Puppy Training

Puppy training can be very fun even though it takes a lot of work. Obedience training begins early in a puppy’s life and some breeds catch on faster than others.  From the time a puppy is born he is learning about the world around him. He’s being taught important lessons by his mother and litter mates. If he’s lucky he is also learning important socialization skills by his breeder. If he’s raised in a home environment he can learn early on about household noises like televisions, vacuum cleaners and, most importantly, being handled by humans. Learning these things at a young age help him to become a confident adult dog who will like people and not be afraid of them.

For most new owners puppy training  begins when they bring the pup home around the age of eight to ten weeks. Young puppies have many things to learn when they first come to their new home: housebreaking, not biting people, learning not to bark, not to chew on things, crate training. Of course, they should also continue to develop their social skills.

Some owners begin their puppy training by signing up for puppy parties and puppy kindergarten classes. These are classes taught for groups of puppies and taught by dog trainers. They are often offered through pet supply stores or even animal shelters. The puppy kindergarten classes give owners a chance to bring their puppies to class where they can practice some socializing with other puppies and with lots of other people. They will also learn basic obedience training for puppies, such as wearing a collar and leash, sit and stay, and so on. And your trainer can address issues with the class such as housebreaking and other things that may be giving owners problems.

Puppy kindergarten classes should be very positive experiences for owners and their puppies. Lessons are kept short because a puppy’s attention span is very brief. But the best thing about these classes is that the owner and their puppy have an outing to look forward to each week and they can get used to learning together. Puppies who go through these puppy obedience training classes have a much better chance of succeeding as pets and staying in their homes. They will learn better and they won’t be abandoned at an animal shelter.

You can also work on your puppy training at home. If you decide to work with your puppy at home remember to keep the lessons short. You are working with a juvenile with a very short attention span. Your puppy is a baby so you can’t expect him to catch on to everything at once. Positive reinforcement training works well with puppies rather than punishment. Puppies don’t usually understand why they are being punished. They will simply associate you with punishment. Instead, reward them for anything close to what you are asking them to do. You can gradually ask for more precise responses. It’s much better to keep the entire training experience fun and positive. You will get much better results in both the short term and the long term if you make learning seem like fun.

If you do practice training your puppies at home remember that it’s still important to get your puppy out of the house so he can meet other dogs and people. Socialization is extremely important for puppies. It helps them grow up to be confident, well-adjusted adult dogs.

Puppy training can be a great bonding experience, whether you do it in a class setting or on your own. You and your puppy can develop the groundwork you need for him to learn positive behavior for the rest of his life.