Top 10 Training Techniques For Basic Puppy Training

A few things to think about when embarking on the adventure of puppy training.

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Understand That Puppies are not Miniature Adults

Be realistic. Remember that you are dealing with a very young mind when it comes to the expectations that are appropriate for your especially little friend. Curiosity, plenty of energy, charm and ignorance! So don’t crush that little spirit by not being considerate enough about how it must be thinking. Treat the puppy right at this age and you have a friend for life.

Socialize your dog with other people and animals

Socializing your dog is a crucial aspect of its development, as company helps it to become comfortable with various situations, environments, people, and other dogs.

It is widely accepted that the best time to start socializing your puppy is between 16-20 weeks of age, as this is considered the “socialization window” – a period where they are most receptive to new experiences.

During this stage, it’s important to expose your pup to a variety of sights, sounds, and smells in a positive and controlled manner to help them develop a well-rounded understanding of their surroundings.

Even if your adult dog missed the socialization window, it’s still possible to help them overcome their fears and become more confident through positive and gradual exposure to new experiences.

Prevent accidents: mini gates, a crate, and/or a pen

This is related to the last tip. Think about the world from the point of view of the young soul that is now your responsibility. The pup doesn’t know about all the hidden dangers of the real world, or all of the ones in plain sight. This knowledge has to be learned slowly and usually somewhat painfully just like the rest of us!

When you’re not around the house or yard, make sure that the pup can’t accidentally get into trouble by keeping dangerous things out of reach.

Safe distractions like chewing toys should be handy so that there is some distraction and entertainment to take advantage of. Just as a child needs supervision around the house to make sure nothing bad happens, puppies need the same careful supervision.

Eliminating opportunities for accidents will get you through the puppy phase with most of your stuff intact! This helps prevent bad habits from forming when the pup is till young.

Use Positive Reinforcement for Puppy Training

All training should be based around the idea of Positive Reinforcement. Your approval and attention is actually the highest reward from the dog’s point of view.

The art of training is for your dog to actually know what your intention is . Just because we want the dog to do what say doesn’t mean s/he understands. However, s/he wants to understand!

So show approval when they get it right, whether it’s a treat, a pat and an encouraging word. Knowing exactly the optimal level of approval is the art of training. Carefully observing dog training experts and professionals can teach you a lot about this art of the appropriate demeanor and response.

Don’t overfeed your dog however. The aim is to understand your dog and learn to anticipate its actions.

Have Realistic Expectations

Changing behavior takes time. The saying goes “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks”, however the truth is it will just take longer.

Being clear and comprehensible in the signals you send, consistent in how you train, as well as having a firm though not harsh voice are important.

But you will need a lot of patience as well. It is a learning and growing experience for the owner/trainer as much as it is for the pup!

Train Little and Often

When training, the key to success is short and frequent sessions.

The American Kennel Club recommends keeping each session to a maximum of five minutes. Longer sessions can lead to distraction and frustration for your dog, especially for pups and younger dogs.

It’s also important to remember that dogs often struggle to understand that commands should be followed consistently across different situations and environments.

For example, asking for a “sit” at home is the same as asking for a “sit” on a busy street.

That’s why it’s essential to repeat your training sessions in different locations, with different people, and with varying levels of distractions. This will help your pup learn to respond correctly to the same command every time.

Be Consistent in Your Training

For dogs to effectively learn and adopt new habits, it is important for them to receive consistent messaging. This requires not just consistency in the way you train your dog, such as using the same word and intonation when commanding them, but also consistency across all members of your household.

Everyone in the household (including the dog, of course!) must follow the same rules and guidelines.

If not, your dog will become confused and frustration and disappointment will result, and progress in future training will be set back as well.

For example, if your household has established a rule that the dog is not allowed on the couch, make sure that everyone is aware and maintains upholding the rule vis-a-vis your furred friend.

By maintaining consistency in your training and household rules, you can effectively communicate with your dog and help them learn and adopt new habits more efficiently.

Building Behaviors in Stages: A Progressive Approach

When training your fuzzy companion, starting small can prove to be an effective approach, especially when it comes to complex behaviors like “stay” or behavior modification.

Breaking down these behaviors into smaller components makes it easier for your dog to grasp and understand what is expected of them.

For instance, when training the “come” command, it’s crucial to acknowledge and reward even the smallest effort from your dog. Encourage and praise your dog for taking even one step towards you.

This will help lay the foundation for gradually building up the behavior until it becomes second nature to them. By following this progressive approach, you’ll avoid overwhelming your dog and increase the chances of successfully training them.

You will start to feel the bond of communication grow, which brings with a bond of trust and then anticipation, where your dog will get to know what is expected of its behavior.

Dogs perceive and sense small aspects of our mood and body language that we ourselves are usually unaware of. Building up trust through graduated, bite-size steps is a reliable way to make progress. It uses the natural intelligence of the dog to build good foundations.

Use Your Hands When Training

While dogs are highly perceptive and intelligent, they do not always comprehend verbal commands in the same way as humans.

Therefore, incorporating hand signals in your training sessions can greatly enhance your dog’s understanding and responsiveness.

For instance, when training the “come” command, you can start by using hand signals such as extending your arm and patting your leg to signal your dog to come to you.

Additionally, if your dog is accustomed to hand signals in training, it will help her understanding your intention when she gets a command in noisy environments where verbal commands may not be heard clearly, as well as for dogs who are deaf or have hearing difficulties,.

Overall, combining both hand signals and verbal commands in your training regimen can provide an extra layer of clarity for your dog and help establish strong, clear communication between you and your fine furry companion.

Here is a video with a 10 minute morning routine to set a consistent pattern of expectation in your pup:

Choose a Qualified Trainer

To ensure that you and your fine furry favorite receive the best possible training, consider seeking the assistance of a professional dog trainer. Look through the listings on the Listing page. With years of experience and a wealth of knowledge in their field, these experts can provide invaluable guidance and support, helping you to achieve your training goals quickly and effectively.