Mistakes To Avoid When Training A Puppy
by: mariorayjohnson
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Word Count: 1061
Date: Fri, 30 Sep 2011 Time: 9:42 AM
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How to train a dog is 1 of the most common questions raised by new dog owners. You've just brought this recent creature into your lives and before also long you realize that unless you do anything about it, his boisterous, carefree puppy ways are going to turn into a genuine headache when he is five times his current size and weight.
With that in mind, the after are what I consider the ten many key principles to consider when training a puppy.
The 10 Principles of Dog Training
Beginning Training
1. Utilise the 1st 3 months of the puppy's lifetime to form the puppy's behaviour. This time should be used educating the dog where it can and can not head in home, obtaining the puppy into a routine so that it knows its boundaries and potty training the puppy.
2. Don't start formal obedience training with your puppy until it has reached at least 3 months of age. Your puppy goes through drastic change during his 1st 3 months where the central nervous system is developing. A dog are not able to understand or cope with formal obedience training before then.
3. When you do begin formal obedience sessions at 3 months of age don't make the sessions anymore than four to five minutes long. Break the sessions up so that your puppy never becomes bored and ensure that you make the sessions delighted so that your puppy is left wanting more. This is crucial.
The most important commands
4. At 3 months of age focus on your three most important commands, 'down', 'stay' and the control that I consider is by far the most important-'come'. (The come control is crucial, it could save your dogs life). How to introduce these commands is as follows: "When ever your dog sits or goes into the down position on its own free will, simply mention the command 'sit' or 'down' to coincide with the action". Likewise, when ever you walk away from your puppy and want the puppy to remain where it's, simply state the command 'stay'.
You can even do this before the dog is 3 months old because you're not putting any stress out in the dog. When the dog is 3 months old it'll then be prepared to associate the command with the action in formal obedience sessions.
Praising and Rewarding the Puppy
5. Never yell at, strike, punish or scold your puppy during obedience sessions, this will just hinder your puppy's understanding by having a negative effect on his confidence. Rather focus on positive reinforcement i.e. giving praise and/or a reward for completing the control. If the dog doesn't do as you wish, simply withhold the praise and/or reward and transfer on.
6. Use meal benefits 100% of the time when you begin formal obedience sessions with your puppy. But, slowly withdraw them to around one reward for every twenty commands over the coming six months. That method your puppy will always be motivated because he will never realize when the second reward is coming and he is hunting for it.
The 2 steps forward-one step back Principle
7. Do not make each training session progressively longer and harder for your puppy. Focus out in the 'two steps forward -one step back' principle. This means, progress over 2 training sessions, then regress and make it easier on your third session. I.e., you're training your puppy the 'stay' command. On Monday you've your pup stay for 20 seconds, five metres away from you, Tuesday thirty seconds 7 metres from you and Wednesday forty seconds ten metres from you so on. When you consistently progress like this you're de-motivating your puppy by making it harder for him every time that you instruct the command. The right method to head about this would be as above for Monday and Tuesday, but on Wednesday take the exercise back to fifteen seconds at three metres. Then progress again on your after day.
The Retrieve
8. When ever your puppy brings something such as a ball, stick or any toy to you, do not instantly reach for the item. Instead pat the puppy on any part of his body except his head and ignore the item at initially. If you instantly reach for items that your puppy brings to you, he will always feel threatened when ever he needs an item in his mouth. This will hinder progress with retrieve exercises and even with games like retrieve with a ball or stick.
The Collar and Lead
9. During the first three months familiarise your puppy with the lead and collar. Do this by introducing the collar initially. Teach the puppy the collar and allow him smell and investigate it before you place it on him. Do this in a positive environment, like when you're outside playing with the puppy. After he needs investigated it, simply place the collar on the puppy with minimal fuss, offer a meal reward so that the puppy needs a good association with the collar and continue playing with the puppy like nothing has transpired. If the puppy becomes distracted and starts pawing at the collar etc. distract the puppy with a toy or food item to take his brain off the collar. Very soon, your puppy will need forgotten that the collar is there. After two to three days of wearing the collar, introduce the lead. Again, do this under positive circumstances. Allow the puppy to investigate it and clip it onto the collar then offer a food reward. Allow the puppy to run around an area where he can't download tangled, with the lead dragging behind him on the ground for around five to 10 minutes. Extend this to around thirty minutes over the following week and start purchasing the lead for short periods while slowly walking around with the puppy after you.
Appreciate your Puppy
10. Lastly remember to enjoy your dog. Make learning as stress free as likely. Accept that when you're training a puppy that items will head wrong and when they do move on with minimal fuss. Obedience Training is your responsibility as a dog owner. It is well worth the time and work because the result is really a companion that is always under your control and a fun to be about.
About the Author
I hope you pick these tips on how to train a puppy. They will come in handy.
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