The day you bring your new puppy home is always an exciting one, filled with much excitement as well as trepidation. Like an artist sitting in front of a blank canvas, your puppy has all the potential in the world and it is your responsibility to turn this little ball of fur into a canine work of art. A heady responsibility and one often taken too lightly, the final product is not a work of art but a disobedient, ill-mannered adult dog that is neither the joy nor the best friend you were hoping for on that first day when you brought him home.

 

Developing a Plan for Training a Puppy

 

Before you bring your puppy home, take some time to decide how you are going to work with your puppy to mold him into your ideal companion. Training a puppy should not be a trial and error situation but instead a well thought out and researched plan.

 

You have probably already asked yourself if there are any activities or dog sports you would like to do with your new puppy such as obedience, agility, search and rescue, confirmation, Schutzhund, ring sport, or Frisbee. Or maybe you are getting a hunting dog that will be your companion out in the field or a herder to help with the livestock. This is assuming that you have done your research and have picked a breed that has the temperament and physical capabilities to do what you are going to ask of them.

 

Intentional training with a sport in mind will help you to formulate a plan. For example, if you want your hunting dog to retrieve fallen birds for you then you need to work on their retrieve drive, expose them to loud sounds and gunshot early, and build their confidence so they can work a hundred or more yards from you. They also need to exposure to dead birds so that they know how they feel in their mouth and that they know the bird is not actually their dinner.

 

Search and rescue dogs also need to be extremely confident in their ability to perform up to a quarter mile away from their handler. To build confidence, you need to encourage a young pup to explore on their own, to let them investigate out in front of you on walks and use positive training techniques that foster learning and problem solving.

 

 

What if all you want is your puppy to become your best friend and companion?  Socialization  is vital because your best friend will be going everywhere with you and you want him to be accepted by humans and animals alike. Does he have to be able to focus on his job when he is in a field with other dogs like an agility dog must or can he just be out there having fun? No, fun is the name of the game for him. But does he have to have a rock solid recall so when he is out there having fun with his four-legged friends, one call from you and he knows its time to head home? Definitely.

 

Basic obedience is an important part of the development of all dogs but where we put the emphasis is dependent on what that dog will eventually become as it matures.

 

Once you decide what ‘job’ you want your pup to have, developing a training plan becomes simple. Talk to people that are involved in your interest and find out their  puppy training  methods, find out about trainers or clubs in your area that will help guide you and your puppy, read books on the subject, and have the required tools waiting for the day you bring your new puppy home.

 

When Can I Start Training a Puppy?

 

This is the single most misunderstood part of the puppy rearing process! Many people, especially first time owners, do not believe that their eight-week-old puppy is old enough to begin formal training. They are wrong. Puppies as young as six to seven weeks old can learn to ‘ sit ’ on command, shake a paw and ‘come’ when called. Much of this training is by osmosis and it is not bombproof by any means as the attention span of a six-week-old puppy is short making distractions plentiful.

 

Once you bring your pup home, begin by teaching him his basic commands – ‘sit’, ‘down’, ‘no’, ‘come’ and ‘leave it’. You will be glad you did when he starts putting everything in his mouth and as he develops into a teenager! When you are playing with him and he sits, enthusiastically say ‘good sit, good puppy!’. When he runs towards you even when you have not called him, say ‘good come, good puppy!’ and give him a ton of pats and scratches. Get him used to the words, the actions and especially the rewards!

 

The one warning is exposing him to disease. Until a pup is sixteen weeks old and fully  vaccinated , they are more susceptible to parvovirus, distemper, coronavirus, adenovirus, rabies, and parainfluenza. Most veterinarians discourage taking puppies younger then sixteen weeks anywhere there may be diseased animals, thus limiting how much socialization and new experiences your pup can be exposed to during this important stage of development.

 

To counteract this problem, consider where else that you can take your pup that would expose them to new people, sites and sounds. Before opening, many malls allow ‘mall walkers’ to exercise in the weather proof and safe area – contact your local mall to see if they would allow you to bring your puppy. Many Rona stores allow dogs to come inside and these are wonderful to expose your pup to myriad of sounds, smells, people and objects. Banks are another great place and most tellers have biscuits behind their desks for these special visits. Look around your city and find out where dogs are allowed that would not endanger or expose your pup to disease.

 

Puppy Kindergarten

 

Most puppy kindergarten classes require the participants to be fully vaccinated so keep this in mind when you book your puppy’s session. Puppy kindergarten is vital for socialization and your puppy’s development. Much of the class is based on fun and play sessions under the watchful eye of the trainer. Shy pups are encouraged to play with puppies with similar traits or easygoing pups that are not going to bully an already nervous pup.  Dominant  or aggressive pups are kept in line by the trainer so that they do not push the other pups around while they work through their issues.

 

Another important aspect to puppy kindergarten is the ‘pass the puppy’ time. Everyone sits in a circle and passes their puppy to the people beside them. They play with the pup, roll him on his side, play with his feet, ears and tail and give him treats. This is an important step in teaching a puppy not to be scared of strangers.

 

The last part of this style of class is how to train a puppy and basic obedience. Although extremely important, part of the fun of bringing a puppy into your life is to learn the other aspects that are involved in raising a well-mannered, confident and obedient pup.

 

Basic Obedience for Puppies

 

As the pup ages, teaching him new words becomes faster and easier. He will know his own name and respond to your commands quickly. By the time he is ready to start his next level of obedience class, he will have the basics down pact and will understand the difference between ‘work’ time and ‘play’ time.

 

 

Basic obedience classes improve and ‘proof’ the  commands  he already has as well as teach him new ones. A progressive trainer will teach a few tricks as well and will begin teaching you how to communicate effectively with your dog. Avoid classes that emphasize the strict style of obedience seen in the competition ring (unless this is where you want to end up with your dog of course) because this style of obedience is not necessarily real world training. Your dog needs to have a recall that is perfect at the dog park, not in an enclosed building with limited distractions.

 

Continued Education for Training a Puppy

 

There are dozens of excellent books available that help teach ‘newbies’ about dog behavior and training methods. Pups are like children, they absorb new information at an alarming rate and you want to guarantee that the information is going to help train your puppy, not hinder the process. Spend some time around training clubs, agility clubs, and advanced obedience classes to learn how the pros interact with their pets and never stop learning. Training a puppy does not have to be a chore nor a challenge. Enjoy this time with your pup and you will have a wonderful companion for many years to come.