Training Puppies
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Although that old saying about teaching an old dog new tricks really isn't true, training puppies is certainly much easier. Puppies are full of energy, cute, and pretty silly sometimes! Just like children, they're into the moment and don't want to focus on a single activity for very long. You don't want to begin training puppies
when they're too young. However, when your puppy is about 3-4 months old, the time is right. You'll need to start slowly, in 15-minute lessons, with a reward at the end. As time goes on, a proper approach to training will result in a puppy who looks forward to these sessions. An eager pupil is the best kind. Let's take a look at some strategies that make the training process quicker and more effective.
When training puppies, repetition is the key. Don't try to teach more than one command at a time as it may be confusing to them. 'Stay' is a good way to begin training puppies. It's one of the easiest for them to learn and will definitely come in handy for you! When you begin your training program, choose a specific location for teaching. Put your puppy on a training leash of an appropriate size for it. Stand by his side, simply holding the leash. Sooner or later – likely sooner – he's going to want to go elsewhere. When he does, gently pull him back to your side, saying “Stay” in a normal speaking tone. If he stays for thirty seconds, pet him and praise him with a cheery “Good dog!” A small dog treat helps!
Your tone of voice and volume are important elements when training puppies. You don't want to scare your puppy with a loud command. Also, if you start loud, you'll later find that the quiet tone doesn't work. You also want to be sure to use the exact same word or phrase with each command and bit of praise. Altering 'stay' to 'stay here' will only confuse your puppy. Remember the popuar Far Side cartoons, illustrating what the dog hears? He hears, “blah-blah-blah”. So stick with the same word or phrase when training puppies. They may not understand our language, but they do remember sounds, so he's going to come to associate that sound with a certain expected action.
When it comes to praise, instead of just saying “Good!”, add the 'dog' part, always. This gives you a sneaky advantage, because right along with the good dog, there's the bad dog. He'll come to understand that the 'dog' sound refers to him. This way, when your daughter announces she got an A in Math and you respond with “Good!” your puppy won't be bounding over for a biscuit.
In your fifteen minute training sessions, repeat the desired action word until he's got it down pat. That's when you can move on to teaching a new command. Training puppies goes quickly when you begin with the easiest actions. You may choose 'Sit' as your next lesson. It's easy enough to gently but firmly push his little tush down as you say the action word. Give praise only when the desired action is accomplished and sustained for a short period of time.
After 'sit' and 'stay' are commands your puppy responds to every time, without fail, you can start changing locations. Now he knows the drill and will find your sessions more interesting. Training puppies is fun. Be patient, consistent and gentle, but firm. You'll end up with a well behaved dog, an asset to any household!
