Puppy Training and Socialization

It’s a bit daunting when you get your new little bundle of puppy love home for the first time.  When they are up on your couch with you giving lots of kisses and cuddles its hard to fathom that puppy love like that can lead to bad behaviour.

The last thing we want is our puppies to destroy our belongings.  It is important before you get your puppy home to puppy proof your house. As silly as it seems, get down on all fours and look around your house the way your puppy would.

Make sure electrical cords are tucked away securely, shoes are in a safe place, food items are out of reach – looking out for all of the small things we may miss.

There is no point in bringing a puppy into your family if you can’t give them plenty of love and affection but there definitely have to be boundaries from day one.

click here for information on Puppy School at PetO

Here are some tips for making your puppy a civilized one

• Training your puppy should be a positive experience.  It is important to only do small blocks of training so that it is effective, as a young puppy has a short attention span.  Only 15-20 minutes per day is a guide to follow and is dependent on the puppy’s attentiveness.  Remember always use positive reinforcement to make your training sessions a time your puppy will love
• make sure your puppy has a warm secure place to sleep, it is important not to have them sleeping up on beds or couches as this puts them on the same level as you, you must always be above your dog
• you should feed a young puppy three times a day, your puppy should not be present while your family eats and tidbits from the table are a big no no
• Treats are invaluable while training a puppy but make sure you factor these into meal time so your puppy is not getting too much food each day.   Make sure you are not treating for every single good thing a puppy does or they will only do what you command when food is present, use praise along with treats
• Make sure get your puppy gets used to being handled from a young age - gently massage their paws and ears and get them used to being handled by all the family.  Brush your puppy with a soft brush from a young age and this will make grooming and trips to the vet easier later in the dog’s life
• As cute and kisses are from a puppy its important not to let them lick your face - little wet kisses turn into big sloppy kisses and can be a symptom of a dominant dog later in life
• Do not encourage your puppy to jump up even when excited, ignore this naughty behaviour.  For excitable puppies, a spray bottle with water may act as a deterrent for jumping
• Do not ever yell at your puppy using his or her name as they will begin to learn that whenever they hear their name that it means something negative and will not come when called.   It is better to use a gruff tone if puppy is misbehaving
• Puppy School is a great and practical way of teaching owners and puppies alike good behaviours from a young age.  It also lets them mix with other puppies.  This is called socialization and a well socialized dog will often become a well behaved dog
• Never let a puppy mouth / gum or nip you,  It may be cute while they are little but it teaches them from a young age that a nip may give them power over you, especially young children. This behaviour left uncorrected may lead to dogs that bite later in life
• Toilet training a puppy can be frustrating but persistence is always the key.  Use positive reinforcement and ignore the bad behaviours.  Try and get your puppy into a routine of going outside after meals - 5-10 minutes after eating take your puppy outside to go to the toilet.  When your puppy goes provide lots of praise and a food reward. You should also provide puppy training pads impregnated with pheromones to attract them to this area and keep it close to the back door
• If your puppy goes to the toilet inside make sure you get an ammonia removal product to clean these patches.  If you catch your puppy in the act, use a gruff tone “no”, take them straight outside and provide praise if they continue to go. Make sure that you do not overuse the command “no” or it will loose its effectiveness.  Use simple key words when trying to train your puppy. Never use a high pitch as this can excite them and sometimes with a puppy any attention is good attention
• If your puppy is persistent with going to the toilet inside you may consider crate training, speak to a pet care professional about the different methods
• Get your puppy used to his kennel or bed with gentle encouragement and treat rewards.  If you force the puppy to do something that it is scared of, it may never want to use that bed or kennel again
• Make sure you have control over your puppy when walking them; some puppies will struggle with lead training but be persistent and full of praise and yummy treats, for over excitable dogs start practicing calm walking behaviour in the back yard and carry it out onto the streets.  Obedience schools are great if you want to take puppy school a bit further
• Finally remember to have fun with your puppy - the more love and praise and training your puppy gets the better the bond is between you and your dog