Let’s Start Training
May 2010
Start Training Early ~ Puppies start to learn the moment they open their eyes and are most open to new experiences during the first four months. Start training your puppy the moment it is bought home. Good early habits endure and will result in a well behaved dog in the future.
Early Socialization ~ Help ensure your puppy meet and socialize with as many people as possible during the first four months. Going on outdoor trips, visiting friends who own pets, and walking along busy streets should all be part of your puppy's education. These positive experiences will allow your puppy to become comfortable with humans and reduce the likelihood of any future behavior problems. Limited contact with humans or other species can lead to development of certain characteristics such as shyness or fearful of strangers.
Mental And Physical Stimulation ~ Every puppy thrives on both mental and physical stimulation. Exposing your puppy to new environments and experiences early can greatly enhance your dog's interest in learning new things. Puppy walks or games are great ways to stimulate your pet both mentally and physically. If actively stimulated, your puppy will become healthier and adept at learning new training faster. This will also help strengthen the bond between you at the same time.
Hand Feed Your Puppy ~ When ever possible, hand feed your puppy. This teaches him/her to like human contact, even when your puppy is feeding from his food bowl. Not feeding from hand can lead your puppy to turn aggressive in the future to whomever that tries to get near him/her while feeding.
Biting And Chewing ~ Your puppy will certainly bite and chew while they play and investigate new things around them. If your puppy is teething; direct, encourage and reward your puppy to bite the right object (toy). Discourage and discipline by simply saying a firm "NO" and replace the object with the correct toy or training equipment.
Training Environments ~ Always begin your dog training inside the home where your dog stays. Your dog will learn faster when he/she is in a familiar environment. Outdoor training should only be attempted when your dog reliably obeys commands in your home. After each training sessions, make sure you play with your dog to help associate training as positive and fun
Step-by-Step Training ~ Always work on one new exercise, command per training session. This will allow your puppy to learn, understand and familiarize each training better and faster. Trying to introducing multiple items at one session can confuse your dog and lead to a slower learning curve. Instead, having patience with your dog will set up your dog training to be successful.
Words And Commands ~ Make sure you always use and repeat the same word or command for each particular training. Attempting to be creative will confuse your dog and prolong the training session.
Best Time To Train ~ The best time to train your dog is before each of its meal or feeding period. Your dog is hungry and will respond very well to food treats. This is especially useful if you are just starting out to train your dog or you have certain difficulty with a particular command or trick. Do balance your rewards with praises.
Offering Rewards ~ Whenever your dog obeys or performs to a certain command, praise and reward your dog immediately. Do not delay in giving rewards as you might be accidentally rewarding for the wrong behaviors. If in doubt, repeat the command again and reward accordingly. Once your dog is familiar with a particular command or training, start to give out your rewards randomly. This will allow your dog to continue to respond well to the same command or behavior as it won't know when is the next reward coming or even in the absence of any rewards.
Reprimands And Punishment ~ Never use any physical corrections or harsh yelling when you dog misbehave as this can cause fear and promote future aggressive behavior in your dog. Reprimand your dog by using a stern voice instead and only when you actually caught it misbehaving.
Training Sessions ~ Train you dog in short, frequent sessions. Dogs have a short attention span and will get easily distracted or bored. Train your dog for ten minutes each session and then play with him/her with its favorite toy to stimulate your dog's learning process. End the training with a positive note or with your dog wanting more. This will allow your dog to look forward to the next training session.