Puppy Training Basics
When it comes to training a puppy, there are several basic guidelines you need to follow. This will ensure that you and your puppy enjoy the process, it’s easier to do and the outcome is a happy and well-behaved dog.
1. A puppy is sensitive and if your training is too rough or stressful, it will have a detrimental effect. So be gentle. The last thing you want is for your puppy to become fearful. This will inhibit its ability to learn properly and cause it unnecessary stress. You can still be firm, but careful.
2. Puppies, like small children, have a very short attention span, and get easily tired out, so training sessions need to be brief. Your puppy will learn better in short bursts and when he or she isn’t tired.
3. Be patient. If you think your puppy will be trained in no time at all, then you are being unrealistic. It does take time, especially since puppies are prone to forgetting things sometimes. There will be times when you need to repeat the same piece of training over and over, so if you allow for this when you embark upon training you will not become frustrated.
4. There is no point in attempting complex training procedures with a puppy. It needs to be kept simple and step-by-step. That way, your puppy will learn more quickly and the training process will be more enjoyable.
5. Like in humans, a puppy needs to learn confidence, and it’s up to you to help instill it within the pup. Reinforce the training with lots of praise. Be affectionate and take a break sometimes from training to simply play with the puppy and be its friend. It will soon learn the self-confidence it needs to grow into a well-adjusted dog.
