You’re going to get a new puppy! This is a really exciting time in your life, and it’s easy to daydream about all the fun things but, there’s a lot you can do ahead of time to ensure your puppy becomes part of the family!
Balancing commitments it is imperative that you train your dog to ensure that you and those who live with you have a peaceful time. Every dog should have a few basic commands such as sit, down, stop, bed and stop talking.
A badly behaved dog is difficult to live with, and if a dog doesn’t understand what it is being asked to do it can be very stressful. Dogs work best with clear guidelines of what they are expected to do.
Basic Training Before you take your puppy out, introduce your puppy to his collar and lead. Start with a light collar and let them get used to wearing it on its own.
Do not buckle it too tightly – just enough to stop it slipping over his head. First, accustom them to the lead rather than trying to make them walk with it on.
Taking Your Puppy Out The lead is essential for keeping your puppy under control in public places and for the basic training every young dog must be given. Coax them to follow you by praise but if he tries to get away just hold the lead until he realises there is no escape.
Once your dog is used to the collar, you can begin the basic training, designed to turn them into a quiet, respectful and social animal.
The Basic Rules Make sure that the approach to training is consistent. Reward them with a show of affection and by stroking them when they do well. Do not punish a dog for not obeying a command. Simply withhold the reward or they will associate the command with punishment. Keep the lessons short and make it fun for the dog to learn.
Training a dog needs patience; it is useful to use short words of command with vowels that sound clearly different. The first four essentials are
- HEEL
- SIT
- COME
- DOWN
Knowing Your Dog It is vital that everyone in the household is able to tell when the dog is happy, afraid, nervous and angry.
Make sure your dog has safe toys to play with to stop them getting bored. It is important that a dog’s bed is far away from the front door as it gives the dog more time to make a decision on new visitors at the door, minimising the chances of any unwanted aggression.
11 Puppy training tips
- Train your dog in general obedience so that you have control at all times
- Feed your dog at regular times and keep to a routine
- Feed your dog from their own dish and not dishes that you would use
- Keep your dog on a lead anywhere near the road, or where there are farm animals
- Do not allow your dog to ‘do their business’ on walkways, buildings, lawns and gardens or open spaces where children play. Always clean up after them.
- Do not allow your dog to be noisy and disturb the neighbours
- Provide your dog with their own bed. Don’t let them sleep in yours.
- Never take your dog into a food shop
- Keep your dog clean and regularly groomed
- Register your pet as a patient and yourself as a client with the veterinary surgeon.
- Make proper arrangements for the care of your pet when you are going on holidays.