Congratulations on welcoming a puppy into your life! This guide is here to help you navigate the first few months with your new canine family member. The biggest training priorities for your new puppy include socialization, house training, and basic skills. Puppies under about 15 weeks of age are more open to new experiences and information than adult dogs (or even older puppies), so this is a critical time to help them make positive associations with people, dogs, sounds, and other experiences. You can also start teaching your puppy basic skills like sitting, coming when called, and polite walking. The good news: Young puppies can start learning training basics even as young as eight weeks old. Keep in mind that puppies are easily distracted and have very short attention spans, so make sure you keep training sessions short and work in a quiet environment at home. And don't forget: Reward your puppy generously to help them learn to love training. Learning Priorities for Puppies 8–10 Weeks Old First, new puppy owners will need to set up a daily routine to help your puppy become accustomed to their new environment. That means you'll need to set consistent times for your pup’s meals, potty breaks, playtimes, nap times, and training sessions, which will help your furry friend learn the household schedule quickly. You should also prioritize crate training and potty training at this stage. Helping your puppy learn to love the crate will help you potty train faster and keep your puppy safe at times when you can't closely supervise them. You should also begin socialization after the first few days of your puppy's arrival. Socializing your new pup helps them learn what's safe in their big new world. Just make sure you start slowly and make their new experiences positive. You can accomplish this by pairing treats with new people, dogs, sights, sounds, and smells to help your puppy make positive associations with their new home and neighborhood. Learning Priorities for Puppies 10-12 Weeks Old At around 10-12 weeks of age, you should continue socializing your puppy by widening their experiences. Bring humans other than your immediate family members into the fray — you can start by inviting a couple of friends over. You can also take your pet to outdoor spots close to home. Just make sure you're avoiding crowded areas at this stage. You should always carry treats when you take your pup outside, and be sure to make use of them. You can pair those treats with new experiences to help your pup continue making positive associations with the outdoors. In addition, you can give your puppy chew toys to help them learn to play independently. Try out toys with different textures, shapes, sounds, and sizes to find out what your puppy likes. Plus, you can use toys to redirect your puppy from biting you or your clothes. Meanwhile, you should continue helping your puppy love their crate and learn to spend time alone in it. You should start by leaving the house for 5-10 minutes, then gradually build up the time. It's also important to help your pup learn how to enjoy handling. Be tactile, and reward them for it. Touch your four-legged friend's paws or ears briefly, then follow up with a treat. Your pup will learn that handling means good things for them. Critically, this will help make them more comfortable with veterinary care. Finally, start working on fundamental skills like "Sit" and "Come." Remember that teaching your dog a new behavior is a process and you shouldn't anticipate instant results, so be patient and reward your pup generously to build their interest in training. Learning Priorities for Puppies 3-4 Months Old At this point you should continue working on potty training and crate training on a daily basis. Leaving your pup in the crate for an hour or so at a time will help them learn to hold it between potty breaks, and give you time to get things done while they're safe in their crate. You can also start taking your pup out on the town more. Once your furry friend has finished their vaccine series, it’s safe to take them to more populated areas. Remember to pair all their new experiences with treats to help them make positive associations. Your pup is also more ready to work on leash walking at this stage. You should start by practicing walking skills in quiet areas, then gradually introduce them to more distracting places. Practice your pup’s skills while out on walks. You can ask them to sit, or wait at corners and reward them for checking in with you when it’s distracting. Learning Priorities for Puppies 4-6 Months Old Learning new skills isn't enough — your puppy needs lots of practice to solidify them. Just continue to be patient and reward desired behaviors. Oh, and don't worry if your dog’s training regresses — just continue working to keep them focused on you. You may need to increase your rewards temporarily until they get back on track. And apart from edible treats, you can try mixing in other rewards like play and toys. At the same time, you should continue to train them in more distracting environments. Work on socialization by greeting people and dogs, going for car rides, practicing body handling, and visiting the vet’s office. Making Training A Part of Your Everyday Life Adapting to a dog-friendly lifestyle can be an adjustment! Try fitting training into your everyday routine instead of setting aside a particular time to train each week. Just be consistent and use treats to help your puppy understand that training is fun and rewarding. You can even use a treat pouch, or stash jars of treats around the house for impromptu training. And always carry treats on walks, and stop a few times to work on skills like sitting. It's a good idea to use meal times as a reminder to work on training. Grab a handful of kibble at mealtimes to work on training skills, then give your pup the remaining meal portion in their bowl. Another piece of advice: Keep training sessions short. That'll make sure your puppy stays excited to keep learning instead of getting restless. Now that you've learned the basic timeline, it's time to dive into some specific training techniques. How to Potty Train a Puppy First, just remember: Potty training takes time and patience! Don't expect perfection overnight. But if you use these guidelines, it'll be as quick and easy as possible: Crate Training a Puppy Crates are extremely helpful when it comes to preventing accidents during potty training. Just as important, they give your pup a safe place to hang out when you’re busy with other activities or away from home. Here are some important rules of thumb: Training a Puppy to Sit "Sit" is one of the first basic commands you'll want to teach your pup. Follow these steps to get it right: Leash Training and Walking This is another crucial skill. Follow these guidelines to become a dog walking wiz: Teaching Your Puppy to Come When Called Also very important! Just follow these steps: What About Dog Training Classes? Taking your furry friend to puppy training classes and puppy socials can be rewarding for both of you! Training classes are often worth the investment of time and money to learn from a professional dog trainer with years of experience. Expert instruction can help you socialize your dog and learn basic skills and good manners at an early age. Just remember that classes can be distracting, so your dog may make better progress if your training program includes at-home practice between class sessions. And make sure to find a trainer that uses only positive reinforcement techniques to keep your dog enthusiastic about training and maintain your caring relationship with your dog.
:quality(75))
:quality(75))
:quality(75))
:quality(75))
:quality(75))
:quality(75))
:quality(75))