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 [...]]]>

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.

It is important in your puppy’s first days that you understand what to expect from your puppy. You have to remember that in these early days that your puppy has no self-control and will do ever silly thing that pops up in their head. This attitude to life is [...]]]>

Puppy’s First Days

It is important in your puppy’s first days that you understand what to expect from your puppy. You have to remember that in these early days that your puppy has no self-control and will do ever silly thing that pops up in their head. This attitude to life is one part animal instinct and another part of natural lack of self-control that comes with being in a new world. In the first few months, do not expect them to make any good choices in behavior or any sense of being behaved. They will act on any urge until you can teach them to resist these temptations. Resist the urge to want to punish them in these early stages.

This cute and cuddly Yorkshire looks at home among his dolls.

While the Yorkie looks like a toy, remember to treat him as a growing

dog not an accessory to your lifestyle.

When it comes to puppy training in the early days, you have to place your expectations in the same range as what you would expect from a newborn baby. Their needs are just like a newborn who cries out for comfort or food. You wouldn’t spank a newborn for wanting these things and you should show the same sense of caring and restraint towards your puppy. Remember, they are not trying to get under your nerves but trying to communicate that they have needs that have to be met.

Akitas love to explore and make their environment their home,

so while it might be cute to let them roam around, remember that

if you don’t want them climbing on furniture as an adult

don’t let them do it as a puppy.

One of the true facts about puppies is that while there are some fundamental skills you can instill in them, you got to understand that they are still too young for any kind of formal training. In those first months, your job as an owner is more like a parent. It is your responsibility to just teach them new concepts, try to prevent them from making too many messes, and keep them safe from their own rambunctiousness. It is around five to six months old that is the best time to start with formal obedience training.

In the early period, most exploration that they will do is similar to a baby in the fact that they will use their mouth to explore their new surroundings. When they explore, you should look at this as a valuable thing as it means that your puppy is eager to know his new environment. While there will be areas that are off limits to your new friend, try to redirect him to safe places in a positive manner as to not crush his natural instinct to learn from exploration.

When it comes to puppy expectations, the best advice is to try to expect too much in this stage and give them the right amount of love and caring. I want to stress “the right amount” because new dog owners tend to lavish too much love and end up spoiling the puppy. This tends to lead to a dog that is harder to control and might develop attachment issues later in life. The best advice is to just enjoy these first few months and take lots of photos because they will not stay a puppy forever.

So, you have decided to add a new puppy to your life and your family. Hopefully, you have chosen a breed that is well suited for you and your family. Before puppy training begins, an important part of this choice is to understand what you expect of the dog as a puppy and as [...]]]>

So, you have decided to add a new puppy to your life and your family. Hopefully, you have chosen a breed that is well suited for you and your family. Before puppy training begins, an important part of this choice is to understand what you expect of the dog as a puppy and as an adult. This is crucial, especially if the dog is to serve a special purpose like herd dog, watch dog, or guard dog. Make sure that what you teach the puppy is not what you expect of an adult dog. Doing some research on dog training and breed selection should begin before the puppy comes home.
Before the puppy comes home, you should have already puppy-proofed your home. Make sure that whatever areas you are going to let the puppy roam are free of hazards: check for dangling cords, items left on the floor, dangerous chemicals that might be left out in the open. Puppies are curious, so make sure he is not harmed by his own curiosity!
Wherever you get your puppy from, make sure to discuss the puppy’s previous diet and bring home the same foods he was eating, if not, the change in diet could cause diarrhea. Also, it is good to have some toys and a blanket to bring along to introduce the puppy to you.

It is also good to have a dog crate to keep while training your puppy in for the first few days. Now, this isn’t a cruel thing and is actually beneficial for the puppy as he gets used to his new surroundings. It is good idea to make sure this is a small, easy to clean crate that will make house breaking easier. The crate should be big enough for the puppy to stand up, lie down, and turn around. Also, make sure it is portable so you can carry it to the bedroom at night that way the puppy doesn’t feel alone and you can hear if it goes to the bathroom in the middle of the night.

Once the puppy sets foot in the house, treat him exactly as you would want him to behave. Be consistent in your approach. If you don’t want him to jump on people or furniture, don’t let him do these things no matter how cute everyone thinks he is acting. Also, don’t just let him run around acting excited and hopping all over your family. Carry the puppy in your arms and introduce him to everyone first so that he can get to know everyone and become comfortable with his new family.
Most of all enjoy and love your new puppy and he will love you back! In the next article I will explore the first night with a new puppy and other issues of puppy training.
If you are looking for information relating to guard dogs, check out my other site www.guarddogsguide.com .

When bringing home that cute new maltipom or Yorkshire, you might want to immediately pick up the little fellow and smother it with all the love and affection you can muster. But in reality, your new little beagle has needs and boundaries that must be met. There will [...]]]>

Setting Goals in Puppy Training

When bringing home that cute new maltipom or Yorkshire, you might want to immediately pick up the little fellow and smother it with all the love and affection you can muster. But in reality, your new little beagle has needs and boundaries that must be met. There will be plenty of time to spoil your new puppy in the future but first you have to make his home his new doggy castle.

The goals for puppies should be focused around bringing confidence to your puppy. The puppy needs confidence in his environment, in your leadership, and most importantly, in himself. You need to socialize with them each day so they can experience new things. A new puppy needs stimulation like walks in the park, the smiles of new people, and the scents of new places. As your new friend will develop puppy behavior based off of how you act as a leader, you need to show confidence as pack leader and your puppy will respond in kind. They also need to be sure that their actions fit in with the new environment, so the more praise you give them; the more they feel that their actions are successful.

Another thing, his new puppy behavior has to be tailored around his new environment. He has to start to gain acceptance of the world around him and the only way this can happen is through good direction and constant praise. With basic puppy training, the idea is to expose your new roommate to all sorts of dog-friendly objects within your home and praise them when they investigate these treasures for themselves.

Lastly, your new puppy has to be able to understand that it is okay to be left alone. Too many new owners try to spend too much time with their new puppy, even allowing them to sleep in their bed. What happens is when he is left alone, he misses the interaction and can develop separation anxiety. Starting early with crate training allows your new friend to know where his place is and where he can go to get those moments of downtime.

Remember, when establishing basic puppy training that, while it is never a good thing to spoil him, it is also important to not have high expectations towards what skills he learns. Being a puppy in a new home for the first few months is about how he understands his environment and his new leaders and what positive and wonderful experiences are waiting for him each and every day.