Getting a new puppy is downright exciting, let’s be honest! Puppies are cute, they’re cuddly, and they’re just plain fun. However, along with the joys of having a puppy also come plenty of challenges. There’s a lot of responsibility involved with training a pup to ensure they grow up to be well-behaved adult dogs.
Knowing the right puppy training techniques is critical, however, not everyone knows where to get started. To help you, here are some of the most basic puppy training techniques that you’ll need to know.
Stay Consistent
Many people start out with the intention of consistently training their puppy, only to let things slide as time goes on. However, the more that you let things slide, the more that the bad habits will become, well— habits.
If you set a rule in place, stick to it and don’t go back on your word. Remember, the rules are set in place for a reason. If you’re cooking outside, you don’t want your puppy under your feet, or begging for food. Make sure that they understand certain behaviors will not be tolerated, and they’ll start to respect these rules as time goes on. Consistency is everything when it comes to enforcing the rules.
Encourage Good Behavior
Dogs are much more motivated to keep up good behavior if you can provide positive reinforcement. In other words, don’t only focus on letting them know when they do things wrong, but also remind them when they do things right. Positive reinforcement is everything when it comes to teaching them good behavior.
Positive reinforcement can come in many forms. Usually, a nice pat on the head followed by a “good girl” or” good boy” is perfect for helping them understand good behavior. You can also try giving treats. Remember to be patient, and avoid harsh punishments. This can encourage anxiety and nervous behavior.
Socialize
One of the biggest mistakes you can make when you have a new puppy is forgetting the importance of socialization. It’s critical that your puppy is exposed to different people, animals and environments. If you wait too long to expose your puppy to different scenarios and experiences, your puppy may develop behavioral problems down the road. Introduce new experiences early on gradually. Make sure they get to experience new sights and sounds and offer treats and praise as you go.
For extra socialization, you might want to consider enrolling them in puppy training classes as this can be especially beneficial for getting them to interact with other dogs in a controlled and safe environment.
This will also give you the opportunity to learn from the instructor, as they will have different advice to give you and may have special pointers for your particular dog.
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