Dogs truly are a man’s best friend. Introducing a new puppy into your family fold can be an extremely exciting time but it doesn’t come without its busy moments! As cute as they may be, you cannot let their puppy eyes fool you into foregoing training!
If you’ve brought your new puppy home for the first time, or are planning on doing so in the immediate future, then you’re probably worrying about whether or not everything will be done correctly.
After all, there is quite a lot that goes into raising a healthy and happy pup than people may believe — to the point where knowing where to start can feel pretty overwhelming!
Whether you’re a first-time dog owner or bringing your second pup home, here are 5 effective puppy training tips you must incorporate into your pup’s life.
Socialize As Soon As Possible
To develop into a confident and happy adult dog, puppies require ongoing socialization and interaction with environments, places, sounds, and people. This should be done before they reach 16 weeks of age and then continue throughout their entire life.
Socialization can help them to gain confidence in new situations while equipping them with the tools necessary to interact with others. It will also help them to develop into more well-adjusted adult dogs.
Before you take your puppy out, make sure that they are up to date with appropriate vaccines and that they are dewormed.
Be Consistent
When you introduce a new puppy to your household, you might consider home training as the best option. Not only does it help them establish some good habits within the space but it’s also an excellent way to get to know one another.
Puppies who naturally respect you as the leader of your family will also typically enjoy the process of training. They will see this sort of regime as a great way of bonding with you.
Before you start training a puppy, make sure you have a training program laid out. At this stage, you should have researched all available training methods and selected the best one for your furry friend.
Dogs are creatures of habit so the more consistency you provide, the better their training will be!
Stay Positive
You’re going to get frustrated with your puppy at times. From accidents inside the home to nipping your hands, you may sometimes feel very overwhelmed by their behavior.
But regardless of how tough things may seem, you need to remember that your puppy is only a baby trying to find their place in the world. So having patience with them as they work things out is crucial.
Avoid harmful outdated training techniques such as grabbing hold of their muzzle if they begin to nip as this will likely make them scared of you, and will do a lot for damaging your relationship.
To ensure a lifelong bond, staying positive with your puppy is key.
Keep Your Puppy Busy With Toys
Your puppy will enjoy chewing on things and keeping their mouth busy. A great way of combatting this (and preventing them from chewing through your favorite shoes) is to have a good supply of toys on hand.
You should, ideally, have a range of harder chew toys on hand for your furry friend to take their frustrations out on. This will also help them with teething.
Make sure that the toys you choose are suitable for your puppy. Squeaky toys will only capture your pup’s attention for a couple of minutes at a time and will likely irritate you in the process.
Toys that can be stuffed with doggy peanut butter or treats will be an excellent choice to keep your puppy occupied.
Have Patience (and Enjoy Every Second!)
Whether you do all of the training yourself or enlist the help of a professional trainer, staying positive and having patience with your puppy is a great way to encourage good behavior.
Your puppy is learning new things about the world and it may be difficult for them to remember every single thing that they encounter. It’s much like a human learning a new skill — it takes time to remember the correct steps!
Mistakes are bound to happen so staying calm will only work to encourage your dog as you begin to correct their mistakes.
Conclusion
Training a puppy takes patience and dedication, but it will also be a delightful bonding experience in both of your lives. Feel free to consult professionals, family, or friends for more guidance when you need it!