Your puppy, that adorable furry with such a noble look that you want to take in your arms and pamper it a little (or a lot 🙂). He is so cute that anyone would say that his behavior is perfect, although they would surely be surprised if you told them that he bites everything he finds or that he does a thousand and one mischief. But, it is in the age.
Still, you don't have to "anchor" yourself into that thought, but rather look a little towards the near future, when the furry becomes an adult dog. How do you want it to be then? To be sociable and respect the basic rules of coexistence, you will need someone to teach you. Therefore, here is a guide that will tell you how to train a puppy.
What do I need to train a puppy?
A puppy it is a very sensitive animal, which has a brain that acts like a sponge, absorbing everything (the good and the bad) very quickly. But he can also become very distracting: everything is new to him! A fly that flies over his nose, a toy you just bought for him, the sound of a door opening ...
Keep in mind that training such a young dog, less than a year old, is a task that, yes, it can be rewarding, but for it to be it is important to be very, very patient with the animal. If we do not have patience, we will quickly get angry and that is something that you will notice instantly. And when he does… the fun will be over for both of them, and he will decide to start doing other things.
Therefore, training has to be like a game. Just as children learn more easily through play, your furry friend also needs to have fun when you teach them new things. Even teaching him to relieve himself in the right place should be fun. The question is, how?
With patience, affection, respect and awards (dog treats and / or toys). Once you have everything, you can start training him.
How to teach ...
… Relieve themselves in the right place
This is probably the first thing you want to teach him, right? If so, you should know that your furry will want to urinate more or less 10-20 minutes after drinking, and defecate 30-40 minutes after eating. To teach him, you can do several things:
- Take it out of the house (to the garden or for a walk): take him for a walk around the area. When you see that he is about to relieve himself, say "pee" or "poop" (or whatever word you want, but it must always be the same). Right when he's done, give him a treat and throw him a party. Say "very good boy / a", "very good", or things like that, in a high-pitched, cheerful tone of voice. Do it every time you go out. Thus, little by little he will associate that word with relieving himself.
- Take it to a room: in this room you must have put soakers in a low-height tray or in the corner where you want him to relieve himself. You should put it there when you see it start to walk in circles, smelling the ground. As soon as he urinates or defecates, tell him "pee" or poop. " When finished, give him an award and celebrate with him. You will have to repeat this many times, but over time you will learn it.
…not bite
If there is something that puppies do a lot, it is bite, especially if they are very young. The baby teeth fall out, giving way to the permanent ones, and during the process the little one can have a very bad time. A) Yes, to find relief what he does is bite all he can, something that of course you should not do.
Fortunately, teaching him not to do it is a simple task, but you have to be constant:
- During the game: you always have to put a toy between your hand and him. Invite him to play with him. Throw it at him so he can go get it and get him to give it back to you by giving him a treat for dogs.
- Avoid chewing on furniture: so that he does not destroy furniture or other objects, you have to say a firm NO (but without yelling), wait ten seconds and then give him a toy. It is very important to wait that long since if you gave the toy just after NO, the dog would understand that it is okay to chew on the furniture.
... to be sociable
For a puppy to become a well-behaved adult dog, it is necessary to spend time with other dogs, cats, and people. Thus, It is essential that from two months of age you take him out to the street and take him to homes where he can be in contact with others of his species and with other human beings that you know in advance that they are calm.
If you are concerned about the risk of contagion of a disease, ask someone to bring their furry home. But do not wait until he has all the shots to start socializing him since otherwise it will cost him more.
... not to bark
Teaching a puppy not to really bark is easy; in fact, it is enough that you avoid feeling bored or lonely, which are the main causes of a dog barking more than usual. But you have to know that dogs bark because they have to, in the same way that humans speak.
As your caregiver, you have to make sure he is happy, because if it is, it will not start barking at night or at its neighbors. So whenever he barks in inappropriate situations, say a firm "NO" but without yelling, but fix the cause as well. If you are bored, you may need to go for a walk or play longer; On the other hand, if he spends time alone, someone needs to be with him for most of the day.
... for a walk on a leash
With a harness and leash, let him walk you around the house. You need to feel safe and confidently carrying these walking tools before you start training him. Repeat it several times a day for about five minutes at least a week. After that time, take him out to the street (with the leash and harness on) and walk quietly.
If you notice that he throws you, stop ten seconds. The first few times it is likely that he will not come to you, so you should call him and give him an award. Later every time you stop he will turn around by himself. These initial walks have to be very short, from 10 to 15 minutes, but as you learn not to throw, they can be lengthened, to 20 or 25 minutes.
Do not forget to take treats for dogs to go giving them along the walk every time he behaves well.
... to sit down
Sitting is very natural for dogs. You can start practicing from inside the house. You just have to get him to associate the command (for example, »sit») with the action of sitting. You can do it in the following way:
- The first thing you have to do is take a treat and run it over his head backwards, a few inches from the fur. Thus, he will sit down; If not, use the other hand to apply a little pressure on the lower back, near the tail.
- Before he sits down, tell him the order.
- Finally, when he is seated, give him a treat.
Repeat several times throughout the day.
... to lie down
Once the dog knows how to sit, you can teach him a new command: the lie down or 'down'. For you to learn it, you have to take a treat and follow these steps:
- Ask him for a "sit" or "sit."
- Give it the command »down» or »down» (it must always be the same).
- With the treat in hand, lower it in such a way that it forms an imaginary slanted line towards you.
- When the puppy is lying down, give him the treat.
... to come when called
A puppy must learn this command, the sooner the better. Thus, every time you go to call him you must say "come". For example "Kira, come!" (in a cheerful but firm tone of voice). Show him a doggie treat or his favorite toy so he can see that if he goes, he will have a much better time than where he is now.
Home training begins And when you see that he is learning the order, go taking him to places where there is more stimulus, such as the dog park.
... to be still
If there is one thing that costs the young dog a lot, it is to stay still. However, It is important that you learn the command "be still" because, at some point, it could save your life.
In a room in front of him, tell him "Quiet" and hold up a finger to warn him not to move. Back up slowly and say the command with each backtrack. When there is a free space of about a meter, and if he has not moved from his position - even for a few seconds - call him and reward him.
... to bring the ball
Talking about the ball is talking about the dog's favorite toy. It is his treasure and he is not going to leave it just like that if someone takes it. Taking this into account, you have to offer him something that he loves so that he will come to you and release it, otherwise it will not do it no matter how much you insist.
To go testing, I recommend you buy bacon-flavored dog treatsThey are very fragrant and dogs tend to love them. Once you have them, follow this step by step:
- Throw him the ball so he can go get it.
- When he takes it, say "come" and show him the treat.
- As soon as he is right in front of you with the ball, pretend you are going to give him the treat so that he releases his toy, and give it to him.
- Praise him so he knows he's been very good.
I hope that with these tips your puppy becomes the furry you want him to be 🙂.