Written by Senior Editor Peter Gehr

10 Best Puppy Training Tips for the First Week At Home

A lot of people ask when is the best time to start training your puppy, and the simple answer is: right away. From the moment your new pet arrives, you should start directing him/her in all aspects and rules. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with having fun with your puppy, and enjoying the antics and cuteness, but it’s equally, or more, important to commence training. The following are 10 best puppy training tips for the first week at home.

Don’t forget that the puppy needs this and will respond to it by soaking up all instruction. Your pet is used to learning from his mother, and this is the responsibility of the pack leader, which has now become your role.

10 Best Puppy Training Tips for the First Week At Home

#10 Be Patient

Remember that your puppy is just a baby and you are training him because he truly doesn’t know any better. There will be accidents in the beginning and you need to stay patient with him if you want to achieve success.

#9 Be Consistent

Consistency is the key to keeping your puppy from becoming confused. If you tell him one thing one day and another the next, you cannot expect him to learn properly.

#8 Be Confident

Dogs need to know who is in charge from the start. Commanding him confidently, holding his leash confidently – all of these things let your dog know that he isn’t running the show, you are.

#7 Use Treats

Treats are far and away the best training trick. As Dr. Lisa Radosta puts it: “If you want to train your dog effectively, you have to find his ‘currency.'” She goes on to suggest finding a treat that will make your puppy do back flips, so that when you move on to harder commands, such as coming to you instead of chasing a cat, your dog is more inclined to listen.

#6 Try the Replacement Theory

Replacement theory is a way to keep your puppy from chewing on inappropriate things. Remember, he doesn’t know any better. So when you catch him with your shoe, firmly say no, take it away, and replace it with something your puppy is allowed to chew on.

#5 Hold the Leash Properly

In holding the leash, make sure that you do not hold it too tightly; there should be enough slack so that your puppy does not feel any discomfort. It takes some getting used to, since it is common for most dog-owners to hold on to the leash too tightly at first.

#4 Utilize Confinement

Confinement can be your best friend when it comes to housetraining your new puppy. When you are not around to keep an eye on your puppy, keep him in a crate or specific playroom or area just for him. Most puppies quickly learn to restrain their bladder, as they do not wish to make a mess of their personal space.

#3 Learn from Others

Enroll in puppy classes. You will benefit from the instructors, as well as the other puppy parents in the class, and your puppy will begin socialization with other dogs.

#2 Stop the Biting at the Start

New puppy owners sometimes allow their puppy to chew on hands or feet because it doesn’t hurt and the puppy is just so darn cute. However, when your puppy reaches full size, those bites are going to really hurt and it will be too late to train him out of it. Discourage biting from the get-go.

It’s important to remember that your puppy has just come from socializing with the rest of the litter where “play fighting” or “inhibited biting” are normal. This type of behavior is natural and helps the puppies determine the social structure among the litter. This little “bite” will certainly be continued naturally as you handle your puppy and play with it. The puppy has learned how to adjust the bite and most of the time it will be harmless. However, it’s definitely important not to allow this to continue regularly, and everyone in your household should be aware that if you promote this biting, it will continue into adulthood, and your dog will develop a bad habit which will most likely be detrimental in his social behavior.

#1 Use Discipline, Not Cruelty

There is nothing a puppy can do wrong that warrants cruelty. Always remember that he just wants to please you and is trying his best. If you consistently stop the puppy in the middle of the act of wrong-doing and sternly say “NO,” the point should be made. Or you can try the ignoring theory. To a puppy, even negative attention is attention, so by simply ignoring the puppy, you are showing him that he is behaving unacceptably and won’t get attention from you. Click here to visit the original source of this post

These 10 best puppy training tips for the first week at home will help you and your dog to develop a good relationship from the very beginning. These early days are extremely important to your pet’s growth and education. House rules are not unfamiliar to your puppy, as his mother has already taught him her rules and he has learned to respect her wishes and guidelines. Much the same as the dogs mother, you must adopt that same role from the early stages and consistently carry that responsibility for the dogs lifetime.