Bringing home a puppy is exciting, and the training can seem daunting. You want to get it right and have the well-trained, happy doggy companion you dream of. You will want to know about some do’s and don’ts of puppy obedience training.
Do
Choose to train your puppy using positive reinforcement methods. Puppies respond better to rewards and praise. Use praise, treats, portions of the daily food allowance, toys and games to reward your pup’s achievements.
Always reward behaviours that you want your puppy to repeat. If your puppy finds a behaviour or action rewarding, it will want to repeat it. Repeating and reinforcing (using rewards) the behaviour is how your puppy learns to choose that behaviour over unwanted/undesirable behaviour.
Set your puppy up for success by managing the environment when training. Put your shoes in a cupboard if you don’t want them chewed. If your puppy is jumping up to get something, put it away. If you are undertaking training, choose a low-distraction environment for your puppy to focus on you.
Let your puppy burn off some excess energy before you start a training session. Your puppy will focus on you much better if it’s burned off some puppy energy. Exercise also allows your puppy to relax; a relaxed puppy has a better mindset for learning.
Keep calm! Regulating your own emotions is vital when training a puppy. Dogs are experts at reading humans; they communicate through body language and are highly tuned into our feelings. Training can be tricky and frustrating. If you start to feel stressed, stop and take a break. Engage in a little fun game before retrying.
Learn to recognise the signs of confusion that your puppy may be displaying. If your puppy starts looking away from you, licking their lips, scratching themselves, sniffing around, or randomly fetching something; it’s not being stubborn or naughty – these are signs that your don’t isn’t sure what you want it to do. It’s confused.
Keep the training fun. Puppies are bundles of energy and fun; use this to your advantage in training. Keep the training short, fun and rewarding for your puppy. This will build a trusting bond between you and your puppy and build your puppy’s confidence. A happy, confident puppy is much easier to train than an anxious, fearful puppy. If your puppy finds it fun and rewarding to be around you, it will want to focus on you and make you happy.
Don’t
Shout at or hit your puppy. This will cause your puppy to fear you and feel anxious around you – there is also no guarantee that your puppy will understand why you are shouting at or hitting it. You will not be teaching your puppy what not to do by shouting or hitting; you will be damaging your relationship with your puppy.
Punish your puppy for accidents in the house. Puppies will have accidents; they are not fully developed enough to have control over their bodies. It’s better to take the puppy outside to toilet, reward any business done outside, and thoroughly clean up the accident with minimum fuss.
Accidentally reinforce problem behaviours or behaviours you don’t want to encourage. It’s much easier than you realise to reinforce an undesirable behaviour accidentally. Most problem behaviours are actually just doggy behaviours that we humans find unacceptable. Your ‘little’ puppy may jump up at you in excitement when you get home, and you’re so happy and it’s so cute, so you give it attention when it’s jumping all over you. Congratulations, you’ve accidentally reinforced your dog jumping over you and possibly everyone it meets when it wants to say hello. I told you, it’s scarily easy to accidentally reinforce unwanted behaviour. Especially when your little puppy is so small and cute!
Rush your puppy; everything is new and possibly overwhelming. Allow your puppy time to adjust and process what you are trying to teach. Like us, puppies all learn at different speeds. Trying to rush your puppy will likely confuse or frustrate it. Remember to set your puppy up for success by training at your puppy’s pace. Success breeds confidence and encourages the urge to learn more.
Expect too much from your puppy. Like us, they make mistakes. Puppies don’t have an innate knowledge of what we want from them. It will take time to teach them the behaviours we want and expect from them. It’s unfair to expect them to get it right 100% of the time. I know that I make mistakes often. Be kind and forgiving to your puppy – because dogs are very loving and forgiving of us.
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