Monday, November 5, 2007

Basics of Puppy Training

Ever heard of the expression “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks”? Well this should tell you that basic training of commands and behavior should come at the early ages of puppyhood and should continue well into the teen ages of a dog.

If you don’t know the basics of training a dog then ask the person who sold you the dog. He should be your first mentor when it comes to puppy training. Up to the first 21 days of his life a puppy should be left alone and the owner should only base his training in the way of enforcing his love and trust on the puppy. Usually a puppy is given into care of a new master after four weeks and after it got its first lessons in where to and not to relieve itself.

Now even if it’s a puppy do not hesitate to show authority and let it be known who is actually in charge because if this cannot be established in the early stages of puppyhood then at a later stage rambunctiousness and bad behavior are to follow. Now the main thing to care for is to make sure not to use any form of punishment while training a puppy since it usually surmounts to nothing else than the puppy getting hurt. What should be done is stating a clear “no” to the puppy and also using the hands to block the pup’s negative actions. In case of rewarding a positive action treats are to be used as well as touching and making sure the puppy understands he did a good thing in its training.

Another thing to be kept in mind is working only for short periods of time since the younglings can get bored quickly. Also, repetition of a certain exercise is very good since it gives the puppy more chances to learn the difference between doing it right and doing it wrong. Once you started training a puppy you should keep in mind that patience and confidence go a long way towards building a strong bond with your dog. While training you should also keep it simple and always talk to the puppy. Simply hearing your words should keep the dog’s attention alert and keep it eager to please and learn.

If in the early stages of puppyhood it should be hands on technique and when a bit older you should try the reverse, meaning when it does something wrong no treats or caresses for it.

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