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You’ve brought home an adorable, bouncing ball of fur – a puppy! What now?
Bringing home a puppy is such an exciting time for a family, but while puppies are cute and fun to play with, training a puppy to set them up for a lifetime of success within your family can quickly become overwhelming. Puppies are blank slates that are eager to learn anything you want to teach them, and it’s important to start training them as soon as possible. Being consistent with training your puppy will set a solid foundation for lifelong good behavior to ensure your puppy grows into a well-mannered adult dog who fits into your family and lifestyle seamlessly.
While puppies often have a goofy streak, don’t be fooled by their silly puppy antics. Puppies are smart little creatures, and from the moment they arrive, they observe and learn from the world around them. Every interaction with your puppy is a chance for them to learn a behavior, so be consistent with training your puppy as soon as they come home. In this guide, we’ll go over dog training basics so you can learn how to train a puppy effectively.
Preparing for Your Puppy’s Arrival
Before you even bring your puppy home, it’s important to be prepared by puppy-proofing your home and having all the puppy essentials on hand. Bringing home a new puppy involves careful planning, from setting up designated areas to budgeting for necessities like food, toys, insurance, and veterinary care to ensure your puppy isn’t just well-trained but also healthy and happy.
Puppy-Proofing Your Home
Just like with babies or toddlers, it’s important to puppy-proof your home to keep your puppy safe. Puppies are curious and tend to get into things, so remove hazardous items like electrical cords, toxic plants, and other small items they could chew on or swallow. You can offer your puppy safe chews or toys to entertain them and fulfill their need for chewing while preventing them from chewing on things they shouldn’t.
Setting Up Designated Areas
Despite their small size, puppies are incredibly agile and can get into all sorts of places. Providing them with designated areas gives them a sense of security and helps them learn boundaries. A cozy crate or bed in a dark corner can be a safe sleeping spot, while a puppy-proofed playpen can provide a secure spot to keep your puppy contained while they play with their toys. When potty training your puppy, it can be helpful to establish a specific area where you take your puppy for potty breaks.
Planning a Routine
Puppies thrive on consistency and routine, so establish a regular schedule for meals, playtime, potty breaks, and sleep. Sticking with this schedule will create stability for your puppy and help them know what to expect throughout their day.
Get Pet Insurance
With your home puppy-proofed and a training plan in place, securing your puppy's long-term health is the next essential step. Puppies can be surprisingly expensive, and veterinary costs can add up quickly, not just now but throughout their lives. That's why enrolling in pet insurance while your puppy is young and healthy—before any preexisting conditions develop—is a must. It provides peace of mind knowing you can always afford the best possible care.
Just as you're investing time and effort into training to shape their behavior, investing in pet insurance protects their physical well-being. This ensures they can live a long, healthy life by your side, sharing countless adventures and enjoying the strong bond you're building through training.
Methods of Training for Puppies
In the United States, dog training is an unregulated industry, meaning anyone can call themselves a dog trainer. While there is an abundance of dog training information available online, finding reliable dog training information can be a challenge with so much conflicting advice available.
Positive Reinforcement Training
When training dogs, it’s important to stick with positive reinforcement methods. These methods focus on teaching dogs what to do and rewarding them, rather than punishing them for unwanted behavior. Rewards based methods have proven to be more effective, humane, and are even recommended by the leading behavior consultants, like the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior.
Use High-Value Treats
With positive reinforcement training, high-value treats are crucial because they are used to reinforce desired behaviors. Use treats that your dog finds appealing, like cheese, baby food, freeze dried liver, or hotdogs. You can also combine treats with verbal praise and affection to reinforce positive associations with the behavior.
Training Consistency and Repetition
Just like with people, dogs learn through consistency and repetition. When training your puppy, be sure that everyone in the household is on the same page and uses the same commands and techniques to train the puppy. A consistent approach helps to prevent confusion and speeds up the learning process.
Essential Commands and Behaviors to Teach Your Puppy
While dogs are smart and can really learn anything you want to teach them, there are basic commands you’ll want to teach your puppy that will form a solid foundation for a well-behaved adult dog. While these basic dog commands are essential for all puppies, these skills will be especially important if you plan to pursue additional advanced training with your puppy, like emotional support animal training. Whether or not you pursue advance training, these basics are the foundation of good behavior and obedience to set your dog up for a lifetime of success.
Sit. “Sit” is usually the first basic command to teach your puppy. Hold a treat in front of your puppy’s nose. Move your hand upward and towards their rear, causing their bottom to lower to the floor. Once your dog is successfully sitting while you lure them, you can begin to add the command “sit” before using the treat to lure them into position. Once they are comfortable with that, you can start just using the word “sit” and the same hand motion, but without the treat. Be sure to reward your puppy every time they successfully sit, and soon, you’ll have your pup sitting consistently using either the verbal command or the hand motion.
Stay. Ask your puppy to sit. Then, hold up your hand with your palm facing your puppy as a handle signal for “stay.” Take one step backwards, return to your puppy, and reward them for staying in place. Gradually increase the duration and distance. When your puppy is successful, you can begin adding the “stay” command before using the hand signal.
Come when called (also called a “recall”). A reliable recall is an incredibly important skill to teach your puppy to keep them safe. Start in a quiet area with minimal distractions. Then, say your puppy’s name followed by “come.” Reward them generously when they come to you. Always use an enthusiastic voice and tone to encourage your puppy to approach you.
Leash walking. Introduce your puppy to a leash and collar as soon as you can so they get comfortable wearing it. Start with short sessions in a quiet area with minimal distractions, like your yard. Reward your puppy for walking next to you. If your puppy begins to pull ahead, stop walking completely. Only begin moving again once your puppy has moved closer to you and made the leash loose. Loose leash walking can be a hard skill for puppies to learn because they just get so excited once they’re outside, so this requires regular practice.
Crate training. Crates are meant to be a safe, secure spot where your puppy can go to relax and not be bothered. Plus, it can be useful to crate train a puppy when working on potty training. Crates can also come in handy during emergencies. Place the crate in a quiet area of your home and make it a comfortable spot with nice bedding and toys. Leave the door open and reward your puppy anytime they are near it or go inside. Feeding your puppy their meals inside the crate can help establish positive associations. Never use the crate as a form of punishment or your puppy will begin to fear going in it.
Potty training. When potty training your puppy, start as early as possible and be consistent. Establish a schedule to take your puppy outside immediately upon waking up, after meals, and after playtime. When your puppy does potty, reward them immediately and praise them to reinforce their behavior. If your puppy is struggling with accidents inside the house, crate them for nap time or when you can’t watch them closely, as puppies generally don’t go to the bathroom where they sleep. Remember, puppies do have small bladders, and they need to be taken outside frequently to be successful with potty training.
Socialization. It’s important to properly socialize your puppy to ensure they grow into a confident and well-adjusted adult. Expose your puppy to various sounds, people, animals, and environments. Ensure that your puppy has short, positive interactions and doesn’t show signs of stress or fear. If your puppy seems uncomfortable, remove them from the situation.
Handling and grooming. Getting your puppy used to being touched and handled is incredibly important, and it will make vet visits and grooming much easier and less stressful. Get your puppy used to being touched on their paws, ears, and mouth. Reward your puppy after each handling session.
Puppy Training Tips and Tricks
While training a puppy is a lot of fun, it can also feel overwhelming at times. Here are some tips and tricks to make the process much smoother:
Supervise your puppy closely or put them in a safe and secure place if you can’t watch them. This will prevent your puppy from getting into things they shouldn’t and prevent emergency vet visits.
Read your puppy’s body language. Since dogs can’t speak, they communicate with us and other animals using their body language. Body language is how they communicate their needs, like whether they want to increase distance from someone or if they’re in pain. Learning what your dog is saying can help you adjust your approach as needed and live a more peaceful life with your dog.
Introduce new experiences and environments gradually. Socializing your puppy to different experiences and environments is important to ensure they are comfortable and confident. Some puppies can get overwhelmed easily, so read your puppy’s body language and expose them to new experiences and environments slowly, as long as they’re happy and content.
Gradually increase difficulty and distractions in training. One good rule of thumb in dog training is to only proceed to the next level if your puppy is successful 85% of the time. A key principle of good dog training is to move at your puppy’s pace and only proceed when they are successful and understand what is asked of them. While gradually increasing difficulty, distance, and distraction is essential to ensure your dog is fully trained, moving too fast before your puppy is ready can be overwhelming and frustrating.
Training to Address Common Puppy Issues
Training your puppy doesn’t just stop once they’ve passed the puppy age. Training is a lifelong commitment to your dog to ensure they live happy, healthy lives. Unfortunately, training isn’t always smooth sailing, and you may run into challenging behaviors as your puppy gets older. Understanding why your puppy is doing what they’re doing can help you solve the problem to address it head on.
Nipping and Biting
Puppies explore the world with their mouths, so it’s common to experience some nipping and biting challenges. When playing with your puppy, lower the excitement level so your puppy doesn’t become overly worked up and avoid encouraging rough play with your hands. If your puppy continues to nip and bite, redirect them to a chew toy. In some cases, you may need to stand up and ignore your puppy until they’ve calmed down.
Chewing
Chewing is a natural behavior for dogs. Plus, puppies go through an intense teething process for almost 8 months, and during this phase, they want to chew on everything! Provide plenty of appropriate chew toys and puppy-proof your home to prevent your puppy from chewing on things they shouldn’t, like furniture.
Barking
Like chewing, barking is a natural canine behavior and another way they communicate. However, excessive barking can be disruptive in the house, and it can quickly become a serious problem. Try to identify why your dog is barking, so you can address the problem. It can also be helpful to teach your dog the “quiet” command. Simply wait for them to stop barking and immediately give them a treat. As you progress in your training, wait for a longer period of silence each time before rewarding. Then, you can begin to predict when your dog may start barking and give them the “quiet” command before they start.
Separation Anxiety
Separation anxiety in dogs is a serious condition where dogs can panic and become destructive when left alone. Gradually increase the time your puppy spends alone, so they’ll feel more comfortable when you’re not around. Providing enrichment toys or puzzles can help keep your dog occupied and entertained when you’re gone. If your puppy still struggles with separation anxiety, consider using calming aids, like pheromone diffusers, and consult a professional trainer for more guidance.
Continuous Training and Reinforcement
Bringing home a puppy means committing not just to their care, but also to their lifelong development and training needs. Training doesn’t stop once your puppy knows all the basic dog commands. In fact, it’s important to continuously train and reinforce your puppy well into adulthood to maintain good behavior.
Transitioning from Treats
As your puppy masters their training skills, you can gradually replace treats with other rewards, like verbal praise, affection, or playtime. This will still keep your dog motivated while not having to be dependent on food. However, it’s important to occasionally still reward your dog with their favorite treat. This maintains their interest and motivation, and who doesn't love giving their dog a tasty treat?
Practicing in Different Situations and Environments
Training is all about making sure you have a well-behaved dog that seamlessly fits in your family and lifestyle, so remember to train your puppy in different situations and environments, from quiet parks to busy city streets, to ensure they can follow your commands in real-life scenarios.
Advanced Training Classes
While taking puppy training classes is a fun and invaluable experience for your puppy, the fun doesn’t have to stop there! Consider enrolling in advanced training classes with your dog. Not only will your dog learn complex behaviors or fun tricks, but it’s an excellent way to spend some quality time bonding with your dog.
Your Puppy Training Journey
Effective puppy training relies on consistent positive reinforcement and a focus on essential commands like sit, stay, come, and leash walking. Early socialization is key to creating a well-adjusted companion. Address unwanted behaviors like nipping early on. And don't forget their physical well-being—regular vet checkups and pet insurance are essential for ensuring they have a long and healthy life by your side. Enjoy this special time training together and watch your bond grow.
It’s a journey of mutual learning, understanding, and trust. By investing time and effort into training, you’re not just teaching commands; you’re creating a shared language and building a foundation for a lifetime of love and companionship. So, embrace the adventure, enjoy the process, and start creating those unforgettable moments with your furry best friend.