Puppy Obedience Training Tips

Puppies have a short attention span and are not easy to train. The puppy obedience training may be easier with certain dog breeds, as some breeds are easier to train. There are a few basic tips that can help any puppy owner get a more obedient dog.

Dominance Is Key

The puppy instinctively listens to the person or animal that establishes dominance and if no one assumes this position, the puppy will want to be the boss. For this reason, you will need to teach your puppy that you are the leader of the pack and you have the power of taking decisions. The puppy will learn to follow your commands and be obedient.

Important Commands in Obedience Training

The obedience training will be more effective if you establish a few verbal commands form the get go. You should use a few commands that will be used for different instances:

  • No/don’t or stop
  • Go/fetch/let’s go

These commands should be used when training the dog and he must learn the meaning of these commands. Dogs don’t understand words like humans, but they are more likely to respond to the tone or sound of the command. For this reason, the command should be used in the same tone of voice and you shouldn’t change the words you use with other words that have similar meaning.

Each obedience training session should be short, as puppies have a short attention span. 10 or 15 minutes are enough for a session. Make sure to repeat the same exercises several times so that the dog can learn the commands. Have patience. Some puppies learn faster than others. Some puppies may be more stubborn, but will eventually learn to obey.

Time Out

The time out is an effective way to let your puppy know certain actions are not acceptable. The time out space can be the crate or an empty room. Puppies shouldn’t get more than 5 minutes of time out at one time. Also, the time out should be given immediately after the dog displays the unwanted behavior, so that he understands why he is being punished. Don’t be influenced by the puppy’s behavior when he is doing time out, as he may whine, cry or bark. If you don’t pay attention to him, he will most likely stop.

Training and Rewards

The rewards should be administered often when the puppy is trained and he performs well. The rewards can be in the form of treats, games or toys. As the puppy grows and learns, you may reduce the number of treats and rewards. The dog is likely to be obedient even without a reward, as he will have some established behavior patterns.

Punishments

In addition to the time out, the dog can also be punished by being ignored when displaying an unwanted behavior. The punishment should never be physical, as using violence on a puppy will only frustrate him and he is likely to act up and become aggressive.

 

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