PUPPY TRAINING First things first

You've decided on the breed. You've been to the breeder or the pet store. You've done the homework on costs etc. Now you have seen and probably fallen in love with a gorgeous little pup.

PREPARATION

Before you rush off to get your puppy and bring it home it is a good idea to take a little time to plan for the arrival of the new family member. There needs to be a bit of re-organization in the home. This entails trying to think as a puppy might. For instance, you might have plant stands or ornaments at ground level, or maybe a long tablecloth that hangs quite low.

Look around.the area that you are going to allow the puppy to live in and see if there is anything that is within reach and is likely to be chewed. If there is, then for your sake and that of the puppy, remove these things for the time being. They can only learn things by exploring and they tend to put everything in their mouths.

This is only a temporary measure while the puppy is very young. It would be unfair to expect a very young pup to know all the rules straight away. It will, with the proper training, soon get the hang of how it fits in with the family arrangement. Then everything can go back to normal.

NECESSARY PUPPY TRAINING ITEMS

COLLAR AND LEAD

You do need to think ahead for this, because you want your training program to go smoothly. It is better to get the puppy used to a collar early on. It will accept it as a normal part of life. Whereas, if you wait a few weeks and then try introducing a collar the pup will probably resent it and it will make the training process that much harder. Bearing in mind the age of the puppy, you would be wise to choose soft leather or webbing over chain to make it as comfortable as possible.

PLAYTHINGS

How many toys you decide to buy or make for your new puppy depends on you. But one thing is for sure, it will definitely need some. As already mentioned, puppies are somewhat like babies in the way they end up with everything in their mouths. So if you provide some toys, it will help the puppy to channel it's natural instinct to chew, as well as helping it through the teething stage. Toys can be a useful aid in keeping your puppy amused if you have to leave it on its own. Things that belong to the dog will help you when it comes to training it too, because it will be able to more easily recognize what it can and can't bite and chew.

FOOD BOWLS

Of course the new puppy will have to have its own bowls for water and food. It makes sense to have sturdy, reasonably heavy bowls. One for water and one for food. If you have ever watched a puppy or a full grown dog eating then you would realize that the dishes get shoved around the floor, trodden on and sometimes gnawed. The other essential thing is to get something that can be quickly and easily cleaned.

BEDS

Puppies need to have their own place to sleep. This doesn't mean putting them in a separate room of the house, but rather, giving them their own basket or bed. You may decide to use a crate for your puppy to sleep in. This is something you must decide for yourself about as there is some debate about the pros and cons of this type of training. If you do go for the option of a crate, don't be tempted to buy a large crate for the puppy to “grow into”. Although puppies learn from their mothers not to go to the toilet in the nest, having a crate that is too big could possibly encourage it to treat part of the crate as a toilet area This could make toilet training more difficult than it need be. One other thing to consider is whether the puppy is going to be warm enough. It has been used to having the body heat of other dogs and pups to keep it nice and cozy and then suddenly it is on its own. So be sure to have enough blankets to keep it warm, as well as enough spare to wash regularly.

Beds need to be made of durable materials that will stand up to the sorts of things that puppies will do – like chewing and scratching. The issue of who is the Alpha (or top dog) is an important one for a dog. Some dogs are natural Alphas and that is how they sort out the pack hierarchy in the wild. There is always one top dog in the pack and so it must be also in the family, as far as the dog is concerned. So you must take the lead and always be in control of your dog – not the other way around. This isn't being unkind to your pet but instead it will contribute to him feeling secure and happy as well as giving you peace of mind.

BRINGING PUPPY HOME

If there are any children in the family they also need a little bit of training so that the puppy can settle in quickly and easily.

When you first bring your new puppy home, it will probably be feeling some anxiety. It has been removed from all the security it has ever known. No more sibling puppies, no more mother. Now your family is the pack that the puppy belongs to.The children also need to understand this. As the parent, you need to be able to control things. It is great for the kids to have a puppy to play with. However the dog is a living creature and shouldn't be treated as a toy. It will enjoy the time with the children but they should not pick it up all the time and carry it around like a teddy bear. Rather, it is preferable for the children to get down to the same level as the pup and play with pulling on a rope or with a ball. Also the puppy needs a space of it's own, like a bed or a crate where it can retreat to when it feels tired or stressed. This area must be a sanctuary and a safe place. A place where the puppy can go for a sleep or a rest without anyone disturbing it.

Start as you mean to go on. Teach the meaning of NO. Be consistent and firm with the puppy but not harsh. Never use physical punishment because you will only make the puppy frightened. It has the built in desire to please you and be obedient to you because it views you as the pack leader. You need to take advantage of this fact when you start your training program.

Recommended for training puppies ----

TOILET TRAINING

Yes this probably is the first type of training you will have to start as soon as you get your new puppy home and settled.Hopefully your puppy will be old enough to start straight away.

Just as with a baby, a puppy has to be a certain age before toilet training can be effective. The best time to begin is approximately six to eight weeks of age. If you decide to try before this it will probably end with you being disappointed at the result. The reason for this is because the puppy won't have developed the muscle control necessary for toilet training. So if your puppy is younger than six weeks, be patient and allow it to grow a little before you begin the training. Patience and persistence is not only basic but also very important. Try to remember as well that although dogs shouldn't be treated as humans, they are as unique and individual as people are. Being aware of this will help you not to expect your puppy to behave exactly as the textbooks say they should but to take into account the puppy's personality.

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF NATURAL BEHAVIOURS

When doing training of any kind with your dog, observing their behaviour can be a helpful tool. With toilet training this kind of training technique is especially useful because all dogs and puppies need to go to the toilet. The plan is that by effective training, you will be able to get them to go where you want and when you want.

The natural behaviour of a puppy needing to go to the toilet is squatting or circling. Another way in which you will be able to detect the need to go is when the puppy puts its tail up or its nose to the ground. Watch for this behaviour and when you see it happening, quickly pick the puppy up and run outside. At the same time say “out ”. The pup may go straight away or may circle again before squatting. Remember to always take the puppy to the same area in the yard each time and use the same command that you have chosen (e.g. go potty). Keep repeating the command while you are in the area you want it to use as a toilet and then it will begin to understand that this is the place you expect it to use as the toilet.

An important aspect to the toilet training routine is that you must take the lead in it. Don't just put the pup outside and let it do its own thing. If you, do then you can expect it just to foul anywhere it feels like in the yard. Whenever the puppy goes to the toilet for you, don't forget the lavish praise. It is a key part of the training method. Always make it a positive experience and you will be rewarded with the correct behavior.

Something else to remember is that there will be the occasional mistake. Sometimes it will be yours. You may notice the pup making signs that it's ready to go toilet but then one of the children cries or the doorbell rings and your attention is diverted. If this happens, pick the puppy up and take it with you. If you don't, then it will end up going to the toilet inside.

The only time you should scold the puppy is when you actually catch it doing something you don't want it to do. If you call it to you and then scold it for messing inside 15 minutes beforehand it will associate the telling off with coming to you.

If you actually see the puppy in the act of going to the toilet inside, then you should say “NO” in a very firm voice and carry it outside to the toilet area

At the beginning you need to be prepared to get up in the night to take the pup outside to the toilet area. If you restrict it at night to a cage or crate, it can help with the speed in which the training can be achieved. One reason for this is that a dog will avoid messing it's own bed if at all possible.

Restrict the amount of fluid that you give it in the evening and then remember first thing in the morning to take it outside. Pretty soon it will learn the routine.

As your puppy grows you will need more assistance so we recommend this... Dog Training E-Book

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