How To Train A New Family Dog
Adding a new pet to the family is always an exciting experience. But that excitement can quickly turn into a nightmare if the puppy is not properly trained. Training your new puppy is crucial to help keep the family happy and to keep your pet happy and healthy. The information that follows shares some simple steps you can take when you are looking to train your puppy and make your experience as a pet owner enjoyable and fulfilling.
First of all, you will need to prepare your home before the puppy arrives. Do you have an area outside where the puppy can run around and burn off some of his energy? You will also want to make sure you have a proper collar and leash. This will be needed for when you take him for walks and train him. He will also need a food and water bowl and healthy dog food for puppies. Puppies like to sleep a lot so he will need a dog bed to lay on. Puppies like to chew and will find anything they can to fill that need. Instead of finding your favorite pair of shoes destroyed, have some teething toys readily available for your new puppy. Having things ready before you bring your new puppy home will make the transition just a little bit easier.
Puppies can make a big mess. Have you thought about how you will deal with that? You may start by only allowing your new pet into one room or one part of your house, or if he will be outside, only allow him a small part of your yard at first. This will get him acclimated to his new home. Once he learns how to live in this area, you can start opening up bigger areas for him to investigate.
Dogs are creatures of habit and it is important that each person in your family follows the same plan when it comes to the puppy. Set rules for him and ask that everyone in the house follows them. For instance, if the puppy is not allowed on the furniture, that means he must stay off the furniture at all times, not just when Mom is around. It is also important that each person in the family uses the same commands for the same actions. Being consistent in your dogs training and expectations will only make it easy for both you and him. If he gets too confused he may end up rebelling and not listening to anyone.
Do not expect too much from your new puppy. Puppies have a very short attention span and can only pay attention to you for a few short minutes. If you are trying to teach him something, only do it for very short periods of time and then let him play or lay down. It is important to use patience with your new puppy. He does want to please you, but he is not always ready to learn or follow a lot of commands.
Training your new puppy will help make him a welcome addition to your family. Take some time teaching him and getting him acclimated and he will become the perfect family pet.
