Top Tips For Effective Puppy Training
You’ve welcomed your amazing new bundle of joy into your family, so now its time to start working on their training. This is a brilliant way for you to bond with your new four-legged friend, whilst showing them how they fit into your family. Puppy training is vital to ensure happy dogs and happy owners, so take a look at our tips below to ensure this training becomes part of their daily routine...
Firstly, make sure you keep things fun and upbeat. This means that training sessions will become things you look forward to, not dread. Seeing your puppy learning new skills and tricks, is something that can be enjoyed and treasured by the whole family.
Remember to reward your dog with tasty, healthy puppy treats to create positive reinforcement and ensure they’ll follow your lead. Keep their training sessions consistent and short and by doing this regularly you’ll be able to ensure your puppy picks up these new tricks quickly.
It sounds obvious, but use the same words for your commands every time to prevent confusion, and be very clear when communicating these to your dog. If you’re teaching them new tricks and using different commands every time, it will take them longer to pick up the basics and slow down the progression for both you and your pooch.
Always end your sessions on a positive. This helps to keep things fun and exciting and always means you’ll look forward to the next one!
We know that dogs aren’t always angels - whether they’re chewing slippers or stealing your dinner, it’s no secret that they can sometimes be a challenge. However, try not to shout or punish your dog as this usually isn’t effective and can actually cause more issues later on by making them nervous or scared.
Instead, try to reward their good behaviours and try not to overreact to the bad. Positive reinforcement is the best tool in puppy training. We know sometimes this can be easier said than done!
When it comes to rewards, make sure you’re not overfeeding your pooch, and that you’re using small amounts of healthy treats. Try to keep a mental note of how many treats you’re giving them and then adjust their food accordingly.
We hope these tips help you and your new puppy, and give you the confidence to start training them. Remember, this should be both fun and rewarding and something that’s enjoyed by the whole family.