Once your puppy is about six months old, you can take him for puppy obedience training. This is a good idea if you have never before owned a dog or are planning to show a dog in dog shows.
If you have owned other dogs, you probably already know about puppy obedience training and how to make sure that you cute little puppy grows up to be a calm, friendly dog.
The first thing that you need to do when you get your new puppy is to give him a name. Dogs understand their names. Use it often and he or she will begin to understand when they are called.
You will want your puppy to be able to do the following:
Come to you when you call him
Sit down
Lay down
Stay put
Stop doing something destructive
Some puppy obedience classes teach a dog to heel, which requires the dog to kneel before you. This is not necessary unless you are putting him in a dog show.
Why is puppy obedience important? Simple – so that your puppy becomes a well behaved dog. Imagine a cute little puppy jumping up and barking when a guest enters the door. This might seem cute. But it is not very cute when the cute little puppy grows up to be a 150 pound dog and knocks people down because he is disobedient.
A dog is supposed to bark when someone comes to the door. He is supposed to guard the house. Dogs are very territorial animals and your dog is simply doing his job when he does this. However, you are supposed to be the top dog. If you say that it is okay for your Aunt Mildred to enter without being knocked down, then it should be okay for your dog.
You should be able to tell the dog to lay down or sit and he should understand this command and comply. Puppies naturally want to please the pack leader. In a family setting, the person who feeds and cares for the dog becomes the pack leader. Many times, this is a mom. The mom feeds the dog, takes the dog out for a walk and takes care of the dog. The dog will see the mom as the pack leader. The dad may be just another dog in the pack and the children are thought of as litter mates.
Once the dog learns the commands from you, he will be able to understand them from others. You will want your dog to come to you when you call him. This can be crucial if he gets off his leash or gets out of the yard. You do not want your dog to be the menace of the neighborhood, wreaking havoc wherever he goes.
A well behaved dog is a great pet. A dog that has not learned obedience training is a public menace. Which would you rather your little puppy become? If you choose the former, make sure that you enforce some puppy obedience training early on in his life.