If you've recently acquired a young dog, you'll want to ensure that you follow these basic puppy training techniques in order to ensure that your pet behaves himself. Establishing a good set of behaviors in your dog as early on as possible is key to his long term obedience and can help to promote a variety of other benefits as well, including a healthy relationship with you and the other people in the house and a prevention of potential injuries and other harm too. Read on for a few basic puppy training techniques to incorporate into your training.
Positive Reinforcement
Puppies generally respond best to positive reinforcement. Reserve the use of harsh admonishments for very specific situations, as it's possible to desensitize your dog to your scoldings if you use them too often. Rather, use positive reinforcement to praise him whenever he does something good. This should be in a variety of different forms so that your pet doesn't become too reliant on one type of reward. Some of the ways that you can show positive reinforcement for your puppy are by giving him a small treat, petting him and through verbal praise as well.
Use Treats Sparingly
Many dogs respond best to small pieces of food or other treats. First, you should always make use of healthy treats that are safe for your puppy to consume if you choose to reward him in this way. Additionally, it's important that you not give him too many treats.
For one reason, treats are unnecessary calories, and you may be disturbing your pet's natural growth cycles if you provide him with too many treats over a short period of time. Additionally, your pet may then come to depend upon your giving him a treat in order to respond; a puppy that will not behave unless he knows for certain that there is a treat in it for him is not a truly obedient dog.
Use the Proper Equipment
Many trainers advocate the use of different types of equipment to help enforce your training techniques. These are often different types of leashes and collars. Be careful that the collar and leash that you use for your puppy's training will not cause him any harm. It's a good idea to check in with your vet before you decide to purchase a choke collar or a pinch collar, as these are not safe for puppies of a certain age and size. Ask your vet for additional ideas of equipment to use to help train your puppy properly.
Work without Distraction
It's generally a good idea to begin your puppy's training in an isolated location where he will not be faced with any distractions. As he becomes more and more obedient, gradually increase the number of distractions while maintaining control over him. If he is unable to continue to focus properly, reduce the number of distractions in order to reinforce his behavior further.