When you first bring home your new best friend, the anticipation and the joy of your new puppy must come with the realization that a firm puppy training schedule must be put in place and followed.
Just remember that puppies might be bundles of joy, but they can also be frustration and difficult at times. What you must do is set up a schedule for yourself and your puppy that you will both have to learn and live by.
You need to first start teaching your puppy a daily routine, such as feeding times, the location of his water and food dish, where he will sleep, get up, his expected bathroom times and when he will be taken for a walk and where his toys are located.
These routines must be started when the puppy is 2-3 months of age, do not expect miracles overnight, there will be set backs and much needed repetition. Never hit nor yell at your puppy, he is to know that you are the leader of the pack, but also you want the puppy to love you not fear you.
Your puppy will need to learn words, so that he will know what is expected of him, what he is to do or not to do. Some of the words or phrases that you should use are: come, stay, off, don’t touch, drop it, heel, go lie down and quiet.
You must use and say these words properly using the correct tone and body language with each. The first words that your puppy should master are ‘no’ and ‘good’.
Before advanced puppy training can begin your new puppy must be taught “respect”, that you are the leader of the pack or family. Remember you are training the puppy; he is not to be training you!
Dogs can learn quite a few words, and they will listen when you speak these words, look for the words that he understands and use them, they love to please.
It’s at this time you are to be beginning to housebreak your puppy, the best and most reliable way would be crating your puppy. Your puppy will come to think of his crate as his den, at first he will not enjoy being restricted, but soon he will come to think of it as his sanctuary and enter it on his own.
Just remember that housebreaking begins as soon as your puppy arrives home, do not expect this to happen overnight or that it will be easy. Through repetitive actions as taking the puppy out often and showing him where to go, successful training will occur.
Teach your puppy gentleness; remember he was just separated from the litter and his mother. But also remember that it is you that will determine what that puppy will understand what is good or bad, so it is up to you to establish a good puppy training schedule.
