Buy Dog Advice

All dog owners have a responsibility to ensure their animal is well trained, therefore, when you first bring home a new puppy basic training should begin immediately. A well-trained dog is a happy dog, and puppy training can be a fun experience for both of you to enjoy.

When commencing puppy training, it is important to be gentle but firm. Positive rewards based training (through treats or praise) usually works best, but it is important not to accidentally reinforce bad behaviour with these methods.  Puppies learn very quickly under good, consistent instruction. Training devices such as disks or clickers can also work well. It is worth remembering that gestures combined with words are often incredibly effective when puppy training.

At Home

At home your puppy needs to find its place in the pack hierarchy, and the dog also needs to learn that you and your needs come first. Training facilitates this. At home, the first thing you should teach your puppy is to recognise its own name, quickly followed by an understanding of the word “No!”. From these basics, you can begin introducing tasks that are more complex. As guidance, all dogs should know “Sit”, “Stay”, “Down”, “Come”, “Heel”, and “Leave”. “Bed” is also useful in the home, but ensure you do not use this command as a punishment.

Puppy Training School 

Once you have started to train your puppy at home, you may find it useful to enrol in some puppy training classes. Training classes help reinforce what you are teaching the animal at home, and offer extra guidance, hints and tips on the process – particularly helpful if you are a first time dog owner. They are also an excellent way of socialising your dog which is especially important.

If you intend to take your dog to puppy training classes, do some research to assess the suitability of a group. If you get the chance to sit in on a session without your puppy you should think about the following:

1. Are the trainers helpful?
2. Do the dogs seem happy?
3. Does everyone seem focused?
4. Is the location safe, secure and fit for purpose?

Your vet, or a breeder may be able to recommend local puppy classes to you. Also remember that your puppy should not attend classes until he has completed his first round of vaccinations.

Some General Tips for Puppy Training Success

• Be consistent. Agree on what commands, rules and boundaries there should be with everyone who lives with the dog and stick to them.
• Handle the puppy every day. This should include lots of strokes and play as well as training. It is a good idea to get your puppy used to having his pads and teeth checked on a regular basis for future health or veterinary inspections.
  
• Be patient. Different dogs learn in different ways and at different rates. If you are not in the correct frame of mind for this, leave training and return to it later in the day.
• Keep training sessions short but frequent. Reinforce positive behaviour every day.
• If you need advice, ask. Consult your vet, puppy school leader, or even other dog owners if you need additional help.