Three Important Things To Remember While Training Your Puppy
November 14, 2006
There are as many ways to raise a puppy as there are to raise your child. Most of us agree that when it comes to children, there are certain things which are universal and undisputed. Here are three things that a lot of people just do not think of when it comes to training their dogs, however. How many times have we heard, “My dog just doesn’t listen to me”, or “He just refuses to behave!”
1. Dogs do not and will not understand English until we teach them, just like a child.
The thing we all love about puppies the most is the way they live for us, the way they focus all of their attention they have on us, and the way our lives become theirs. In the beginning, they tend study us to learn our body language, our facial expressions and our oral communication. If we say, “Want to go out?” one day, “Have to go bathroom?” the next day, and, “Have to pee?” the third day, if they DO figure out what we want, it is because we have picked up the collar and leash and moved toward the door with a happy face! If you want to speed up his training by three-fold, teach him YOUR language. Pick a common command for EACH behavior and stick with it. Tell your family to use the same words and commands, and your puppy will amaze you at how much faster he can learn.
2. A young puppy’s metabolism is much faster than we think.
The younger your puppy is, the faster he or she is growing, the more food and water they need to fuel their metabolism, and the more often they will have to go potty. Do not punish your puppy when he makes a mistake. This is our fault. Your puppy’s age in weeks and his breed size will always determine how often he must go out, once an hour is not too often for a large 6-week old puppy, especially if it is in the middle of summer.
Dogs love the exciting smells the great outdoors has to offer, so there is no excuse to not have him housebroken by 7-8 weeks of age. Right after a nap, after he eats and after grooming are the key times, and he will signal you so watch him. If he is happily chewing a toy and gets up suddenly with his nose to the floor, you should move quickly! And every time he goes potty outside, praise him! “What a good boy!”, “good go potty!” and the like. Dogs love our happy faces, and they will do anything to get that attention.
3. Dogs live for our facial expressions and our body language.
Because of this, the worst punishment you ever need to give your dog is a scowl and to turn away from him. You can see his tail fall down and his face will get sad. He will learn the lesson, I guarantee it. But his attention span is only 3-5 minutes, so scorning him any longer will do no good. Love him up and give him your happy face again. Physical punishment is NEVER necessary. Use consistent commands and loving praise and he will know what you want of him before you do. He will become a master of your body language and facial expressions in no time.
Naturally there are many aspects of training your puppy. Loving kindness works just as well for puppies as it does for children, creating a happy, well-adjusted and obedient dog. These three important tips, used consistently, will start him well on his way.
