Puppyhood is an extremely impressionable age and if you don't at least start to introduce some routine, structure, skills and discipline into its life at this stage, you are wasting a brilliant opportunity, where your puppy is naturally receptive to guidance and easily deterred from naughty behaviours with just a little awareness, supervision and consistency on your part.
A dog is always learning from his environment and surroundings; whether he learns good or bad behaviours is up to you. Your response is more important than any action your dog does, so make sure to react in a way that sends a clear, unambiguous, unmistakeable signal of reinforcement or discouragement towards any behaviour.
A general rule of thumb is that if a puppy never got a chance to try something when they were young, they won't attempt it when they are adult dogs.
[Not exposing puppies to the human world is a double edged sword ]
The catch is: this works both for and against you. For instance, if a puppy never tried chewing shoes or table legs when young, they are less likely to pick up the habit, thanks to your careful supervision and thorough management of what things your puppy had access to in your absence, and what they did for entertainment in your presence.
On the other hand, if you never put your puppy on a leash and collar to get it used to guidance through mild leash pressure, or did not give it the opportunity to observe the human world with all its quirks from a safe distance, then the leash, strangers, loud noises and other things will easily spook your dog and may trigger barking, chasing, fleeing or aggression.
One common myth I've seen circling the dog communities online is that your dog will grow out of XYZ behaviours, but I'm here to tell you it all comes down to your reaction. If you give your dog the wrong feedback, your dog will never grow out of these behaviours. So, I encourage you to start training them young both for the things you want them to do, but equally importantly the things you don't want them to do.
So, what should you train your puppy on?
The DOs
1. Familiarise them with the leash and collar
An essential tool for you to guide your dog, communicate with it and also prevent it from getting in trouble, a leash and collar belong in every dog owner's toolkit. When you bring home a new puppy, introduce him to the leash and collar as soon as possible. Don't put it on and start pulling on the leash right away; put it on and let your dog investigate it, run around with it on, dragging the leash behind him. When it becomes familiar with the leash, start to gently apply pressure to show your dog where you want it to go or not go and reward him for following the mild leash pressure you apply.
2. Grooming
You're going to have to take care of your dog's health and hygiene for the rest of its life, so you might as well get it used to being handled and groomed by you. At this age, use plenty of rewards when you brush their fur, or clean their eyes and ears. Basic grooming shouldn't wait till the next groomer's visit because regular fur brushing gives you a chance to observe changes in skin or health condition and visit a vet in time if needed. Your dogs are always on the floor where dust and bugs are crawling around, give them a daily brushing and regular wipe downs to keep them clean until their next shower.
3. Desensitize your puppy to nail clipping or grinding This is one of the most difficult parts of grooming a dog unless you desensitise them properly. Although their nails aren't too long when young, getting them used to the sensation of the grinder on their nails is a good idea. You can clip their nails too but it's harder to ensure that you don't accidentally cut the quick. With grinders, if you do hit the quick, you often realise much quicker due to the 5 second rule and there is less bleeding. You may or may not do this yourself, but if you find yourself in a position where you're often turned down by groomers to clip your dog's nails due to aggression, then know that there is hope. You can gradually build positive associations for your dog with patience and an action plan. This is a valuable skill for the D.I.Y dog owner who would rather groom the dog themselves, while preventing growling, snapping or injuries while doing so.
4. Crate Training Encouraging your pooch to use a crate is beneficial in countless ways, including but not limited to preparedness for emergencies, privacy and personal space, and toilet training. If you want more details about the benefits of using crates, check out this article on how and why to use crates. Remember that if a puppy forms negative associations with anything, it starts to retaliate against the unpleasantness. Always give your puppy a chance to investigate new objects and gradually build confidence around it. E.g. If you need to put your pooch in a crate for a journey, don't just put him in it on the day you're traveling. Instead, plan ahead and familiarise him with it over the period of a week or two.
5. Toilet Training If you're under the misconception that your dog will grow out of the habit of peeing on the carpet or at your door, I'm here to tell you you're wrong. The only thing that changes as they age is the duration they can hold their pee and poo in, so unless you spend some time showing them where it is acceptable for them to go or how to use the toilet tray / pee pad, you're likely to still have accidents.
6. Outside access Contrary to what your vet tells you, your puppy should not remain indoors until they complete all vaccinations. You should take them out with you as often as you can to familiarise them with the human world they're going to be a part of. You can find yourself a quiet cafe or park bench where you can both sit down and observe the world go by. The most important word in that sentence is 'sit'. You want to teach your dog that they don't have to interact with or react to everything in their surroundings. This helps foster a sense of calmness which allows you to take your dog wherever you go without worrying about their safety and what we often label as 'naughty' behaviour. This same calmness applies to car rides. It is unsafe for dogs to be jumping from one seat to another or be standing with their face out of the windows while you're driving as it could easily lead to accidents with the smallest trigger (a dog in a parallel car, the smell of a cat or squirrel nearby). So if you wear seat belts when driving, you should at least consider teaching your dog to stay seated or lying down in the car.
7. Training for recall Teaching your dog to come to you when called, whether indoors or outdoors, is the most important thing you can do! It means you can keep your dog out of trouble, call them back to you if something unusual appears in your surroundings or simply when your dog has wandered off further than your range of supervision. You have to start small with no distractions and build up on it as you practice in busier locations, but once your dog has learnt this skill, you can go out feeling quite confident that he won't cause or get into any trouble.
The DON'Ts
1. Don't leave them loose or unattended in a large empty house
Many owners unwittingly leave their young puppies unattended with full access to the living room only to return to a table leg being chewed up or part of the sofa destroyed. Some puppies get so nervous that they even poo and pee all over the place out of fear. You have to remember they are young, and your large empty house feels like a very lonely and daunting space to the tiny pup. He might have fun in it while you're around, but when you're away, he releases nervous energy by doing what naturally feels good to a dog: digging, chewing, whining, barking.
[ limit access when alone, and introduce them to different parts under supervision ]
Observe where your dog goes to sleep. Does he go under the table, lean on a piece of furniture or in some dark corner? That's because it makes them feel safe from and invisible to predators, so it is natural instinct for them to find a small, cozy, dark spaces to rest and relax. You can provide this to them in the form of a crate or mansion (play pen) when you're unable to supervise them or interact with them. That way you're able to observe what triggers or frightens them, so you can add it to your training plan.
2. Don't chase your dog
Who doesn't like a good game of chase! The thrill, the excitement of going as fast you can. Running with the wind in their fur is just as exciting to your dog, but I suggest you leave the chasing to the dogs because a) you can't keep up with a dog's speed, and b) once your dog learns that running away from you is fun, it is going to be out of control and won't come when called. The thrill is in not being caught, so whether he's running away with a shoe, a charging cable or even his own toy, it's going to difficult to calm that situation down.
[ teach them that chasing you is fun & interactive, and running away is boring & lonely ]
On the other hand, if you teach your dog your version of the game, i.e. to chase you and good things consistently come from approaching you, i.e. pets, cuddles, treats, praises, then he learns that sticking with you is fun, and going out with your dog automatically becomes a lot safer.
3. Don't accidentally reward your dog for behaviour you dislike As the famous dog whisperer Cesar Milan suggests: "No touch, no talk, no eye contact". There is a reason behind this. The above 3 used as we usually do are considered rewarding to dogs (esp. puppies). When our puppy does something we don't want them to, we unknowingly start talking in high pitched tones, which puppies usually consider exciting. Similarly, by looking at them or touching them, you are giving them the attention they always want from you, so using either of these three to deter undesirable behaviours does not work. Instead, train them to either let go of things, redirect their attention to something else or give them another command to follow instead.
[do not lift, pet or verbally soothe your dog when they display aggression or hostility as you will reinforce the behaviour]
4. Don't adopt the "let's see what happens" approach You must have heard of Murphy's law: "Anything that can go wrong will go wrong, and at the worst possible time."
Have you allowed your dog to go for a walk off-leash only for him to run so far you had to chase him? Or maybe you've allowed your dog to greet other dogs and play, only for that to backfire and the dogs started barking aggressively at one another.
[If your dog is generally reactive, advocate for them by not allowing other's dogs to approach them. Your dog doesn't just like barking; they're doing it for a reason.]
Take the time to learn what things trigger your puppy, observe his beahviour and use preventative measures instead of allowing your puppy to behave badly or dangerously. You can gradually build confidence and train your dog to become indifferent to those stimulus, but the first step is recognising those triggers and moderating their reaction.
The "let's see what happens" approach is lazy! Be two steps ahead of your dog.
[ Don't tease your dog and expect them to react calmly. If you're not ready for the excitement, barking or jumping, don't show them a treat or toy you're not ready to give them.]
5. Don't scold or hit your dog if you haven't tried to show them the correct thing to do.
If you give your growing toddler some time out of his crib and he ends up causing a mess, you wouldn't scold him, but teach him and show him how to do things in a way that is less messy or dangerous. It should be the same with dogs. We bring home a dog, and try to use words in our language to teach them things, but when they poop in the wrong place or chew on shoes and furniture, we get worked up and use loud voices or hit them. That's unfair. Also, it can cause your puppy to fear your inexplicable unstable mood. Dogs like structure, routine, guidance and most of all consistency. If they know what to expect and how to behave, they can't get it wrong. That makes the owner happy, and usually the dog is equally happy from the praise and love they get showered with for doing the right thing.
[ a responsible dog owner is 2 steps ahead of their pup. They set their pups up for success by taking all necessary preemptive measures that won't allow the dog to make a mistake they can't fix ]
Are you acquiring a puppy soon? Sign up for our champion puppy course to start your dog on the right foot and make them friendly, lovable, well-behaved and social dogs.
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