The 3 Most Important Things to Remember About Training Your Puppy
By Dy Witt
1. Dogs do not understand English until we teach them.
The thing we all love about puppies the most is the way they live for us, the way they focus all they have on us, and the way our lives become theirs. In the beginning, they study us to learn our body language and our facial expressions. Until we teach them the English language, it’s all they have. But if we say, “Wanna go out?” one day, “Have to go potty?” the next day, and, “Hafta pee?” the third day, if they DO figure out what we want, it is because we have picked up the leash and moved toward the door with a happy face! If you want to speed up his training by three-fold, teach him YOUR language. Pick a command for EACH behavior and stick with it. Tell everyone in your family to use the same words and commands as you do, and your puppy will amaze you at how much faster he learns.
2. A young puppy’s metabolism is racing along faster than we think.
The younger your puppy is, the faster he is growing, the more food and water he needs to fuel his metabolism, and the more often he has to go potty. Do not punish your puppy when he makes a house-breaking mistake. These are YOUR fault. Your puppy’s age in weeks and his breed size determine how often he must go out. Once an hour is not too often for a large-breed 6-week old puppy, especially if it is summertime. Dogs love the exciting smells outdoors, so there is no excuse to not have him housebroken by 7-8 weeks of age. First thing in the morning, right after a nap, after he eats and after grooming are the key times, and he will signal you. If he is happily chewing a toy and gets up suddenly with his nose to the floor, move quickly! And every time he goes potty outside correctly, praise him to high heaven! “What a good BOYY!”, “GOOD go potty!” and the like. Dogs love our happy faces, and they will do anything to get it.
3. Dogs live for our facial expressions and body language.
Because of this, the worst punishment you ever need to give your dog is a scowl and to turn away from him. You can see his tail fall down and his face get so sad. He will learn the lesson, I guarantee it. But his attention span is only 3-5 minutes, so do not scorn him any longer. Love him up and give him your happy face again. Physical punishment is never necessary. Use consistent commands and loving praise and he will know what you want of him before you know. He will become a master of your body language and facial expressions in no time at all.
Dy Witt has shown, bred and trained standard poodles for 25 years. Her puppies’ manners and training were so impressive that their new vets and groomers sent word back that they had never worked on such well-adjusted dogs in their careers. To read more about her dog and puppy training techniques and her new ebook, visit: http://www.DogTraining15MinsADay.com
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