HOW TO TRAIN A PUPPY: 101
Life is so perfect right now! You got a new friend, a new member of the family and a pet child. Yes, we are talking about your new pup. You play together, take a walk together, and even exercise together. Oh wait, but it turns imperfect when your puppy doesn’t stop barking. Even, when there is a smelly accident in the living room or worse, in the kitchen.
It’s the time when the red, blinding, caution alarms start to go off in your head. How do I train a pup? How do I make my puppy learn to be a well-behaved one? Take a breath, lose your fear, because MyFurries brings you a good read about everything you need to know to train your pup. Remember, we don’t have a minute to lose.
NOW IS THE BEST TIME!
It is commonly believed that adult pup training can be delayed at least until six months of age. But we don’t have to. It becomes a little more challenging to train them as they are already accustomed to certain behaviour parents. Don’t worry if your pup is more than six months old. It’s never too late. The trick is to start as early as you can.
BASIC COMMANDS:
Training your furball doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a journey that unfolds over time. Start with a small command. ‘SIT’ ‘STAND’. Trust me; a pup can quickly grasp your order during the early stages when you teach and do along with it! They can start responding as early as 6-7 weeks.
HOUSEBREAKING:
It’s hard. It’s tiresome. These are the tags that housebreaking comes typically with. But if you play your cards right, it would turn out as smooth as your puppy’s hair.
LET’S CHOOSE CUES:
When it comes to verbal cues, let’s stick to the old school tricks. ‘Shit’ ‘Potty’ or let your creative juices flow and choose any word of your choice. Repeat, repeat and repeat strong whenever your pup is doing “its job”. This will help your puppy to associate the word to the act of defecating. Overtime when it learns to defecate at the cue word, you have started to train with.
POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE REINFORCEMENT:
Yes, now you can make potty time fun for your pup. Treat your dog to a toy or reward every time it does potty. Remember your pet is just a pup. It is okay to make mistakes. Believe it or not, your response to it will make a significant impact on the training process. You have two options.
Number one: You can continue the training process without getting deterred just
because of one accident.
Number two: You can shout at your pup, making it fear you and alienate you. Wait,
didn’t you get your puppy to make both your lives happy?
BASIC DO’s and DON’Ts – IN TRAINING YOUR PUP:
- Start the training as early as possible. Do along with your pup and make it fun!
- Use a consistent cue and potty spot so that your pup will get used to it.
- Confining
- Take them out to potty as frequently as you can, especially during the early days.
- Compensations and rewards go a long way in potty training.
- Negative reinforcement is a big ‘NO NO’.
- If smelly accidents happen, do not resort to beating or rubbing your puppy’s nose in it.
- Clean the accidental area completely with disinfectants so your pup won’t smell it and repeat it.
Training your pup may take a little while. But you can always make it fun and happy. As you get ready for the training, be sure to take your patience along. You have a long and beautiful way to walk along with a lovely ‘paw’ friend! Hit the subscribe button to keep yourself updated with the latest blogs on puppy training.
