November 20, 2017

Puppy training basics

Bringing home a new dog is a huge responsibility, no matter how old they are. One of the most important things you can do is ensuring your dog develops the behavioral, social, and physical skills needed to live a good life in our world!
Puppy training can dramatically shape their personality and future. At PetCenter, we’re huge fans of using positive reinforcement when puppy training, using any of the scrumptious training treats we carry in our store.
In order to make sure you’re setting your tail-wagger up for success, here’s a checklist of 5 crucial training and behavioral tips using dog treats to get you started.

1. Basic commands

Sit, Stay, Come, Leave It: These are the golden puppy training commands that can make your life so much easier. “Sit” and “Stay” help teach your dog patience and these two commands come in handy when you know you’re dog is in a state of excitement. “Come” is one of those commands that will help you get their attention and serves as a good command when you need to distract your dog from what they’re doing. “Leave it” is best used for when they fixate on something, whether it’s destroying your shoe or trying to steal a treat off the streets.

2. Learning about their space in your home

It’s important for your dog to love their bed/crate and know that that’s their space to claim. Having consistent spots in the house helps them feel secure since they have a natural instinct to den. Some dogs take to this more naturally while others need more coaxing, especially if it’s a crate or a bed placed in a spot of the house that’s not their favorite. The best way to get them to like their nook is to reward them with a treat when they are in the bed/crate. Soon enough they’ll begin to develop a positive association with the area and automatically go their designated spots!

3. Teaching them about boundaries

Dogs respond well to boundaries as long as they have been clearly defined. If your dog isn’t allowed to chew shoes, make sure you say a stern “No” and swap the shoe for one of their toys so they know what’s acceptable. Similarly if your dog isn’t allowed on the couch, gently push them off and when they stay down, reward them with a tasty treat and tons of praise. But make sure you stick to these rules. If you allow them on the couch sometimes and don’t at other times, it’ll confuse your dog and make it harder for them to know what’s ok and what’s not.

4. Go Potty

Older adopted dogs, are usually house-broken but that doesn’t mean that they won’t have accidents while they try and get used to their new environment. The best way to train a puppy or dog to go potty in the right places is to deliberately walk to the spot when you know they need to go and when they do go reward them with praise and treats. By constantly reinforcing the behavior you’ll be able to get them on a steady routine where both you and the pup know when it’s time to go!

5. Teaching them to be ok with being home alone.

If in your puppy training, you’ve gotten your pup to like their crate then leaving them home shouldn’t be too difficult. But for those of you who don’t crate, the best way to get your pup to not worry when you leave is to stagger the amount of time you’re gone and reinforce the good behavior with treats. First you can start by leaving them for 5 minutes. Come back and reward them if they don’t howl. Gradually increase the amount of time you’re gone. With some patience and time your dog will eventually learn that when you leave it doesn’t mean you’ll never come back. This a great way to also build trust between you and your dog. Once they start to trust they’ll be more at ease.

Here at PetCenter, puppy training is a big part of our everyday lives. We specialize in helping customers with tips and tricks for all sorts of training concerns and questions. We also send each of our new puppies home with training sessions in our store with the option for in-home training as well from the training company we work with. Having a solid foundation of training, no matter how old your four-legged family member is, will not only make you happy, but your pet as well! We also stock everything you would need for successful training from treats to crates, correction collars and so much more! Swing by and let us help you today!

To find out more about puppy training at PetCenter Old Bridge click here!