Good dog, bad dog:Training your new puppy
Bringing
a new puppy home fills the family with joy and excitement. It will take
up everyone's attention. But, as the new puppy adapts to their
environment, responsibility and patience will be needed on your part.
Being realistic and understanding during the beginning of training will
increase the chances of successfully mastering the training of your
puppy. It is essential to establish yourself as the pack leader, teach
them what you want, correct poor behavior rather than punish it, and
provide external stimuli and social interaction regularly. Your new
arrival will rely on you to help him adjust to his new environment. Their
behaviors from here on out will be primarily determined by your guidance
and leadership.
Establishing
yourself as a pack leader starts with setting a schedule. Starting now,
you will control what the dog does and when he does it. Set a daily
schedule and stick to it. Crate training is also important. Being able
to crate train will give you more control, help with potty training, and
give you a place to keep the puppy to prevent it from causing problems
when unsupervised. A crate is best for puppies, especially one where the
size can be adjusted as they grow. When they are older, a crate for
their appropriate size, a small dog room, or a kennel run can be used.
Help
the dog to obey on the first command and only give commands you can
follow through. When commands are met, praise the puppy, but only for a
few seconds. Limit praises to only when earned so that praise will mean
much more to them when they have to earn it. Make it a habit to take
away toys and food periodically so that they are reminded that you are in
charge. Everything should belong to the leader. However, do NOT have
children do this! Don't get angry. It only elicits fear, not respect.
Being a pack leader is important. It may seem too controlling, but being
consistent in your handling and in your demands of the dog helps them
understand what their responsibilities are. Dogs do not understand human
reasoning and rationalizing, but do understand the pack system and its
rules.
Puppy training does take time and patience, but is worth it! You will both develop a long and lasting bond with each other and can prevent behavioral issues or problems in the future.