A New Puppy……
So You Have A New Best Friend. Now What Do You Do?
Oh your new puppy is so cute. Just look at that little fluffy thing bouncing all over the house going from room to room. Wait, what is he doing? No, don’t go potty there you little rascal. I guess there is some training in your future… no, not the puppy, you.
Owning a puppy is so exciting. A new friend that will stick by you, sit on your lap, lick your face and eat you out of house and home is a pretty exciting proposition. But, it can be the source of major frustration too. You now have a responsibility toward your new friend. It is your responsibility to ensure that he or she grows up well trained and healthy.
Most people believe that training of your pet begins with the pet. That is not so. You are the one that needs the training. Only after you know how to train your pet can you proceed with its education. You have to first of all learn patience. Training your pet takes time and you’ll likely lose a few shoes and perhaps some furniture in the process. But that’s okay, they’ll learn in time and so will you.
So what is the best way to train your new puppy? I would suggest that you find the very best dog training school in your area, go there and check them out. And don’t just check out one. They’re all different and you need to find the perfect training center that meets your specific needs.
The health and wellbeing of your pet is totally on your shoulders. If you don’t begin training correctly you very well could end up becoming frustrated and disillusioned with the process. Perhaps so frustrated that you’ll simply take the dog back to where you got it. That isn’t fair to the puppy. Simply learn to train with patience and love and all will be well.
Your new puppy is like a newborn child. If they don’t know they aren’t supposed to do something then you can’t blame them when they do. If you leave food on the table what do you think will happen? Yes, they’ll eat it. And, if you don’t take them outside on a regular basis what will happen? You’ll be cleaning up messes all over the house. You must teach your new friend what is and is not acceptable. You have to shape the character of your pet during his early “childhood.” If you don’t you’ll have a pet that is out of control with a bad attitude and severe behavioral problems with which you’ll have to deal.
It shocks some new puppy owners when their puppy acts like, well a puppy. The little critter is a pooping machine who chews, barks, digs, cries and much more! But we still love them anyway – we just need to provide them with some direction and boundaries to follow.
If you’re anything like me you probably just want to get your puppy off to the best possible start in life, and also set them up to thrive as adult dogs. Early puppy socialization and puppy training are the keys to your success as a dog owner.
Training your puppy takes lot of encouragement, praise and rewards (positive reinforcement.) Start your puppy training sessions as soon as your little puppy arrives at your home – it’s never too early. Set your puppy up to succeed, concentrate on developing desirable habits in your puppy and preventing undesirable behavior. It’s much a better alternative to put your puppy on the right path from the start, rather than trying to correct established problem behaviors later on.
Sessions for training should be short and always fun. Start out by using easy commands that you can repeat often so that he understands what you’re asking of him. Build on the success by positiv
e reinforcement rather than punishment, avoidance or harsh corrections. This will create an environment of trust between the both of you. Puppy will look forward to the fun times in store for him each day as you train him.
Enjoy this fantastic time in your dog’s life. His puppyhood is the time where you will lay the foundation for your puppy’s life. It’s also where you will develop, build and strengthen the special bond you will share with your dog for life.
