Puppy training can be a stressful experience. Even the most well-behaved adult dog can act like a maniacal lunatic when it comes to puppies. New furry family members are constantly doing something unexpected and often destructive.
Whether your puppy is chewing on your favorite pair of shoes or gnawing on a table leg, you have to train them quickly and effectively before they do too much damage. Even if you have trained other dogs before, raising a new puppy is an entirely different ball game.
Their fragile and impressionable minds need constant guidance and correction from an experienced mentor if you don’t want them to grow into neurotic adult dogs with behavioral issues.
However, you won’t need to worry about any of this if you understand the necessary tips and tricks for training a new puppy.
Contents
Crate Training
Crate training is one of the best ways to quickly train a new puppy. By placing your puppy in a small, enclosed space when they are not supervised, you are able to correct their destructive behavior and socialize them at the same time.
Because puppies are naturally curious and like to chew on things, placing them in a crate will stop them from chewing on valuable items and furniture. Puppies are naturally inclined to eliminate where they sleep and will often use the crate as their designated toilet. However, if you don’t mind your valuables items being bitten, then you can enjoy these puppies.
Crate training is effective because it gives your puppy a sense of security. They know that you are there for them, but they also have their own safe place to retreat to when they need to calm down.
Positive Reinforcement
Reinforcing positive behavior is one of the most effective ways to train a new puppy. By positively rewarding your puppy for good actions, they will learn that they are doing the right thing and will repeat the behavior.
When you catch your puppy doing something right, always praise them immediately. You can also give them a treat, or offer them a toy that they enjoy playing with. Punishing bad behavior is not enough to train your puppy; they need positive reinforcement to learn the right way to act.
If you’re planning to Adopt a Maltese Puppy for example, this training method is especially beneficial. Maltese puppies are eager to please and respond exceptionally well to praise and rewards, making positive reinforcement a key strategy for shaping their behavior.
By positively reinforcing your puppy’s good actions, they will quickly learn what is expected of them and you will have a happy and well-behaved adult dog in no time.
Establish Boundaries
Puppies are naturally curious, but this curiosity can easily lead to destructive behavior if you don’t establish boundaries for them. If your puppy is chewing on something they shouldn’t be, interrupt them and give them a stern correction.
Be careful not to be too rough, as you don’t want to scare your puppy, but you do want them to understand that the behavior is not okay. Your puppy will learn what is and isn’t okay for them to chew on by observing how you respond to them.
If they are chewing on a table leg, for example, grab them and place them on the table. Then gently push the table leg towards their face.
If they are mouthing you, gently push their mouth closed and tell them to “let go”. Puppies often bite because they are just exploring, but you don’t want them to get too rough.
Watch For Behavioural Patterns
Puppies are curious creatures and they will often do things just because they can. When they are exploring the world around them, they tend to mimic the adult dogs around them. If you have other dogs in your household, you will notice your puppies following their lead often.
Puppies will often bite, chew, and bark because that is what the adult dogs in their life are doing. If you notice your puppy doing something their adult counterparts do often, interrupt them and give them a correction.
You may need to interrupt your puppy several times before they learn what isn’t okay for them to do, but it will be worth it in the end. By watching for behavioral patterns and correcting your puppy whenever they mimic their adult role models, you will train them to behave correctly and more effectively than ever before.
Don’t Forget The Rewards
Rewarding your puppy for positive behavior is essential if you want them to learn more quickly. You can reward your puppy for good behavior by giving them a treat, or letting them play with one of their favorite toys.
Rewarding your puppy when they do something right will make them associate the positive behavior with the reward and they will want to repeat it. By rewarding your puppy often, they will learn faster, and they will feel proud of themselves when they make progress.
Puppies are fragile creatures, and they need constant guidance and correction to learn the right way to act. By rewarding them for good behavior and correcting them when they do something wrong, you can train your puppy quickly and effectively.
Conclusion
When you raise a puppy, the most important thing is to remember that they are fragile creatures. They are not mature enough to understand complicated instructions, and they are certainly not mature enough to understand the consequences of bad behavior.
By raising your puppy in the right way, you will be able to raise a happy, healthy adult dog. The best way to do this is to follow the tips and tricks for training a new puppy described in this article.