Training tips: 7 habits your dog must learn early

When you decide to get a new dog, regardless of whether it’s a puppy or a rescue, you’ll have to do some training. It will be demanding in the first few weeks, but once your dog learns all the basics, you’ll be able to enjoy its company even more. 

Beyond these commands, we’ll mention seven training tips that will make your home cleaner and help you get along with your new pet. With 10-minute training sessions every day, most pets will master all the basic skills in a few weeks.

Set good behavior expectations

When you start training your puppy, you’ll have the ability to teach him how to behave well before he starts behaving badly. A good start is to provide your dog with many toys for exercise and training and get a premium quality dog harness for long walks.

Because if you leave your puppy to find his own source of entertainment, it will always find something that’s unfitting according to your standards like garbage, plants, or anything chewy.

Housetraining

Most puppies put their owners through a stressful few weeks of house training. And one of the most frustrating things is definitely when they start peeing everywhere. That’s why this is one of the first new habits your dog needs to acquire.

Of course, for a few days, they’ll pee wherever they can, but once you start giving them small rewards whenever you see pee on the potty pads, they’ll memorize the place. Once they relieve themselves in the right place, praise them or pet them to know that it was good.

Some owners suggest that every time your dog pees somewhere outside of the potty pad, you should rub its nose in the mess so they would learn its lesson. However, this is considered to be too aggressive as the puppies can get scared. You could increase your voice tone as your dog can hear when you’re angry or use a command they’re familiar with.  

Create a schedule

To give your dog a good start, set a schedule. Puppies need consistency to learn, and the more time you repeat something, the easier it will be for them to know. You can do it by feeding your dog at the same time every day, taking them out to the potty after eating, or setting a time for naps. Once the dog realizes that everything happens at a certain time, they’ll know what to expect, and there will be no poop in the living room or the kitchen.

Don’t forget that a tired puppy is always well-behaved, and that’s why you need to exercise them every day. Dogs play for a lot of reasons, but mainly to use all the energy they have. That’s how you can use the time outside to do a short training session. Whether it happens during the evening session or in the morning, it’s critical to do it every day.

There are many reasons why it’s not good to change schedules too often. That can only create confusion in your pup’s mind, and then you’ll have to repeat the house-training process or prolong it.

Teach them not to chew

All puppies love to chew as it decreases the pain they feel when their teeth start growing. Every owner knows how much their puppy enjoys chewing pillows, rugs, cables, and, of course, their toys. Rather than trying to prevent your dog from chewing (because you can’t), teach them what the best things to play with and chew are.

With an abundance of chew toys on the market, make sure you have enough to make your dog entertained. Only if they can’t find their toys anywhere, they’ll start munching your shows, pieces of furniture, or decoration.

Keep in mind that it’s not enough to say “No” and expect that your pup will understand what to do. Instead, try to redirect your puppy to toys or dog chews. Another way to divert their attention is to throw the toy since it will make them leave the other thing and run towards it.

Crate training

A crate is an effective way to teach your pup some important lessons. They shouldn’t be in their crate for more than a few hours at a time, but if they did something bad, it can a way to punish their behavior.

Should you find a crate too small, you can also confine your dog to a kitchen or a small toilet for a few hours to prevent them from developing unhealthy habits of eating everything they lay their paws on. Nibbling your furniture is a behavior that takes time to unlearn.

Use positive reinforcements

Many people think that punishments are the best tools to stop any unwanted behavior. However, dog trainers proved that positive reinforcements have a long-lasting effect.

Penalties can stop whatever your dog was doing, but that way, you’re not telling your dog what’s the right way to do things. Harsh punishments might even lead to fear and aggression, and living with an aggressive dog is something nobody wants.

With a reward, the dog will learn good conduct and repeat those actions to get its reward. Even if your dog makes a mistake, try to redirect them and award only good behavior. In time, you’ll see the changes in your dog.

Be consistent

Building a routine for your pup can help you plan your day and train your new dog to follow similar patterns. Once you create new “house rules,” it will be clear what you expect from your dog and vice versa.

Before you get a dog, talk to all household members, and agree upon the basic rules that everyone will follow. These rules are there for the dog to learn whether it’s okay to jump on someone’s bed or a sofa and set a food and walk schedule that everyone can follow through. Once you’ve reached an agreement, your family is ready to be introduced to a new household member. 

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