We've chosen a puppy, but how do you teach him all sorts of things?
When a puppy comes into the house, it has often already been thought about for longer (thankfully!). It is also advisable, before buying a puppy, to think carefully about what you will have to deal with and whether a dog will indeed suit you. Think carefully about whether there is actually enough time to have a dog in the house, who will unload him during the day when everyone works, what kind of dog suits your home situation and, of course, what our dog will or will not be allowed to do. These are all things that need to be considered before a puppy can come into the house. Of course, you don't get a dog for a few years, because fortunately most of them live for 10 years or more.
How do I train my puppy?
You have decided there will be a puppy, so what is useful to get it trained quickly and properly. Of course, we don't want him to demolish too much, or learn too many bad manners as an adult dog, but we do want him to start listening to his name. How to tackle this now:
Give your puppy a nice name and teach him that that name is his.
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Choosing a name can be quite tricky. Choose a name that is handy to call, so not mega long. Has the name been chosen and is the puppy still with the breeder? Tell them your chosen name so they can start calling it. The sooner the dog realises that he is meant when his name is called, the easier it will make training. If your pup comes home, call its name regularly and reward it with a stroke, a piece of food or a small training treat. It is very important not to only call your pup by its name when it has done something that is not allowed. After all, the dog should not associate his name with only correcting negative behaviour. So if you are playing nicely with your dog, call his name several times, if he comes running after calling his name, give him a reward again.
Make clear rules about what your dog can and cannot do in the house.
It is useful to make rules with everyone in the house, to make sure the dog is allowed and not allowed to do the same with each resident. It is useful to have the house rule already clear before the dog comes into the house. To avoid confusion with your pup, being consistent is nice. It is difficult for a dog to understand if something is allowed one time and the next time he gets a correction. When setting up, also take into account whether the dog often goes with other people, who may have other ideas about what the dog is or is not allowed in the house. By this I mean: when a dog is allowed on the sofa at home, this may also mean that he finds this normal with other people. Does the dog often go with other people? Then this may be less desirable, as not everyone wants a dog on the sofa.
Give the puppy its own safe place in the house.
When a pup comes into the house, it is nice that it has a place that belongs to it. When the pup wants to retreat from family life for a while, needs a rest or just needs to sleep, then a place of its own is a must. It is useful to give the dog a crate for the first few months. This is a lockable cage where he can lie down by himself or be put in for a while. In the beginning, the pup will sleep a lot. If he does not go into the crate by himself, you can put him in it a few times with the door open. Let the pup get used to his new place during the day and then he can go into his crate at night with the door closed. Then you know for sure that your house stays in one piece, should he have to pee this can be cleaned up quickly and it is a safe place for your pup for the time when there is no supervision. It is very important that the pup gets its own place, maybe first the crate and alter a nice mat that this is really for himself. This is the place the dog can go to for rest and safety.
You train a puppy by rewarding the right behaviour.
When you want to teach the pup something, it is important to reward the pup at the right time. So if he shows the right behaviour, comes when you call him or sits down when you ask him to, reward him with something nice (his own food, a training biscuit) and your voice. When you give him the biscuit, also give him a nice cuddle then the dog will notice that the behaviour was good. Bear in mind that in the very beginning an intention is also worth a reward, don't be too strict and build it up slowly. From around 3 months, you can also start a puppy course to get the dog used to peers and to start training your dog actively and with guidance.
Being housebroken is a matter of training and patience.
All new owners hope their new dog is housebroken as soon as possible. Dogs peeing and defecating inside is just not pleasant and we find dirty. Fortunately, most dogs are housebroken within a few weeks, barring a joy pee. In the beginning, it is a good idea to take your pup outside very regularly and, of course, reward them if they pee or poop. If there is an accident inside, clean it up but don't punish it. The pup really doesn't know what is normal yet and sometimes they don't understand what peeing actually is. If the pup has been in the house a bit longer, you will often recognise that it wants to pee. If it does indeed pee, reward it handsomely. When you take the pup outside, all the new impressions can make it take a while before it actually pees. Take your time and remember: eventually all dogs become house-trained.
-This is an automated translation- |
