How to Train a Puppy

How to Train a Puppy

Learn how to train a puppy fast with these 10 proven tips every dog owner should know. These simple, effective and expert-backed methods for puppy training will have your puppy obeying you and behaving in no time.

Introduction

Starting your new life with a puppy as part of your family is one of the biggest joys of life. Those wiggling tails, playful barking, and lessons of pure love dogs show us make the dog the ultimate companion, “man’s best friend”.

Now let’s be honest, puppies can be a handful! One second after you bring your puppy home, it can begin chewing to pieces your furniture, having accidents in your house, or barking endlessly at 2am! This is why every new dog owner must learn how to train a puppy fast.

The good thing is that puppies are like sponges, as long as you have patience, and teach them using consistency and love, their in-built instinctual training absorbs lessons fairly quickly. The ten proven tips for puppy training we will discuss here will not only keep you sane, but develop the relationship with your new puppy too!

1. Begin Training Right Away

The best time to start your puppy's training is the moment you bring your pup home. Puppies learn best between 8 to 16 weeks old, and if you wait too long the chance for good behavior (and their training) is in jeopardy due to bad habits.

Training your puppy early does not have to be rigorous—basic commands such as sit, stay, and come are sufficient. Establishing this floor for your pup will help her understand boundaries and your position as the leader.

Quick Tip—Keep training sessions short (5–10 minutes) and positive in nature because puppies only have so much attention span before they turn into a blind Raptors taking aim at a sock!

2. Provide Positive Reinforcement

Dogs, and particularly puppies, respond extremely well to rewarding desired behaviors over punishment. Positive reinforcement is the act of praising or rewarding good behavior so that your pup wants to do it again.

Rewards can include:

Small treat

Belly rub

Playtime with their favorite toy

For example, if your puppy sits on command when you ask your pup to sit you reward them immediately following with a positive reinforcement. This will help them associate the behavior with something positive.

You want to avoid punishment. Getting mad, yelling, or doing physical corrections is only likely to create fear and confusion for the puppy. Instead, simply redirect the dog to the appropriate behavior for training purposes.

3. Use a Crate

Because it’s a part of puppy training that does not regularly receive the appreciation it deserves, a crate is one of the fastest ways to train a puppy. There is nothing cruel about a crate, and while we can see it as a necessary evil, it can be a safe-haven for your puppy when done correctly.

Crates can assist in:

job. This is also a way you can practice leaving your puppy.

Get puppies to stop acting destructive when they are left unattended

Gives puppy a sense of “security”

Just make sure that you have the right crate and it's a comfortable one. Make sure you’re not using it as punishment for bad behavior. Make sure the crate is just the right size too (big enough for your puppy to stand up, turn around, and lie down).

Pro Tip: Put a blanket or even a toy into the crate, so that your puppy associates the crate with comfort.

4. Get Potty Training Down

Training a puppy to potty outside is generally the hardest thing for new dog owners to grasp. Consistency is the key!

A simple routine looks like this:

Each morning, immediately upon waking up, take your puppy outside. After they eat, after they wake up from a nap, and before bed.

Always take them to the same spot so they can start associating that area with the act of going potty.

As soon as they go outside, give them their reward immediately.

You are going to have accidents, don't punish your puppy for the bathroom inside. Just clean the area thoroughly to get rid of the scent, otherwise, your puppy will go back to that spot.

Keyword Tip- Many people will search "how to potty train a puppy fast", and you now know one way to do that!

5. Start Teaching Basic Commands Early

Basic commands are essential to good behavior, and they will help keep your puppy safe when around other people and environments.

Examples of these commands include:

Sit

Stay

Come

Down

Leave it

Be sure to train one command at a time, always using positive reinforcement, and take trips slow at first. Start indoors and then try the commands outside where they will have more distractions.

6. Socialize Your Puppy

If your puppy is well-socialized, he will grow into a confident, friendly adult dog. You should expose your puppy to different people (adults and children), animals, sounds, and environments early on. Take them for walks in the neighborhood. Get them to meet calm dogs, and let them hear all types of noises (ex: vacuum cleaner noises, thunder, various types of music, etc.)

Why it matters: Without quality socialization, your dog may develop fear-based behaviors later in life which can lead to aggression, barking or anxiety.

7. Consistency is Key

One of the fastest ways to train a puppy is to always be consistent. The more mixed signals you give your dog, the more confused he will become. A simple example would be if one person allows the puppy on the couch, but another does not. The puppy will not understand the rule.

Tips for Consistency:

Always Use the Same Words for Commands.

Establish Rules for the Household, and make sure everyone is following them.

Be consistent with the feeding, potty breaks, and play-time routines.

8. Make Training Sessions Enjoyable

Puppies have the most success with training when they see it as play. Utilize toys, games, and excitement to make sessions fun. A disengaged puppy won't follow your requests.

Think about games like the following examples:

Hide and seek (having your puppy find you)

Fetch (with a drop it command)

Puzzle toy games, so your puppy can receive treats for successfully completing challenges

Training with play not only is fun, it also builds your bond while teaching your dog to be obedient.

9. Be Patient and Keep Sessions Short

Remember, puppies are babies. They won't learn commands perfectly in one day. Patience is key, as frustration can be felt by both parties.

Rather than attempting to work for long training sessions, try to work on training frequently but for only short duration - 3-5 minutes four or five times a day. As your puppy grows and increases their attention span, you can gradually increase length of training sessions.

Learn to love the tiny victories. If your puppy only performs the command successfully once, that is a huge victory that you can praise them for!

10. Use a Dog Trainer if Necessaray

You can try so much and still have a hard time training your puppy. It is okay! This is why we have professional dog trainers.

Signs you may need help include:

Aggression towards people or animals

Excessive fearful behavior or anxiety

Constant barking or destruction of your possessions

A trainer can give you tailored training plans to enable you and your puppy to find success. Placing some time and money in training when you start your training with your puppy, can only help you prevent behavior problems latter on.

Additional Tips to Succeed in Puppy Training

Be realistic: Puppies aren’t perfectly trained overnight.

Exercise matters: A tired puppy is a good puppy.

Stay calm: You are the one that is responsible for your dog. Your energy is reflected in your dog. Use calm, firm guidance with your puppy.

Use hand signals: Dogs work very well with visual cues as well as verbal cues.

Conclusion

The quick aspect of learning how to train a puppy is not completing the training quickly. The quick part is recognizing the training methods that can take longer and utilizing the well established methods for making your puppy training easy, useful, and fun. If you start early, use positive reinforcement correctly, remain consistent, keep your training sessions short and fun, you will have a dog who has good manners and a friend for life.

The most significant part of puppy training is patience and love. The more time and effort you put into your dog today will be beneficial to you and your family in the long run with great happiness and life of peace.

Click here Download training guide