5 steps to puppy training success
When you bring a puppy home, you start with a blank slate. That means you are responsible for forming your cute ball of fluff into a well-mannered dog.
Puppies need lots of sleep and have short attention spans. Avoid overwhelming them and be sure to break up training sessions with plenty of snuggles, treats and naps.
Build a bond. Kathy Thorpe, owner of Paw School in Denver, recommends new dog owners take plenty of time to bond with their dogs before they start training.
“I get calls asking about training before people even bring the puppy home,” she says. “Slow down. Take a week or so to let the puppy get acclimated to you and your home before you start taking them out. Give yourselves at least a week to bond.”
Socialize your puppy. Thorpe urges dog owners to first focus on socialization and then worry about obedience training.
“Many people are over-achievers who really want to get off on the right foot, and they want to rush into obedience training,” she says. “I suggest they start with socialization because it’s much more important. Up to 16 weeks is when the puppy is creating or developing their personality. That’s when it’s important to expose them to new people, experiences and other dogs.”
Tiana Nelson, president of PawsCo, a Denver-based nonprofit dedicated to reducing pet overpopulation, recommends new pet owners think about socialization using a stair-step approach.
“It will pay off to be intentional,” she says. “Introduce your new pet to new situations in slightly predictable environments, and provide them with lots of positive reinforcement, praise and treats.”
In the first 16 weeks, it’s critical to expose puppies to lots of people, different experiences,
other dogs and car rides.
“Get them out to see the world,” Thorpe says. “Reward them for their good behavior with praise, petting and treats. You don’t want to force new things on them, but you need to get them out.”
Consider taking your dog to a puppy kindergarten or puppy socialization class, Nelson says. Classes offer a chance for puppies to meet new dogs and new people — all with the oversight of a trainer.
At Paw School, puppy socialization classes are a mix of play with interruptions to work on skills such as leash walking and teaching puppies to focus on their owners, Thorpe says.
Create potty training routine. One of the first things most new dog owners want is to quickly and effectively potty train their dogs. Set a schedule of feeding and getting the puppy outside for a potty break. Thorpe recommends getting the puppy out every two hours in the beginning and then working to extend time between potty breaks.
“Unless they have some sort of infection, most dogs will be house trained by the time they are 5 to 6 months old,” she says.
Because your dog wants to please you, Nelson suggests as- sociating potty breaks outside with praise and treats starting the first day.
“Be sure to let them outside or take them on a walk before you leave and then immediately when you return,” she says. “Making sure that a new pet learns that going to the bathroom when they are outside gets them lots of positive rewards is key.”
Thorpe says most dog trainers consider crate training a positive because it gives the dog a safe, secure place to be. The key is not keep the dog in the crate for too long and to never use it for punishment.
Obedience training. Thorpe encourages owners to wait until their puppies are 12- to 15-weeks old before starting formal obedience training. She also recommends working with puppies at home, doing things like helping your puppy learn to control her bite. As they start teething, puppies want — and need — to use their mouths. Puppies must understand they can never bite or gnaw on you, Thorpe says. When puppies play with their littermates, if they bite too hard, they get a yelp in return.
Dog owners need to do something similar if a puppy bites, Thorpe says. “Pull your hand away and say, ‘Oww.’ If the dog bites again, say ‘oww’ and then walk away.”
Removing yourself — for 30 seconds to a minute — sends a message there are consequences for biting too hard. “
Another valuable early training step is getting your puppy used to walking — not pulling — on a leash.
“Puppies want to explore and although it’s cute when your puppy pulls on the leash, someday your 10-pound puppy will be 75 pounds and they will want to repeat that behavior,” Thorpe warns. “When they start pulling, you should stop and wait for them to realize you’re not moving. What you’re telling them in non-verbal way is if they get to the end of leash and pull, we don’t go forward. When they relax and let the leash loosen up, then you go forward. You’ll end up with better leash-behaved dogs in the long run.” Training equals lifelong learning. There are opportunities for training everywhere, Nelson says.
“Another word for training is teaching, so recognize that your new pet is looking for your guidance and praise,” she said.
In the beginning, be sure to keep sessions short and mix training with play time.
Thorpe warns dog owners that training is a lifelong process and some dogs take longer to learn than others.
“You might wonder why your chocolate lab is still acting so crazy after months of training. It’s not that he’s not learning, he’s just still very young. You’ve got to stick with it.”