Basic puppy training is important for all puppies to learn.
Unfortunately, many puppies don’t learn the basics and this lack of training can get them in trouble later in life. A puppy who learns basic puppy training usually has much better manners in the home and out in public. Their family can be proud of the way they behave instead of embarrassed.
Puppies who receive some early training know what’s expected of them and they know the rules of the house. On the other hand, puppies who don’t receive any basic puppy training may end up being turned in to animal shelters later if they misbehave. Basic puppy training can save your puppy’s life and help him keep him home.
Socialize
The most basic puppy training of all is good socialization. Socializing your puppy means allowing him to meet other people and friendly dogs as well as taking him to new places so he can see things and find out about the world outside his home.
Puppies who are well-socialized have a chance to build their confidence and they aren’t frightened later when they see a dog walking down the street or when a stranger visits your home.
We’ve all seen dogs who hide or cringe in fear when someone comes to their house. Or met dogs who barked and barked at anything that moved outside their window. These reactions usually occur because the dogs have not been well-socialized and they feel threatened by anything new and different. If you will make an effort to socialize your puppy well when he’s young then your puppy will be well-adjusted and confident. He won’t be afraid of perfectly normal occurrences like these.
Go Places
After your puppy has received all his vaccinations, take him to places like pet stores, parks and other places where he can meet friendly people who like dogs. Take some dog treats with you so if people want to pet your puppy you will have something they can give to him. If your puppy encounters other dogs, ask their owners if they are friendly before allowing your puppy to go up to them. Make sure your puppy is on his leash. If the dog is friendly you can allow your puppy to move closer to make friends, but don’t allow your puppy to mug the other dog. Some dogs may not want a puppy to jump on them. Many dogs will be friendly, however. This is a good way for your puppy to learn about dog-to-dog interactions. Make sure these encounters end on happy notes.
Puppy Kindergarten
You can also take your puppy to puppy kindergarten classes or puppy preschool classes for socialization and some basic puppy training. These classes are often offered by pet stores, kennel clubs and animal shelters. They are for puppies so your puppy will be in a class full of other dogs around his age. He will also meet friendly dog owners who will pet him which is also good for socialization.
Train At Home
At home you can work on your basic puppy training, too. Your puppy should have a collar and leash. You probably won’t want to spend a lot of money on a collar for a puppy since he will outgrow it. A good flat nylon collar is fine for puppy training. You can get a leash to match. A four to six foot leash is typical for training and walking your puppy. Slip collars or chain collars are usually not a good idea for a puppy since he will almost certainly pull on the collar and leash while he’s learning to walk on a leash and he could injure his throat.
Basic Skills
You will want to work on basic training skills such as teaching your puppy to sit, to come when called, to lie down, and to walk on a leash. Believe it or not, these are all fairly easy commands to teach to a young puppy. There are several different approaches to take to teach your puppy these basic lessons depending on your puppy’s likes. If your puppy is motivated by toys and playing you can use a toy to motivate him and reward him. If your puppy is interested in food, you can use treats to motivate him and reward him. Other people like to use clicker training to teach puppies. Any of these methods will work fine for teaching puppies and they are all very gentle.
For instance, if your puppy is motivated by toys, you could teach your puppy to come when you call him by standing some distance away from him with his favorite toy and calling his name. “Max, come!” And wave the toy to get his attention. As soon as he comes to you, use the toy to play with him and praise him. Have a good play session for a couple of minutes. Then repeat.
You could use food to teach your puppy to sit. For example, hold a treat over your puppy’s head when he’s standing and slowly move the treat backwards. Your puppy should move his head back to follow the treat with his nose. As he moves his head back his body should sit. As soon as he sits you should give him the treat and praise him. This works most of the time and it’s a very easy way to teach a puppy to sit.
You can teach your puppy to walk on a leash by putting his collar and leash on him and letting him get used to them in the house. Make sure he doesn’t get tangled up on anything. Do this for a few minutes each day for a few days until he doesn’t pay any attention to them. Next, you can take up the leash and begin to walk in small areas with your puppy. Make sure you’re in an enclosed area such as your living room or a fenced backyard. If your puppy stops or tries to go a different direction you should stop and refuse to move. Wait for your puppy to come to you to see what’s going on. Then start walking again in the direction you want. Your puppy will figure out that if he wants to move then he has to move with you. You can emphasize this lesson by walking in a zigzag pattern to keep your puppy guessing where you will go next.
Keep your lessons short and fun and you should be able to teach your puppy all of the basic puppy training lessons he needs to know. If you need to more basic puppy training techniques then I recommend Secrets to Dog Training. It has a lot of effective tips that will get your puppy trained to ensure that he behaves himself when he is an adult dog. It’s worth the look. You can read my review or visit the site by clicking the link below.
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