Puppy Training

Okay, so you thought you really wanted a puppy, but now he is whining and crying and you can’t get any sleep. Before you decide to get rid of the little critter, realize just what is going on with your pet.
Dogs are pack animals and you have just separated the young pup from his family. If you are going to train your puppy, you got to understand that he is just acting normal. He knows by instinct that being separated from his family is dangerous and is looking for his pack.

The best way to deal with your puppy’s first night is with preparation and the proper puppy training techniques. After he has had fun with his new home, meeting his new family, make sure to take his food and water away at least four hours before your bedtime. Don’t let him nap during this time because if you do he will be ready to play when you want to go to sleep.

For the best way to go about training the puppy, make sure that he spends the night in your room. He needs to be constantly reassured that you are his new pack leader. If the breeder had already began crate training, than put the crate in your room for the night. Otherwise, tether him to something and put an old blanket or sweater with your scent down. It is not a good idea to let him sleep on the bed because he will treat this behavior as normal.

Puppies don’t usually soil the area where they sleep, but it is a good idea to get up a few times in the night to help relieve his small bladder. Also, if he does whine in the night, it is a good to learn the difference between a cry for attention and a cry for a bathroom break. If it has been a couple of hours since he made a sound, this is a good sign that the puppy needs to go to the bathroom. If he cries at other times, just reach down and give him a quick reassurance. Don’t pick him up and cuddle him, because this is not proper reinforcement and could create problems later on. If it continues, the best thing is to ignore him. I know this sounds mean, but you don’t want to reinforce a stern, then sympathetic routine that confuses the pet. He will eventually learn that crying in the night has no rewards.

Most importantly, in the morning, get up immediately, pick up the puppy and take the puppy outside to do his business. If you let him walk on his own, he might find a different more convenient spot along the way. Now you are ready to begin your first day of puppy training.