughout the day. Even if you can only train your pup for a few minutes at a time, always end the experience with lots of positive reinforcement. Whether they practiced a trick or successfully went potty outside, the repeated encouragement will help them focus with every session.
Give Them Time
As you adjust to your new routine of frequently taking your puppy outside to relieve themselves and keeping an eye on them at all times, you may feel burned out with their training before too long. Remember to give them time. Their brains are still developing during their first month at home, so teach them with tips like these to make the process more enjoyable for both you and your new furry best friend.
