Training Puppies
Puppies are cute and cuddly, but they’re also a lot of work! Proper training is an integral part of owning a puppy. If you don’t train your puppy, it could become destructive and disobedient.
Here’s how to get your puppy off on the right paw for life.
Crate training
Crate training is recommended from an early age so your dog understands that the crate is a safe place only used when he needs to be away from family members and other pets. This way, he won’t be afraid of being in his crate when he gets older because he’ll associate it with fun things like food or toys instead of punishment and stress.
Crate training can also help with potty training because puppies are less likely to soil themselves if they’re not able to get out of their crates until they’ve been let outside. We have an in-depth guide on crate training that you can find here.
Puppy Biting
Biting is an expected puppy behavior. Puppies bite and play roughly with each other and their human owners, so it’s difficult to avoid being bitten during training. However, you can train your pet not to bite by following these steps:
- Avoid letting your puppy grab onto things with his mouth whenever possible.
- Stop playing rough with your puppy or another animal that bites too hard, and ignore them for several minutes until they calm down.
- Distract and refocus
For a more in-depth discussion on biting, check out our recent blog on the topic here
Leash Training
It seems like every adult dog is a natural at walking on a leash, right? Wrong – it takes work to get your young pup to walk on a leash and become a well-trained adult dog on a walk, but it’s possible!
Follow these steps:
- Start with a lightweight non-retractable leash.
- Use a collar that fits your puppy. A collar should never be too tight; it doesn’t need to be snug around their neck, but it should not slip off easily either.
- Make sure your puppy is comfortable with the leash before starting training exercises! Let them play with their leash inside before taking them outdoors on it.
- Start small and use their leash in a controlled environment to get them used to it.
- Use the leash for longer periods of time and take short walks, gradually building up for a jaunt around the neighborhood.
If you have more questions on leash training, check out this article.
Take a deep breath and remember that puppies do not come with an instruction manual. They will make mistakes, but it’s up to you to help them learn from them.
Be patient and loving, and try not to get frustrated at your puppy for doing what comes naturally for them! Remember, the key to ensuring your new puppy is well-trained is to start immediately and seek professional help if and when needed.
