When you imagine training a puppy, you probably think about potty training or housebreaking. While this is one of the most important aspects of puppy training, there are other things that you should also teach you new puppy.
The best time to train a puppy is when you first get the animal. When puppies are young, they are eager to learn to please you. Dogs are social animals and rely heavily upon social interaction and acceptance.
More than anything, your puppy wants to be accepted by you. Some important aspects when it comes to training a puppy include the following:
Chewing
Puppies love to chew. They have to chew in order to get their teeth to grow in. They will chew anything in sight. Do not allow them to chew on old shoes or they will think that it is okay to chew on new shoes. Get your puppy a chew toy and give it to him whenever he starts chewing on anything inappropriate.
Furniture
Do you want your puppy on the furniture? This can depend on the breed of the dog. If your puppy is going to be a big dog, you will probably not want him on the furniture. His nails may rip the fabric and he may have dirty paws from being outside. If you do not want your puppy on the furniture, you have to admonish him to get off the furniture whenever he jumps on.
Walking
You may think that you can just hook your puppy up to a leash and go for a walk. Wrong. A puppy has to be taught to walk on a leash properly. He should not pull at the leash and should walk along side you without tugging. This can be taught at obedience school or by using a choke collar. You can start teaching your puppy to walk on a leash when he is about six months old.
Basic Commands
You do not have to train your puppy to do tricks for amusement, but you should teach him how to sit and how to stay. These basic commands can make him a much more desirable pet as he gets older and grows into a dog.
You do not want your dog to be jumping on top of people who come to your house. You need to teach your puppy how to sit.
Your puppy should also know how to stay. This is important. Imagine your dog following you across a street. You can potentially save his life if you can teach him to understand how to stay put.
You do not have to use force when training a puppy. You should not rub their nose in anything or hit them. Puppies react more to a stern voice. Severe punishment for a dog is being banished from the pack. If the puppy misbehaves, you can put him away from the family for a few minutes and he will get the hint. There is no reason to hit the puppy as this may actually hurt him and is really not an effective way to train the animal.