Training a puppy is doable but can also be a significant challenge and commitment. Fortunately, there are many generally-accepted ways to train a puppy so that you can develop the best possible working relationship with your dog. Keep these seven tips in mind.
- Be Patient
Training a puppy takes time and patience to get right. You will likely go over the same commands many times before your puppy begins to understand what you want him to do, much less perform that action every time without fail. You must also maintain a gentle demeanor and refrain from getting angry or frustrated when your puppy doesn’t do what you want him to. Patience will eventually get you the results you want, while impatience and frustration will set you back as these emotions can result in your puppy getting nervous and uncooperative.
- Be Consistent
Consistency is always the best way to handle an animal because that animal will learn what to expect from you and to trust you. With puppies and dogs in general, you must be consistent in reinforcing commands. For example, teaching a puppy to come when called successfully and then refraining from using that command again will cause a quick relapse. Although maintaining consistency can be difficult as the weeks turn into months, you must do it in order to see lasting behavioral changes.
- Reward For Good Behavior
You should always reward your puppy with praise and/or treats for doing what you want him to do, even in the midst of poor behavior, such as finally coming to you after running away. Dogs react best to positive reinforcement, which will also help ensure that the desired behavioral changes are long-lasting. In some cases, such as with an aggressive dog, negative reinforcement could even make the problem worse. Positive reinforcement will cause your puppy to trust you, increasing the likelihood that you will form a strong relationship with him.
- Refrain From Punishing
Although it may seem intuitive to punish your puppy when he does something wrong, nearly all dog behaviorists will tell you to avoid doing so. This is because dogs don’t possess good cause and effect reasoning. She won’t understand why you are mad at her when you come home to find furniture destroyed. If you catch your puppy in the act, the best thing to do is make a sharp noise to startle her from what she is doing and tell her no, or attempt to distract her with something else she would rather have. A motion detector can aid with this. You should also rule out any medical issue that might be causing the undesirable behavior.
- Don’t Greet Your Puppy Enthusiastically When You Come Home
After a long day at work, it can be tempting to shower attention and affection on your puppy as soon as you walk through the door. However, this might not be the best training approach. You may be teaching your puppy to get overexcited when someone comes in the door, which you might not always want when visitors come to your home. You may also be unwittingly increasing the likelihood of your puppy developing separation anxiety when you are away from her. Dogs that suffer from separation anxiety can not only become destructive but it can negatively impact their health.
- Stick To A Schedule
One of the best ways to train your puppy is to get him used to a regular routine. Going to work, feeding him, exercising him and playing with him at regular times will help him adjust to life in your household. This gets him used to doing certain things at certain times so he will not become anxious or need to potty while you’re not home. Regular outside and feeding times are key to potty training in particular.
- Hire A Professional Dog Trainer
If all of your methods have failed, it might be time to hire a professional dog trainer to come in and witness your training methods and relationship with your puppy for themselves. Some dogs are difficult to train or the problem may be that you are unknowingly doing something to undermine your efforts. Obedience classes with other dogs can provide needed socialization for your puppy in addition to valuable professional training. If you are at your wits’ end, a specialist may be able to identify the problem and help you.
Training a puppy to maintain certain behaviors throughout his life is a major commitment and will require consistency and patience on your part. Hopefully these tips will help you end up with a well-behaved dog who listens to your commands. Know that it’s never too late either—you can successfully train a dog at any stage in its life.
