Puppy Training Tips

The most important aspect of puppy training is keeping it fun for the puppy, and usually it follows that in keeping it fun for the puppy, it's also fun for the owner. The point isn't to create an eight week old robot, but to begin building a relationship where it's easier to guide the puppy's behavior so he or she matures into an enjoyable member of the family, one that can participate in many family activities.

Sure, if you want to. Do you have to? Certainly not. But using food is efficient, fast, fun, and effective. And no, your puppy won't grow up working only for food if, as his training progresses, you space out the time between food rewards.
(If you always pair the food reward with a verbal reward, the puppy will soon associate the verbal reward with your approval. As he gets more experienced, you can be unpredictable about when you give him the food reward. And he'll be even more enthusiastic about the training sessions if he never knows when he'll get a treat.) Truth be told, most dogs do not care about pleasing you. They care about doing whatever gets them something they like. For the rare canine, it's verbal praise. For most dogs, it's plain old food. So why not use what they already want to shape their behavior?

Whether you use food or not, keep the sessions short (puppies get bored fast), and end on a happy note. If the sessions are short enough to keep your puppy from getting overwhelmed, there's nothing wrong with doing two or three sessions each day. Make the training part of his normal activities, and he'll never know you're doing anything except giving him attention.

Puppy classes are a great way to begin, providing they're geared for young puppies – lots of fun socialization, and little stress. Most classes teach the owner how to teach the basics - sit, stay, come, down, and maybe a trick or two. (Puppies love performing.) You don't need to wait until the pup is six months old to enroll him in a training class, especially if it's a class still dedicated to the old choke chain, jerk 'em around by the neck mind set. What could be more traumatic than "running wild" as a puppy for six months, then all of the sudden being jerked around at the end of a chain? It is certainly within the realm of possibility to train any puppy and just about any adult dog with a flat collar, leash, a pocket full of treats or toys, and a good attitude.

Whether you sign up for a class or go it yourself, train your puppy with whatever method appeals to you. If it feels right, try it. If it makes you uncomfortable, it will probably make your puppy uncomfortable, and neither one of you will want to stick to the program. Just like with exercise - if you don't like it, it's unlikely you'll stay with it.

Teaching "Come"

Puppies like nothing more than to come to their owners. At least most puppies. There are always the adventurous pups that would rather go exploring the other direction, especially when their owners call them, but no matter what kind of rowdy puppy you have, you only have to remember two things. One - reward good behavior while paying less attention to bad behavior, and two - always make the reward better than whatever it was the puppy was doing. Once the puppy is older and fairly well trained, you can expect him to come on command for nothing more than a "good dog!", but while he (or she) is learning, the reward has got to be, at least to the puppy, the greatest thing in the world. And the younger the puppy, the easier this is to do.
For young pups from five weeks old on, start teaching come simply by allowing the pup to follow you around outside. (Of course, in a safe place.) Wander around, letting the pup follow along. Periodically sit down, call the pup's name, encourage him to run to you. If he comes to you, reward him with lots of praise, petting, and a hug or two. This is not yet a formal "come," so if he goes off the other way, don't worry, just make the reward a little more enticing. A little piece of cheese works wonders (or whatever your pup finds especially delicious). Be enthusiastic with the praise. Convince the puppy that coming to you always means good things, and you shouldn't have any trouble down the line as the pup gets older. This technique also works with older dogs, if, for example, you adopt an adult dog from a shelter. Just be sure to practice in a safe, fenced-in area where the dog can't get too far away. If your pup or dog was having a good time sniffing around, playing with other dogs or with his toys when he came to you, the best reward is to let him go back to having fun. This way, he won't get the awful idea in his little brain that every time you call him, he doesn't get to have fun ever again. As the pup gets older, you can use basically the same plan, except now you'll need to begin to teach him a more formal come. Keep in mind that during routine walks when your dog is just doing doggy stuff, sniffing and puttering around, you may not want to use a formal come, as in "come over to me right now" kind of thing. You may just want to cue your pup to stay a little closer, maybe to check in with you, or to keep an eye on you. This is perfectly fine and your dog can easily learn the difference between "pay attention to where I'm going," and "come here and stop right now."
The next step is to attach a long leash to your puppy's collar. Use a light rope, one that's around twenty feet long. (You can also start using the rope right from the start if you don't have a safe, fenced-in area for your puppy or dog to practice in.) Again, let the pup wander around, call his name, and reward him hugely when he either pays attention to you or actually runs up to you. Here too, you can begin to accustom the dog to two different commands - the formal "come," and the more relaxed "just stay close to me." The first one you might indicate with "Rover, come!" and the second one with anything from "Rover!" to "This way, puppy!" If the puppy ignores you, give a light tug on the rope to get his attention, and once again, praise enthusiastically when he comes toward you. "Come" is kind of an emergency command, or at least a "serious" one - in other words, you want that pup to drop what he's doing and get his tail over to you right now. So save the command for when you really need it, and while you're training the pup, always be in a position to enforce the command with a leash or rope. Have the puppy come up to you and stop until you can get a grip on his collar. Reward him, then let him go about his business. Set the pup up to succeed and always reward in order to train for a reliable "come." For the more informal "let's all go in the same direction," reward the pup as soon as he gets within reach, then walk away, encouraging the puppy to follow along. This teaches the puppy to keep an eye on you without insisting he come up and stop. (This may sound like alot of trouble to train two different commands, but if you ever plan on walking your dog off-leash, or want him to walk close to you on a loose leash, you'll find the "stay around" command invaluable.)
Before you know it, your pup will have a reliable "come." When he does come or stays close fairly consistently, then begin to vary the type of reward. Maybe one time use a food treat, then just your enthusiastic, jumping up and down "you're the best puppy in the world!" voice for a time or two, perhaps lots of pets and a hug, and maybe throwing a ball or playing with him for a few minutes. If the puppy never knows when he's going to get his favorite reward, he'll try that much harder to please you.
And if the little devil chooses to ignore you and goes the other way (which he will, sooner or later), call his name, then run the opposite direction. Dogs like to follow - if he thinks you're going someplace more interesting than where he's going, he'll follow you. Remember, reward and reinforce the behaviors you like - your puppy is always learning and you, whether you're aware of it or not, are always teaching. Gently guide his behavior while he's a pup, and he'll grow into a great family companion.

There are many books devoted to dog training - some good, some not so good, so spend a little time reading and find one that seems to harmonize with your training philosophy. We've listed a few here - most are available at your local pet store, but if you have trouble locating one, call the clinic (ask for Jill). Have fun!

"How to Raise a Puppy You Can Live With" by Clarice Rutherford and David H. Neil 3rd Edition, Alpine Publications, P.O.Box 7027, Loveland, CO 80537

"What All Good Dogs Should Know - The Sensible Way to Train" by Jack Volhard and Melissa Bartlett
"Dog Training - The Gentle Modern Method" by David Weston (uses food rewards and has a good explanation of how and why to use food in training)

"A-1 K-9 Six - week schedule of dog training" by Anet Haithcox (uses food and leash corrections)
"Dog Training in 10 Minutes" and also "The Chosen Puppy" by Carol Lea Benjamin (she is a very good trainer and one who does not recommend using food to train. Any of her books are good.)

These are just a few of the many books out there aimed at helping you gain a mutually enjoyable relationship with your puppy. Keep in mind - praise him when he's doing something right, and distract him away from what he's doing wrong. Set him up to succeed and downplay the mistakes. Simple!

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