Puppy Guide
Bringing home a new puppy is an exciting and happy occasion. There are also extra responsibiliies that go with it. A well trained and socialzed puppy grows into a fun loving confident, well behaved dog. Our guide will give the essential tips on puppy training, teach you how to correctly socialise your puppy, give you tips on care and set you up for succes in the future.
1. Puppy training basics and when to start training.
Training your puppy should begin the moment you puppy arrives home. Puppies are learning all the time and with your guidance will discover and learn ways to adapt to their new home. Start with simple commands like, sit, stay and come.Use force free positive reinforcement training to guide the puppy on the correct way to learn. Learn more about puppy training basics here.
2.Step by step Crate training for puppies.
It is very important to begin crate training your puppy as soon as it arrives in your house. Don’t neglect this training as it’s the most important first step to having a well adjusted furry friend. Noboby likes cleaning up wee and pooh!. A puppy will not wee or pooh in its crate. Dogs are den animals and they prefer instinctively to keep their den clean. They will only soil the crate if they have a tummy upset or have been left too long without taking them outside to wee. Introduce them to the crate and encourage them to go inside using treats and food. Read our detailed guide on crate training here
3. Puppy socialisation: How to raise a confident well behaved young dog.
It is very important to socialise your puppy early in the 3 – 16 week bracket of its growth. Introducing your puppy to the outside world, its sights,sounds and smells is a crucial activity. We do this to make sure that we are going to raise a happy, confident canine good citizen. Check out our step-by-step socialisation guide here.
4.Potty training 101 – how to housebreak your puppy fast.
Potty training requires patience and a little bit of planning ahead. It is better to make sure that accidents are avoided rather than having to correct and clean up afterwards. If you have already crate trained your puppy then potty training will be a lot easier andyou are well on the road to success. Follow our complete potty training guide here.
5.How to stop puppy biting the force free way.
Puppy biting is surprisingly normal behaviour for your new furry friend. Young puppies in the litter nip at each other constantly. The mammy dog even nips at her babies when they misbehave! Teaching a puppy not to bite and redirecting their natural instinct takes time and patience. Use a chew toy to replace your foot or hand, that will help to distract attention and be less painful! Learn how to stop puppy biting effectively
6. Best toys for teething puppies and what not do use.
Teething can be a little painful for puppies and their first teeth are quite sharp, so watch out! Toys should be durable and chewing on a toy will reduce some of the discomfort and stop them from chewing you and the furniture! Discover the best toys for teething puppies here.
7. Train your puppy early not to pull on the lead.
Avoid the nightmare later on when the dog is half your size and pulls like a train every time you bring them for a walk! Train them to walk on a loose lead – your arm will thank you for it and your walks will be pain free ! Read our beginners guide to loose lead walking here.
8. Train your puppy not to jump up on people when they meet friends or family.
While it may be cute to see a two month old puppy jump up to reach your hand, when they are fully grown it may be something that you wish they did’nt do. Paw marks on your new dress or suit and even the risk of knocking over a young child are not something to be encouraged. Find a solution to this common problem here.
9. The importance of Early Puppy Grooming and handling.
It’s good practice to get your puppy used to being handled and groomed early in its life. This will avoid problems when they have to be examined by the vet or trimmed by the local groomer. Cleaning ears, teeth and clipping nails are all part of keeping your puppy looking good and feeling great. Explore our puppy grooming tips here.
10. How to prevent separation anxiety in puppies from day one.
Separation anxiety is an issue that is quite serious and should be avoided if your puppy is to be left alone for long periods. People have to shop, go to work, collect the kids, go to school or colllege and a hundred other things that invole them leaving home – without the dog.This where crate training shines through as a way to control the dog when you’re not there to do it. Learn how to prevent separation anxiety here.
11. Clicker Training.
Clicker training involves the use of a small hand held clicker to indicate to the dog that they have performed the asked command correctly.
The sequence is as follows: command (sit), click to mark correct behaviour, treat and praise. These actions send a clear message to the dog that they are doing the right action. The second the action is performed the click follows. To learn more see this post.
12.The NO command.
The NO command is another very important tool in your arsenal of commands. Its used to make the dog aware that they aremisbehaving and is used in a forceful manner to tell the dog to stop what they are doing. For a deeper dive into training this command follow this link.
13. Training the PLACE command.
The place command is important if you want to train your dog to go to their alloted PLACE and stay there. Useful when you have visitors or when you want a quiet time for the puppy or young dog. You can successfully train this command to your puppy in a short time using our methods. Follow this link to find out how.
This is the modern accepted method of training. We use treats to reward the dog and a clicker to mark correct behaviour. Discover how to use this method in this post.
15. The recall.
Training your puppy to come when called is one of the most important commands. It can literally mean life or death. Train it early and don’t accept anything less than 100% reliability. Find out how in this post.
16. The SIT.
A basic early stage command to train your puppy. An important command to master early by frequent reward based repitition. Find our how HERE.
17. The DOWN.
Mastering the DOWN is another fundamental command in your arsenal. Find out how to train it here.
18. Chew Toys.
Teething puppies like to chew. It helps their teeth develop. Give them something to chew on, preferably not on you!
19. Puppy Selection.
Choose the best puppy for your new friend. Find out how to select one here.
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Raising a puppy calls for a structured and well thought out approach to issues that arise as the pup grows. Anticipation and avoidance of problems is key to success. If you want a well behaved adult dog you have to put in the time and effort to teach the puppy how to behave. There are no shortcuts. Failing to train will ultimately lead to failure. Give your puppy the best chance in life. Train early and be consistent. If you need help or advice you can book a one hour session with our trainer Malcolm. He can guide you in the right direction. If you would like to get in contact you can book here. Good luck with your training.