It’s never too early to start teaching your puppy basic commands and tricks. But where do you start? We’ll explain it to you in this guide!
Source: dogszoom
The basics of puppy education
Puppies learn very quickly! It is important to start teaching basic commands (such as where to do his/her needs) as early as 7 or 8 weeks, if it has not been started before. At the beginning, keep the training sessions short — 5 or 10 minutes maximum a couple of times a day — and then increase the duration as time goes by. This way, your hairy will be interested all the time and won’t get bored. Stock up on delicious cookies to suit your puppy. You can also use pieces of chicken or cheese to reward him/her. Use a lot of positive reinforcement — when your dog responds correctly to commands, reward him with sweets, fine words or affectionate gestures. Don’t blame him if he makes a mistake or if he doesn’t learn a trick quickly, as this could slow him down in the future.
Important: Never get nervous, have fun and enjoy these moments with your dog!
Teach your puppy his name
Teaching your dog his name and responding to your calls is the basis of training. Teach your puppy to associate his name with something beautiful (every time he hears his name it means that something beautiful starts). Choose a relaxed environment, call your dog by name and reward him with a treat immediately afterwards. Wait a couple of minutes and repeat the exercise. Practice it a couple of times a day until you see your puppy looking into your eyes when he/she hears his/her name. Next step — call your puppy by name when he’s/she’s distracted doing something else (playing or running) and if he/she looks at you when he/she hears you, tell him/her words like “good” or “yes” and give him/her a treat. If, on the other hand, your four-legged friend does not respond to your call, wait a couple of minutes and try again. It’s really important never to use his/her name to reproach him/her or use it too many times. Make sure that your dog’s name is always associated with something positive!
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How to Potty Train a Puppy
Puppies grow quickly and eat more than adult dogs, but at the same time, they have not yet learned how to hold back their needs. This means that you can find “little presents” at home. The good news is that they quickly learn to pee and poop outside the house! Start by taking them out when they wake up after they’ve been drinking or eating, every couple of hours and before they go to bed. Put some newspaper near the door so that your puppy can go there if he can’t hold himself back. Slowly, move the paper closer and closer to the door until he’s out of the house. Whenever your dog does his/her leaving outside, reward him with a treat or fine words. If your dog is persistently smelling inside the house or surrounding an area, take him out as soon as possible. If your puppy happens to be doing his/ her, at home, don’t yell at him. Take your puppy outside or to a different room and clean as soon as possible.
Teach your puppy how to sleep through the night
To teach your dog to sleep through the night, be sure to respect this routine before going to bed: a tired puppy is a happy puppy. Make sure that your canine friend gets a lot of exercise during the day. Half an hour before bedtime, avoid the games and help your dog to calm down and relax. 20 minutes before bedtime, take your puppy out of bed. If he doesn’t have to pee, he’ll be asleep all night. Create a comfortable space for your dog to sleep. Put a soft cover and your dog’s favorite toys in the kennel. Slowly lay your puppy in his/her bed without talking to him. Once he’s leaning, leave the room and go to bed. In the first few days or weeks your puppy may cry when you go to bed, but you’ll have to try to ignore him or he’ll get used to crying every time you go to him. You’ll have to be patient and wait until he realizes that the night is made for sleeping. If your dog wakes up and complains during the night, he might want to tell you that he needs to pee or poop. Take him out without talking to him to keep him calm. When you get back, put him back in his cot and, if you want, give him a prize.
How to teach your puppy basic commands
Teaching these basic commands to your puppy means keeping him active and stimulated.
Teaching to sit
Hold a cookie in your hand and place it in front of your dog’s nose. Then move your hand slowly upwards. Your dog’s nose will follow your hand and this movement will naturally guide him to sit down. When his butt touches the floor, give him the cookie and tell him positive words. Start doing this exercise faster and introduce the word “sit down” when his butt touches the floor. After much practice, try saying the word “sit down” and see if your puppy sits down. If he does, give him a prize. If he doesn’t, go back to previous steps and repeat.
Teaching how to lie down
Ask your dog to sit down. Take a cookie in your hand and place it in front of his nose. Then move your hand slowly downwards until he follows you with his body. When his belly touches the floor, give him the cookie. Start doing this exercise faster and introduce the word “lie down” or “stay down” when his belly touches the floor. After much practice, try saying the word “lie down” and see if your puppy lies down. If he does, give him a prize. If he doesn’t, go back to previous steps and repeat.
Teaching to stand still
Ask your dog to sit down. Raise your hand and say “stop” or “wait”. Take a step back. If your dog stays still, give him/her a treat and tell him/her nice words. Gradually increase the number of backwards steps before giving the treat. Slowly reach up to 5 or 6. If your dog does not sit, minimize the distance with him/her.
Biting
Puppies use their mouths to play and explore new things. As the owner, it’s your duty to teach them what’s right and what’s not. In a litter, if a little one becomes too heavy or bites too hard during the game, the other litters will make a shrill sound (the equivalent of our human “Hey”). You can imitate this behavior during playtime. If he bites too loudly, make a shrill sound and get away from him for a minute — this way the dog will understand that when he bites loudly the game ends and he/she will quickly learn the type of bite allowed and the one not allowed.
Source: dogszoom