‘puppy training’ Articles
You can start training your puppy practically as soon as you get him home. You can take him to puppy training classes of course, but it isn’t so difficult to learn puppy training techniques and teach him yourself. Dogs are like children and learn quickly through games. Try to play with your puppy as often as you can, and if possible get down on the floor with him. That way a bond will be established between you and the puppy and you can strengthen it through training. When he is about eight weeks old your puppy will be old enough to start learning how to retrieve things, bring them to you and lay them at your feet. He will find this fun and enjoy playing “fetch” for the rest of his life.
The best way to teach him this game is to keep him on a 10-foot leash. Rather than using a stick, use a toy he is familiar with or a soft ball. It is important to ensure that it isn’t too small, to prevent him from swallowing it. Take the toy and wave it in the air around his head to catch his attention, and then throw it at a distance of about 5 feet. Be careful not to throw it further than that or he might injure himself when he suddenly reaches the end of the leash. Make sure you use his name, for example “Prince, fetch!”
Run after him as he goes after the toy and give him a bit of praise, especially if he picks it up, but do not praise him too much at this point. If he fails to pick it up with his mouth, shake it in front of him until he does, and then return to where you were, trying to get him to follow you. Should he drop the toy you must make him pick it up again. When he brings it back, get the toy out of his mouth saying “Out” as you do so, so that he will learn to recognize this command. After that you can lavish all the praise you want on him.
It is important when training a new puppy to make sure he always has fun with this game and that it is not a source of stress for him. Little by little he will begin to understand what you want and what he needs to do to get praise from you. Once you no longer have to move towards the toy to get him to retrieve, you can begin to throw it in other directions.
Although Labrador retrievers are good swimmers, this is something they need to learn, and they need to strengthen their swimming muscles through exercise. It is not a good idea to push your puppy into the water or make him go in. When he is about three months old you can encourage him to enter a pond or lake and he will quickly understand what to do. You can help him get started by wading in with him at the beginning, and if he sees other dogs having fun in the water that will encourage him to get in on the fun.
Puppies that are raised by the sea become great sea-lovers, but you have to be sure to protect a young puppy from big waves. Take him to the shallow part of a sheltered bay to begin with. When you throw an object make sure it does not fall into deep water as it is easy to misjudge distances and your puppy might not be able to swim back if the object is too far away, and risks drowning from exhaustion.
Don’t make the mistake of thinking that it’s safe to let your puppy swim in your pool. He might go in alone when you are not looking and not be able to climb out when he gets tired.
Alberto grew up in the Argentinean countryside where he was always in close contact with animals, especially dogs, cats and horses. He spent a lot of time with the local veterinarian, first out of curiosity, and later on as an occasional assistant. Check out his Web site where you will find valuable information that will help you give your pet the best care. http://www.trainingyourpet.net
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Getting a new puppy is always an exciting adventure, but training them can be a feat. Free puppy training tip lists are readily available, and can can be very useful when attempting to train a new puppy at home. The following paragraphs will discuss some ways to locate these free puppy training tip lists including:
• paper publications
• animal organizations
• the internet
• other pet owners
Paper publications for animal lovers often have free puppy training tip lists included inside. It is a good idea to check the cover, then the table of contents to find the free puppy training tip lists. Sometimes the paper publications may offer past issues that contain the free puppy training tip lists you desire. These back issues are often available for purchase by mailing in the order form.
Another great source of free puppy training tip lists are animal organizations in your area. Many veterinarians, dog training services, humane societies, and pet supply stores will offer free puppy training tip lists in the form of free literature. You can visit these different establishments in your area to obtain these free puppy training tip lists to help you with training your new puppy.
The world wide web is a huge source in obtaining free puppy training tip lists. With the internet growing so rapidly in popularity, more and more trainers and pet owners are sharing their knowledge through web pages. By browsing these different web pages, you can find many free puppy training tip lists, as well as many other aids in training your new puppy.
Finally, the last source of locating free puppy training lists are from family and friends. Many pet owners enjoy sharing their knowledge, and would gladly give you free puppy training tip lists. Who would know better about training a puppy than someone who has done it?
While the joys of adopting a new puppy can be enormous, the stresses of training that new puppy can be just as huge. Obtaining free puppy training tip lists is easy and can be extremely effective in aiding in training your new puppy with less stress. With free puppy training tip lists so easily available, reducing the stress of training your puppy will be a breeze!
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Puppy training is often considerably easier than training an adult or adolescent dog. One reason is that the puppy is essentially a “blank slate”, untroubled by past training techniques and other issues. Another more indirect reason is that you are probably more likely to spend more time and have greater patience with your new puppy than you would after the “novelty” has worn off somewhat. And it tends to be human nature to have greater patience with young (dogs and people), since we know that they’re inexperienced in life and they’re usually eager to learn.
In other ways, however, the puppy can be a little more difficult to train than an older dog. One challenge to training a new puppy is that puppies are more easily distractible than older dogs. Everything is new to a puppy, and every new experience provides a new chance for distraction. For this reason, it is best to keep training sessions short when working with a puppy, and to end each training sessions on a positive note.
It is also important to allow the puppy plenty of time to play, and to interact with other puppies and dogs. Socialization training is vital to making your new puppy a good canine citizen, as dog aggression is a growing problem in many areas. A properly socialized dog learns how to play properly with other dogs, and overly aggressive play is punished by the other dogs in the play group.
This type of play learning is something that happens among siblings in litters of puppies. As the puppies play with each other, they learn what is appropriate and what is not. Inappropriate behavior, such as hard biting or scratching, is punished by the other puppies, by the mother dog, or both.
Failure to properly socialize can be a major problem with your dog, and it is an important reason for always buying from a responsible breeder, and never taking your puppy home before he is 8 weeks of age. A large proportion of this important socialization experience occurs in those last weeks with the puppy’s mother and siblings.
A responsible and experienced breeder knows this, and will never allow prospective puppy owners take puppies home until 8 weeks of age, but it is nevertheless a very important and useful fact to be aware of yourself.
Unfortunately, many puppies are removed from their mothers and sold or adopted before this socialization has fully occurred. In these instances, even more than ever, puppy play sessions initiated by you are a very important part of any puppy training session. Most good puppy preschool training programs provide time in each session for this type of dog interaction.
Introducing your puppy to new experiences and new locations is also an important part of puppy training. Teaching your dog to be obedient and responsive, even in the face of many distractions, is very important when training dogs and puppies.
One great way to socialize your puppy both to new people and new dogs is to take it on a trip to your local pet store. Many major pet store chains, and some independent ones as well, allow pet parents to bring their furry children, and these stores can be great places for puppies to get used to new sights, sounds and smells. Of course you will want to make sure the store allows pets before heading over, and you will also want to keep the visits fairly short, both for your puppy’s sake, and in consideration of the pet store personnel.
It is important for puppy owners to structure their pet’s environment so that the puppy is rewarded for good behaviors and not rewarded for others. One good example of this is jumping on people. Many people inadvertently reward this behavior because it can be cute. While it is true that jumping can be cute for a 10 pound puppy, it will not be so cute when that puppy has grown into a 100 pound dog.
Laughing at your puppy, or paying any attention to him at all when he jumps up, will be interpreted as a reward by your puppy – he will learn that he will receive attention from you when he does this. So be very careful not to confuse your puppy. There are two strategies for undesired behaviors – firmly saying “No” to your puppy, and/or ignoring the behavior completely. For “repeat offenders”, the ignoring method works best, as it is possible that your puppy will be interpreting ANY attention (even you saying “No” to him) as a reward for the behavior.
Conversely, of course, good behaviors should be rewarded immediately (either with treats or simply with lots of attention and fuss – saying “Good boy” in a very positive tone of voice, and stroking your dog at the same time is often just as well received as treats are). This type of positive reinforcement will result in a well behaved adult dog that is a valued member of both the family and the community at large.
The positive reinforcement method can also be used in potty training the new puppy. Teaching a puppy to use a unique surface such as gravel or asphalt is a good technique. The theory is that the puppy will associate this surface with going potty, and therefore be reluctant to use other surfaces (like your kitchen carpet for example) as a potty. Many puppies can, with a little patience, be readily trained to use the same spot for toileting. This is a great technique, as it will train your puppy to go “on command”, and will save you having to scour the back yard when cleaning up after your puppy.
Tags: Importance, Play, Puppy, Socialization, Training
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do you have any tips on puppy traing like teaching them to sit, stay, and potting training.
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When and How Do I Train My Puppy?
Anyone who has ever had a dog knows that training a new puppy is a challenge, but essential. With any new dog, puppy training starts the day that you bring your new pet home and continues for months as they continue to learn the basics becoming a part of the family. By the time you bring your new puppy home they are ready to learn. In fact, puppies can be trained from a very early age as long as we don’t expect too much of them right away. By natural design the mother dog has been educating her litter for several weeks, preparing them to survive on their own. By seven weeks the puppy’s development allows him to leave the mother and ensures the strongest human ties and best socialization possible. Older puppies may be less inclined to attach to humans right away, but eventually with love and affection and our constant interaction the bond will be just as strong. No matter what age you bring your puppy home, the important thing to remember is that they are ready to learn, they just need patience and practice!
Dog training at this early stage will focus on the essentials; house training, chewing, digging, jumping, and learning to wear a collar and walk on a leash. The most important thing to remember about training your puppy is that you are creating boundaries and establishing house rules that will be in place for a lifetime, making your time together the best possible. The groundwork you lay today will allow you to have a wonderful, productive relationship with your dog every day.
Responding To His/Her Name:
The first place to start training is to begin training your puppy to respond to his name being called. You can begin by calling the puppy’s name as you feed him his meals so that the puppy starts to associate his or her name with his food- a good thing! After a few days you can change the order, so that you call his name, wait for him to look at you, and then give him a treat. Once he’s responding on a regular basis, you can phase out the treats, using your voice (good puppy!) and your and petting to praise him and let him know that you are pleased with him. Treats can still be used on an unpredictable schedule as a reward, but the puppy is responding to your voice and praise more than looking for his payment of the food or treats. Having your dog recognize his name and respond by looking at you will prepare him for dog obedience, puppy training classes and more!
House Training
On his first day in your home you should begin house training your puppy. Most people are surprised, but house training is one of the easiest things to teach a dog. Because dogs are clean by nature and do not want to soil their ‘den’, it can be particularly useful to use the crate method of house training. The first thing to keep in mind with house training is that you must supervise your puppy closely and give the pup the chance to go outside when he has to relieve herself.
Young puppies are not ready to have full access to your whole house, it will overwhelm and either intimidate or over-excite them. One of the biggest pitfalls in house training fails is when people allow their puppy more freedom than he can handle within the home and don’t supervise his initial experiences going potty outside. It is important for owners to set aside time to take the new puppy out, watch them go and bring them back in so that the puppy begins to understand how you want them to handle their natural urges. We can give a general outline of what you can need to do to maximize house training, remember that you should always consult a professional trainer to guide you through the process.
Method One: Crate Training
You can tap into the puppy’s natural desire to be clean and not soil the area in which he sleeps by using a crate. Using a crate to replicate the safe, secure “den” environment can aid your house training efforts, as long as he is given the opportunity to get out of his crate when necessary.
After hooking the puppy to a leash, let him out from the dog crate and take him out to the area, the backyard, a nearby park or green space, where you want him to ‘go’ or ‘eliminate’. If he goes, praise him. If he does not then put him back into his crate and try again in about 15 minutes or so. Continue with this dog training cycle, building a routine for you and your dog. If an outing is successful, then you can allow the pup some freedom for twenty minutes or so and you can gradually extended the time as he grows older and more reliable about not having accidents in the house. Remember a seven-week-old puppy does not have a great deal of bladder control, so accidents are nearly impossible to avoid completely. You can not expect the puppy to go more than a few hours without having to eliminate, and don’t expect him to wait once he is out of his crate to go, instead take him straight outside to avoid any problems.
Before taking your puppy out for the first time, decide what word or phrase you would like to associate with his behavior or action that you desire. In the beginning, the puppy won’t understand the word, but if you use “hurry up”, or “go potty” and continue to repeat the phrase until he goes, praising him/her when it happens, your puppy will learn to associate these words with the action. Later, when in a hurry or inclement weather you can use the cue word to get your dog to relieve himself in quick time, without having to wait in the scorching sun, or freezing rain.
Method Two: Crate Training with Doggy Door
Another, and many say easier, method for house training is to use a crate with a dog door and an enclosed dog run. First, you position the dog crate against the dog door which will allow the dog to go out whenever he needs. Because his small size, the dog door may need to be taped or otherwise rigged up so the puppy can comfortably go through the dog door. With the crate set up to the dog door, your puppy learns quickly to let himself out of his containment area to relieve himself. This method also helps him develop some independence always having his human to watch over him. One important thing to consider with this system is that when you first let your puppy out of his crate, you should still take your puppy immediately to the outside area so that he can go. Even though your crate has access to the outside, puppy may have been resting and not recently “emptied out.” It won’t take much excitement or physical movement for the puppies need to “go” to be present and we don’t want mistakes that could easily have been prevented.
When the pup isn’t in his crate, you need to use constant supervision to keep him from having accidents. The best way to have a constant eye on your puppy is to literally tie or tether the pup to your waist with a leash or line, or you can tether him to a piece of furniture, but be sure that he has no more than three feet of freedom in any direction. Remember that a puppy tethered to furniture should be watched carefully or he may chew it. Crating, supervising and tethering are examples of management systems used to support the dog until he is fully trained.
Because dogs are inherently pack animals, they prefer to be with us rather than to be alone. Most cases of adult “separation anxiety” would never develop if the dog, as a puppy, had been trained in the one of the management systems just described because early on the puppy would learn to deal with being alone, handling is own needs, without access to chew or destroy things. Give it a try and see if it benefits your new puppy and your family.
Remote Collar Training:
Have you wondered if using a remote electronic collar can work for training a puppy? The answer is, yes. Why? Because the Sit Means Sit remote collar training system, developed by Fred Hassen, is a proven, effective and gentle training method tailored individually to your dog’s needs. Dog training, obedience, puppy, and even agility training are well suited to the remote collar training method. Sit Means Sit uses the better quality remote collars on the market, which means that these are fully adjustable for different dogs. The remote collar is used as a cue system similar to a tap on the shoulder that says “yoo-hoo” to someone in an effort to let them know you are talking to them. In other words, the collar is never used with a puppy as punishment, but instead as a means to successfully gain the puppy’s attention. In any case, you should seek a professional’s advice and aid in this type of training to avoid any elements of confusion for your pup.
Is there a specific age at which dogs can begin remote collar training? No. Common sense will tell you when your dog is physically coordinated enough to go for walks on a leash, which is a good indicator that he is ready for further training. Another indicator may be when he is active enough that you feel he is ready for more advanced training. He’s your pup knowing when he is ready for further training is personal choice akin to whether your child is ready for kindergarten. Some children are ready at just under five while some need another year. Pups, like kids, mature at individual rates. He’s your puppy, enjoy him but remember he needs rules, supervision, attention, exercise, good positive mental outlets, good food and lots of rest to grow up strong, healthy and well behaved!
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