Training for Puppies: How to Teach Basic Obedience

Did you know that training your dog as a puppy has been proven to prevent future behavioral problems like fear of strangers and disobedience? Training your puppy is much more than just teaching them where to go to the bathroom. You teach your puppy how to trust you, and build a stronger relationship with them.

It can be overwhelming to start training for puppies. How do you teach an animal that doesn’t want to listen to anything you say and just wants to chew on your shoes? To make the process a little bit more manageable, we put together this brief guide!

Read on to learn how to start basic obedience training for your new puppy!

Take a Class 

Less than 5% of pet owners actually participate in an obedience training program! This means your puppy isn’t getting proper training or socialization and increases the risk of behavioral problems like bites.

A proper obedience training instructor can give you the education you need to keep your puppy bite-free and well trained.

We recommend a board and train program that will provide your puppy with socialization and training with professionals. You’ll also receive some lessons on how to build on what your dog has learned with home training. Learn more about these kinds of programs and the benefits they can have for you and your dog!

Be Consistent

If you only reinforce behavior sometimes, your dog won’t learn the lesson. For example, if you teach your dog not to jump on you, but only enforce this lesson when you’re wearing nice clothes, your dog doesn’t learn that jumping is not OK.

Pick your rules and stick to them, even when it’s difficult.

Positive Reinforcement 

Rewarding your dog for good behavior is much more effective than punishing your dog for bad behavior. Many pet owners make this mistake during puppy training!

The most common example is the myth that you should rub your dog’s nose in it if they go to the bathroom on the floor. Dog attention spans don’t work like that – they don’t remember going to the bathroom on your floor and they don’t know why they’re being punished!

Instead of punishing your dog, reinforce their behavior when they do the right thing. Give your dog a treat when they go to the bathroom in the right place. Over time it will become second nature.

Don’t Overwhelm Them 

If your puppy is distracted, tired, or bored, it’s okay to put the training session off until later. Just like a child, your puppy won’t learn as well if they’re not interested. Shoot for 15-minute sessions daily.

Short but regular sessions work best for short attention spans and will stop both you and your dog from getting frustrated!

Experience the Benefits of Training for Puppies Today

Training your puppy is a time investment, but the rewards are well worth it. Training for puppies results in a more obedient, happier, and less fearful adult dog. Be patient and kind, and experience the benefits for yourself!

If you enjoyed learning about the basics of obedience training, we have lots more tips for pet owners on our blog. Check it out for more!