Training Puppy Tips: How To Train Your New Puppy
If you want to train your puppy in the most efficient way from the start, there are two methods for training your puppy which you need to pay close attention to. They are becoming the alpha dog and positive reinforcement. Each of these methods will be explained in this article and you will see how you can use them to train your puppy dog effectively.
When you bring a puppy into your home, it’s wise to have some understanding of the natural instincts of the dog and of the fact that the dog is a pack animal. Dominance is a crucial dynamic within a pack of dogs. Within a pack there is a hierarchy and at the top is the alpha pair. They are the only ones allowed to breed.
The alpha dogs eat first and take a higher vantage point when sleeping. This is why dogs like to sleep on beds or sofas.
If you want to set off on the right foot and avoid behavior problems in your puppy, you absolutely must position yourself and your family as the pack leaders or alpha dogs in your home. One way to position yourself as alpha dog is to avoid allowing your puppy onto your sofa or bed,.
Your whole family should let your puppy see you eating something (such as a biscuit) just before you give him his food. When taking the biscuits, make it look as if you are taking them from the dog’s dish.
You should always behave in a calm and assertive manner. Having covered the concept of pack leader, let’s now go into the idea of positive reinforcement.
Positive reinforcement means that you reward a desired behavior in your puppy or dog and ignore an undesired behavior. Most dog trainers nowadays don’t use negative reinforcement or punishment because it has been shown to be ineffective.
You can use small treats as positive reinforcement. Praise and affection can also be used. It is crucial that you don’t reinforce unwanted behaviors in your puppy. Why do undesired dog behaviors happen? One of the most important reasons is owners reinforcing these behaviors without being aware of it. Puppy or dog training happens whenever you are with your puppy or dog, not just when you decide to have a training session.
For example, if your puppy jumps up at you when you come into the house, and you immediately give him affection, you are training him to jump up. Whenever he engages in an undesired behavior, you must not give him any attention – just ignore him. This means you should look away or turn away and not give any attention. You may find this method difficult to accept and this is one of the reasons why so many people encourage undesirable behaviors in their dogs.
You will find that positioning yourself as the pack leader in your home forms a bedrock for all your puppy training and positive reinforcement gives you a method to encourage the correct behaviors in your puppy and to avoid potential dog behaviour problems.
For more information on training your puppy, visit the Training Puppy Tips website.
Mike Wombacher – Puppy Training Tips