Puppy Training

Written by:

Alina Andreeva

Alina A. is a professional writer, editor, and pet-lover. She has published over 50 articles on how to care for pets properly. Alina has been writing articles for 3 years, so she has considerable experience in this niche. Her natural curiosity helps her to expand her knowledge and learn new pet care life hacks, which will make your life much easier.

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Updated on: 03/23/2021

puppy trainingPhoto by Gary Sandoz on Unsplash

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Everything You Need To Know About Puppy Training

Puppies are some of the most wanted pets that people want to adopt. There’s no doubt in that given how adorable they are. But it’s not all fun and games when you’re taking a puppy. You need to make sure that you train them properly as well.

Generally, when you get a puppy, they are around 6 to 8 weeks old. Before that, they are with their own litter and mother. The period when they are with their mother and siblings, they tend to be in a more natural training session. The offspring of puppies play around together and figures out that if they bite each other, they will get the same treatment.

This training ends as soon as you take them home. People often wait too long before training their pups on time. You should know that puppies can quickly learn different commands from the earliest days of their lives. Make sure that you prepare your puppy the right way and at the right time before it is too late for them to learn.

What is the first thing you should train your puppy?

The one thing that everyone should focus on is training their puppy during the early stages. If you wish to follow a guideline on all the necessary stuff for training a puppy, then we are here to guide you. Take control of your puppies training as soon as it is brought in to the home.

The first thing that you need to take care of is making sure that he is potty trained. You don’t want your pup to soil your entire home. He will have no sense of what is right and wrong if you don’t teach him that. The first thing is to make sure that you keep taking him to the proper place where he should potty.

All you need to do next is keep a check on your pup and catch him if you see him going somewhere else. If you see him going to a different location, make sure to pick him up and place him in the right position. Keep in mind that scolding him will do no good to either of you. He will not understand what you wish to convey and will carry on with soiling the house.

Repeat the step mentioned above and make sure that you are keeping a close eye on your puppy. If you see your pup going to the correct location on his own, make sure to treat him once he is done. This positive reinforcement will enable him to the right place rather than using every area in your home.

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When should I start training ?

It is essential to realize that puppies are very easy to train as long as you make sure that you teach them from day one. It will help them figure out what they should and shouldn’t be doing. You must follow a specific timeline, but start training them as soon as you bring them home.

This will help you make sure that your puppy listens to you if you train him to understand the commands you say. If you delay this process, there is a considerable chance that they might not be able to learn correctly. Let’s say if you wait 6 or 7 months before getting on with his training, then your puppy will have already learned different things. It will be challenging to make him forget what he already knows and train him from scratch. It will become confusing for both you and your pup the most.

when start puppy training@tan4ikk / FreePik

How do I train my 8-week old puppy?

When it comes to training your 8-week old puppy, you need to make sure that you are patient and gentle. You need to make sure your puppy trusts you and build a bond based on that. As soon as you get your pup home, make sure that you train in him using positive reinforcement. This way, they will be able to adapt to your environment and learn better. 

Make sure they maintain the positive reinforcement throughout as the pup must learn in a positive environment. There’s no reason to scold your puppy as won’t be able to understand it, let alone learn anything.

Make him learn simple steps such as sitting or standing using a positive method. One of the things you can adopt when training your 8-week old puppy is using the treats method. Give your pup a treat every time he listens to you so that he understands that he will be rewarded if he does a specific action. 

Steps to conduct positive training for the 2-month old puppy

If you are wondering, “how do I train my 2-month old puppy?”, we have the tips for you. Let’s go through a step-by-step process of how you can make your little puppy learn how to listen to you. There are three main steps that you must follow to ensure that your training sessions go well.

1.   Place a treat in your hand and make your puppy smell it

This will excite your little pup, and he will want the treat as soon as possible. But there’s a trick! Don’t let him eat the gift before you’re done with your training session. It will be difficult to resist the puppy eyes but get a hold of yourself! Make sure that you are focused as well.

2.   Lure it to the position you want your pup to be in

Depending on the kind of position you want your pup to be in, lure the treat up or down. If you wish your dog to sit down, then the best way to do this is to lower the gift so that he follows it. On the other hand, if you wish to make him stand, then you move the treat upwards so that your pup gets on his little paws.

3.    Treat him

Once your pup has done the action you wished him to, it is time to give him a treat. Whether he has stood up or sat down, make sure you reward him with the treat you have ready for him in your hand. This way he will listen to you every time you command him to do something. 

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What are the main commands? 

main commands to teach puppyPhoto by Luke Jones on Unsplash

You should make sure that your puppy learns 3 to 4 commands and incorporate it into their daily training sessions. This way, they will be able to understand what you are trying to say to them. Make sure to keep one thing in mind. However, never use negative reinforcement with your pup!

A learning environment must always remain positive so that your puppy can learn the right commands. No matter what type of training you opt for, make sure that you take a positive stance. Here are some of the authorities to teach your 2-month old pup.

1. Sit

The “sitting” command is one of the simplest forms of command to teach your little pup. You can easily use the treats method to make sure that the puppy listens to you. 

2. Lie down

Make sure that you teach your dog to lie down and roll over. You can also prepare this command easily by incorporating the same treat rule to make him understand what he needs to do once you ask him to do something. Bring the treat to the floor so that your puppy lowers himself. Once you see that he is low enough, make sure that you give him the treat, so he understands which action will get him a gift. 

3. Stay

Stay is another command that you can teach your little puppy as soon as you get him home. To do this, you will have to make sure that you link another step in this process. Your puppy is going to be waiting for another command after you tell him to stay. This can be either letting him run outside to play or eat his food. Make him stay using the treats method, and then once you let out the second command, give him the treat!

You can train your little puppy using many different ways. However, the most effective one till now is to use the treats method, where you make him listen to your commands by rewarding with treats. Positive reinforcement is the best way to go if you wish to train your small pup properly. They will surely be able to learn better this way.

Remember!

Training will only be helpful if you are consistent with it. Start small and work your way through so that your puppy can learn quickly. One day at a time is the way to go rather than forcing your puppy into learning commands in one day. The gentler and patient you are, the better your time will go while training your little puppy!