How to train a puppy

The arrival of a puppy at home is a moment of great joy, but we must remember that this new member requires care and will surely change the routine of the entire family. That is why in this post we will tell you how to train a puppy . Therefore, before adopting or buying one, you should be sure of your choice and, if you have any doubts, consult a veterinarian or a trainer for guidance.

If you don't have the time or patience to train a puppy, simply don't adopt one. They demand a lot of attention, as they are in an exploratory phase and fight for their place within the hierarchy of their family. Adult dogs learn their place quickly and are calmer.

From 50 days of age onwards, puppies can be trained and although they learn at any age, starting training as soon as possible can avoid future behavioral problems. Soon your puppy will know what you expect from him and will avoid certain unwanted habits. The secret is to train a puppy.

How to train a puppy to do its business wherever you want?

Never attack your puppy, even if he has relieved himself in the wrong place. To prevent him from doing this, simply place coins or nails in a can and when you see him about to relieve himself where he shouldn't, hide and make noise to scare him away. When he tries to do them in that place again, he will remember the scare he had and will look for another more convenient place.

Take a piece of newspaper, collect the debris and place it where you want it to be from then on. Clean the floor with a product that eliminates odor.

Attention!: do not clean in front of him, as this will make him drink his urine or eat his feces to imitate you.

How to stop him from biting the furniture?

After the birth of the puppy, when it is still perceiving the world around it, the only thing that robs it of peace is its appetite, which is only satisfied by a breast full of milk. The days pass and for a while this sequence is repeated: appetite > anxiety > milk > peace. His mother's breast becomes an antidote to his anxiety.

Since then, the puppy learns to use his mouth as an escape valve for this condition caused by insecurity, conflict or frustration. The same thing happens with humans, since it is common to use the mouth to relieve this disorder: pacifier, cigarette, drink, food, nail biting, etc.

When the human family replaces the canine family from which the puppy came, it will have to set new rules. To do this, we will have to show him what the escape valves for anxiety are, which will be accepted from the moment he steps foot in the new home. Follow these tips to train a puppy and prevent him from chewing furniture and other objects

• To train a puppy, prevention is the best remedy. Remove small objects from the puppy's reach, the same way you would with a child.
• Cover the outlets, put remedies and cleaning products up high, and lock the drawers.
• Protect the corners of furniture and the legs of chairs and tables from your pup's little teeth. To do this, you will have to use a bitter-tasting repellent, which is usually sold in dog product stores , to prevent the puppy from biting the furniture. Use these repellents daily.
• Leave a chew toy on hand to relieve anxiety. Puppies, like children, change their teeth and need to bite something to relieve the pain they feel.
• If you see your puppy chewing on any piece of furniture or object, draw his attention and put a chew toy at his feet.
• Take him for a walk daily, at least three times a day to prevent anxiety from building up and reduce the habit of biting.

How to train a puppy not to eat plants?

As curious as they are , it is important to educate a puppy not to eat plants, as many of them can be toxic. If you have indoor plants that are within reach, it is best to put them on top of a piece of furniture or a shelf so that they do not have access to them.

You will also have to train a puppy to know that plants are not his toys. Every time you buy a plant, let it sniff it and then spray it with vinegar or lemon diluted in water (three parts water to one part lemon or apple cider vinegar). By doing so, the puppy will understand that he should not approach her.

How to stop him from grunting while eating?

Don't let him growl at you or other people and dogs when he eats, otherwise he may become food aggressive. If he threatens to growl, take the food out (without scolding or saying anything, just ignoring him) and offer it to him another time. When he's behaving well, give him a bite or pet him.

How to train a puppy to sleep alone?

If your dog howls or barks at night and requires your company, it is because he has been separated from his mother and siblings and is not used to sleeping alone. In this situation, do not yell at him, but rather ignore him so that he understands that the basket is his bed and that he should sleep at night, since if he receives attention, he will get used to waking you up at night.

Furthermore, it is good that they get used to being independent and not being in the arms of their owners all day. Although the transition period is a bit annoying and during the first week he will howl, scratch at the door and bark at night, you should not put him to bed.

If you don't want him to get on the bed or couch as an adult, then don't let him do it as a puppy. Otherwise, you will have to destroy a behavior that you yourself encouraged. Training a puppy can be difficult during the first weeks, so I advise you to let your neighbors know that you have added a new member to your family and that you need them to be patient if they hear him howling or barking.

The first walk

Trainers and animal behavior specialists recommend introducing the puppy to the street very early, that is, from two months of age. However, until it receives all the vaccines, the puppy should not step on the street or have direct contact with other animals that circulate on it. Before taking your puppy for a walk, have him accompany you in the car so he can become familiar with the sounds of the street. This will prevent behavioral problems .

Whenever the puppy is exposed to something different, he will need to receive snacks and affection to keep him calm. Don't reward him if he is aggressive or anxious.

Buy a leash of 1.15m or 1.80m maximum and a nylon or cotton collar according to the size of the puppy to take it for a walk. In the first few times, it is normal for the puppy to try to pull on the leash. At these times, divert his attention by showing him a toy or a snack and give it to him when you have put the leash and collar on him.

Take him for a walk inside the house for 5 to 15 minutes and reward him with his favorite snack if he walks without pulling or biting on the leash. Never drag or throw it. At the end of the session, remove the leash and put it away.

Once you have managed to train a puppy to walk on the leash without pulling or biting, continue the training and wait until the vaccination is finished to take it for a walk down the street. Small dogs have a lot of energy and need activities to spend it.

How to train a puppy to socialize?

Socialization is the most important part of puppy development . Therefore, it is essential to educate a puppy to be sociable, since if it does not socialize, it may become an adult who does not know how to interact with other people, places and animals. Some dogs may be super anxious around the presence of people or other pets, while others remain distracted, scared, and insecure.

Contrary to what many people believe, socialization is not simply taking your puppy to a park, putting him on a leash, and letting him play with other puppies. You need to have good experiences with all those new things. Socialization should be carried out up to a year and a half, and not only with other dogs, but also with other species such as birds, cats, horses and also with us, humans.

Make him have good experiences and socialize with as many people as possible, since he needs to meet new people, new dogs and new places. It is also important to educate a puppy so that he knows that there will be dogs and people who do not want to interact with him just as you do not want to be greeted by all the people you meet on the street.

Simply stay in the same environment as those dogs and make a positive association, training, playing, or doing something that entertains your pup .

You can check the behavior of puppies of other breeds such as the Bernese Mountain Dog or the Tibetan Mastiff on our blog.

Train a puppy with basic commands

Teach him commands like sit, stay, let's go for a walk, lie down, let go and come. In addition to increasing the connection between you, training a puppy with these commands will be super useful for his routine.

For example, let him sit down to put the leash on him, let him lie down when you need to brush his hair, let him stay still when you open the door, let him come when you need him to do something or go somewhere, let him drop toys or something that was there. grabbed and does not want to return, etc.

How to educate a puppy: teach him to live together

Although they are super cute and mischievous , it is essential to educate a puppy so that he learns to live with us. Logically, learning will take time , but with patience coexistence will be perfect. When the puppy barks inside the house, don't pet him or laugh, just say “no” or “shhh” so he knows not to do it inside the house.

When he is eating, avoid giving him part of your food , since it is not healthy for your puppy and, in addition, he will get used to being next to you when you eat, waiting for you to drop a piece of food or for you to give him one. If you don't, he'll probably start crying and making a sad face to convince you. Don't make the mistake of giving him your food, because he already has his.

If he wants to play at a time when you cannot dedicate time to him, he must understand that you, as the alpha male, will give him the OK to play when you can. This does not mean that if it comes with a toy you should not sit down and play with it, because you can do so whenever you want.

Finally, remember that puppies are puppies , and they will always want to play and discover the world. So don't waste your time training a puppy at all costs. Let it grow, but set your rules for it. As I mentioned at the beginning of the post, from 50 days of age you can begin to train a puppy, but, ideally, it should have a few months to do so.

Enjoy every moment with him, give him lots of love and reward him whenever he does something well . When they do something wrong, point it out to them with a simple, firm “no” so they don't do it again.

Be responsible and do not forget that beyond educating a puppy, you will have to give it the necessary vaccines so that it grows healthy and strong. Take him to the vet if you have any symptoms that you consider abnormal, because as curious as they are, they tend to bite everything that gets in their way and can decompose if they bite or eat something toxic.

Good education , adequate nutrition, a little exercise every day and a lot of affection is what a puppy needs to be happy. Never hit or mistreat your dog , as it has a long memory and will remember it forever. In addition, you can cause fears and traumas that you will carry with you for the rest of your life.

Having a puppy is not simply having a pet, but expanding the family. A dog is like a child, so you should always take care of him and accompany him .