Puppy Training (Part 1)
Cassandra Bell
June 13, 2005
Training a puppy is something that requires patience, above all. Most puppies want to please their owners, but it will take them time to know exactly what you want from them. Remember that as much a part of the family as they are, they are not people, and shouldn't be set to those standards. Don't expect a puppy under 3 months old to respond to any obedience commands. Do not expect too much from a puppy. Most puppies are not patient enough to learn if they are younger than 3 months old.
If you want an obedient dog, it is advisable that you do your research on dog breeds. Some dog breeds are stubborn; it doesn't mean they are "stupid," it just means they need to be given more time to train than an eager, willing to please breed of dog, like the German Shepherd.
House training is one of the most arduous of tasks of puppy training. It is imperative that an "accident" which a puppy makes on the carpet, must be cleaned thoroughly and immediately with a suitable cleaning product. You can find good products, specifically designed to clean puppy "messes," at pet supply stores such as Petsmart or Petco. If there is the smallest trace left of the accident, the puppy will possibly go back to it and do the same thing again. After the area has been cleaned, you many even want to cover the cleaned up area with a newspaper, or “Wee Wee” pad. Try to keep a newspaper or “Wee Wee” pad in every room of the house. Puppy’s bladders are weak, and they may not be able to “hold it in” until they get to the next room.
Always encourage the puppy when he displays correct behavior. It is best to praise him and enourage him as much as possible, with affection and kind words. Treats may also be a good idea, though repetitive use of treats is usually not good for puppies. They may become spoiled on the treats and, as a result, avoid their nutritional puppy food.
The puppy’s ears also need to be cleaned out a few times a week, with specially designed ear wipes.
If chewing is a problem and the puppy has destructive tendencies, it is important to know that during most of their early months, that they are "teething." They need the proper chew toys. Rawhide is given to some puppies, however, I do not recommend it. It is not worth the risk of the puppy choking, and there have been documented cases where puppies have not survived as a result of rawhide getting lodged in their throats. Make sure that any toy you purchase for your puppy is “indestructible,” if possible. Nylabones or puppy “Kong” toys are usually the safest toys. Puppy "Kong" toys are usually for puppies that are 2 months old or more. Avoid “squeaky” toys, fleece toys, vinyl toys, or cow hooves. Just because they are on the shelf at the local store, does not necessarily make them “safe.” Try to get a variety of safe chew toys, in case he loses interest in one.
In order to leash train a puppy, first let the puppy get used to wearing a puppy collar. He needs to be comfortable with the collar. Make sure your finger can fit comfortably under the collar; if it can't, it is probably too tight on the puppy. Note: Collars should never be left on the puppy, when the puppy is unsupervised. In order to keep the puppy from pulling on a leash, try to keep him interested, preferably use a squeak toy (but do not let him chew on it) or something similar which emits a somewhat high-pitched sound: something to get his attention. It is preferable that you train him to walk on a leash in the backyard, or in your house. Teaching him to walk outside, in the wide open spaces or busy neighborhoods may distract him, and he may become too excited and be more inclined to pull on the leash or try to pull out of his collar. The best time to teach the puppy to walk on a leash is after you have let him play with a ball or other safe object. You don’t want him to be too “energized” or too tired, either. Make sure the ball is not too small for the puppy. A golf-sized ball is usually too small for the large breed puppies.
Leather collars can irritate the puppy's skin, especially in the summer months, as it accumulates their body heat and may cause skin problems or may cause them to excessively scratch. If you puppy is not comfortable with a collar, it probably will not be comfortable with a leash. Do not let your puppy chew on the leash. He will think the leash means tug of war. It is best not to play tug of war with a puppy, as this can bother their teeth/gums, and most likely promote aggression.
Never get angry at a puppy, though be firm using the command "no." Whenever you say "no," it is advisable that you do not ever yell at your puppy. This may violate trust, and trust is an important and crucial factor in training. And remember, puppies/dogs usually never forget.
When training the puppy to come to you, when called, literally get down to his level, even sit down if you have to, in order to get his attention. Try to call him by the same name; try not to confuse him by calling him different names, and ask your family and friends to use the same name. Oftentimes, family members have their own special name for a certain dog. However, once again, this is confusing to the puppy.
Many people want to get a second puppy just to provide companionship for the other one. This is really not a good idea, if this is your only reason for wanting another puppy. Another puppy's "bad habits" can easily rub off onto the other one. If you must get another puppy, it is probably best to get another one after your puppy is a little older, preferably around 5 or 6 months or older, after he has already been trained, and behaves well. That way, the good habits of the older pup will be a good influence on the younger pup. A young puppy will usually try to mimic the actions of the older pup/dog.
If the puppy becomes noisy at night, then place a clock near him, though out of his reach. The sound of a ticking clock reminds them of his mother's heartbeat, and gives them a sense of calmness. You may also try to keep a radio on for the puppy, preferably soft, relaxing type of music, maybe even a classical music station. Don't give a puppy a stuffed animal, as he will probably just tear it to pieces. Stuffed animals of any type usually almost always present a danger to the pup, due to the small buttons and stuffing.
Never leave your puppy in a small crate for extended periods of time in the day. This will not only thwart all house breaking attempts, it is unfair to the puppy to treat him in this neglectful manner.
Never swipe at, or hit a puppy, not even with a rolled up newspaper. Unless, of course, you never want him to trust you again. Once trust is lost, all succeeding training attempts will probably be futile.
Get your puppy used to having his teeth brushed, when he is still young, as dogs are susceptible to teeth and gum problems, if the teeth are not properly cared for. Also get him used to grooming. It is very important. Find the proper grooming tools for your puppy at a local pet supply store.
Spend some time just "playing ball" and having fun with the puppy, and don't expect anything.
If you must leave your puppy alone for long periods of time (more than 5 hours or so), make sure that he has a "no tip" water dish.
Do not get your puppy accustomed to eating treats, or any table scraps. Puppy food has much more nutritional value, and was designed specifically for them, and their nutritional needs.
Do not let large breed puppies run up and down the stairs continuously, as this can damage their cartilage and cause damage to their legs, over a period of time.
continued...
If you want an obedient dog, it is advisable that you do your research on dog breeds. Some dog breeds are stubborn; it doesn't mean they are "stupid," it just means they need to be given more time to train than an eager, willing to please breed of dog, like the German Shepherd.
House training is one of the most arduous of tasks of puppy training. It is imperative that an "accident" which a puppy makes on the carpet, must be cleaned thoroughly and immediately with a suitable cleaning product. You can find good products, specifically designed to clean puppy "messes," at pet supply stores such as Petsmart or Petco. If there is the smallest trace left of the accident, the puppy will possibly go back to it and do the same thing again. After the area has been cleaned, you many even want to cover the cleaned up area with a newspaper, or “Wee Wee” pad. Try to keep a newspaper or “Wee Wee” pad in every room of the house. Puppy’s bladders are weak, and they may not be able to “hold it in” until they get to the next room.
Always encourage the puppy when he displays correct behavior. It is best to praise him and enourage him as much as possible, with affection and kind words. Treats may also be a good idea, though repetitive use of treats is usually not good for puppies. They may become spoiled on the treats and, as a result, avoid their nutritional puppy food.
The puppy’s ears also need to be cleaned out a few times a week, with specially designed ear wipes.
If chewing is a problem and the puppy has destructive tendencies, it is important to know that during most of their early months, that they are "teething." They need the proper chew toys. Rawhide is given to some puppies, however, I do not recommend it. It is not worth the risk of the puppy choking, and there have been documented cases where puppies have not survived as a result of rawhide getting lodged in their throats. Make sure that any toy you purchase for your puppy is “indestructible,” if possible. Nylabones or puppy “Kong” toys are usually the safest toys. Puppy "Kong" toys are usually for puppies that are 2 months old or more. Avoid “squeaky” toys, fleece toys, vinyl toys, or cow hooves. Just because they are on the shelf at the local store, does not necessarily make them “safe.” Try to get a variety of safe chew toys, in case he loses interest in one.
In order to leash train a puppy, first let the puppy get used to wearing a puppy collar. He needs to be comfortable with the collar. Make sure your finger can fit comfortably under the collar; if it can't, it is probably too tight on the puppy. Note: Collars should never be left on the puppy, when the puppy is unsupervised. In order to keep the puppy from pulling on a leash, try to keep him interested, preferably use a squeak toy (but do not let him chew on it) or something similar which emits a somewhat high-pitched sound: something to get his attention. It is preferable that you train him to walk on a leash in the backyard, or in your house. Teaching him to walk outside, in the wide open spaces or busy neighborhoods may distract him, and he may become too excited and be more inclined to pull on the leash or try to pull out of his collar. The best time to teach the puppy to walk on a leash is after you have let him play with a ball or other safe object. You don’t want him to be too “energized” or too tired, either. Make sure the ball is not too small for the puppy. A golf-sized ball is usually too small for the large breed puppies.
Leather collars can irritate the puppy's skin, especially in the summer months, as it accumulates their body heat and may cause skin problems or may cause them to excessively scratch. If you puppy is not comfortable with a collar, it probably will not be comfortable with a leash. Do not let your puppy chew on the leash. He will think the leash means tug of war. It is best not to play tug of war with a puppy, as this can bother their teeth/gums, and most likely promote aggression.
Never get angry at a puppy, though be firm using the command "no." Whenever you say "no," it is advisable that you do not ever yell at your puppy. This may violate trust, and trust is an important and crucial factor in training. And remember, puppies/dogs usually never forget.
When training the puppy to come to you, when called, literally get down to his level, even sit down if you have to, in order to get his attention. Try to call him by the same name; try not to confuse him by calling him different names, and ask your family and friends to use the same name. Oftentimes, family members have their own special name for a certain dog. However, once again, this is confusing to the puppy.
Many people want to get a second puppy just to provide companionship for the other one. This is really not a good idea, if this is your only reason for wanting another puppy. Another puppy's "bad habits" can easily rub off onto the other one. If you must get another puppy, it is probably best to get another one after your puppy is a little older, preferably around 5 or 6 months or older, after he has already been trained, and behaves well. That way, the good habits of the older pup will be a good influence on the younger pup. A young puppy will usually try to mimic the actions of the older pup/dog.
If the puppy becomes noisy at night, then place a clock near him, though out of his reach. The sound of a ticking clock reminds them of his mother's heartbeat, and gives them a sense of calmness. You may also try to keep a radio on for the puppy, preferably soft, relaxing type of music, maybe even a classical music station. Don't give a puppy a stuffed animal, as he will probably just tear it to pieces. Stuffed animals of any type usually almost always present a danger to the pup, due to the small buttons and stuffing.
Never leave your puppy in a small crate for extended periods of time in the day. This will not only thwart all house breaking attempts, it is unfair to the puppy to treat him in this neglectful manner.
Never swipe at, or hit a puppy, not even with a rolled up newspaper. Unless, of course, you never want him to trust you again. Once trust is lost, all succeeding training attempts will probably be futile.
Get your puppy used to having his teeth brushed, when he is still young, as dogs are susceptible to teeth and gum problems, if the teeth are not properly cared for. Also get him used to grooming. It is very important. Find the proper grooming tools for your puppy at a local pet supply store.
Spend some time just "playing ball" and having fun with the puppy, and don't expect anything.
If you must leave your puppy alone for long periods of time (more than 5 hours or so), make sure that he has a "no tip" water dish.
Do not get your puppy accustomed to eating treats, or any table scraps. Puppy food has much more nutritional value, and was designed specifically for them, and their nutritional needs.
Do not let large breed puppies run up and down the stairs continuously, as this can damage their cartilage and cause damage to their legs, over a period of time.
continued...
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