Taking a new puppy home can be both exciting and stressful: It will certainly become the latter, if the training does not start right away. Remember: The younger the dog is, the more impressionable he is. And molding him from the first minute is much easier than trying to change his behavior later.

Moreover, training sessions have the additional benefit of providing a bonding experience between you and your puppy. Just keep a positive attitude and positively reinforce desired behavior, and your puppy will do his best to please you.

Rewards like treats and praise are effective tools to reinforce all appropriate responses. Owners should gradually replace treats with praise only as the dog gets older.

It is absolutely crucial that you and your dog work on his behavior frequently. Repetition is an absolute must, and you will not succeed without it. Just don’t overdo it.

For puppies, their attention spans are rather short: More than five minutes, and they will likely be overwhelmed. But as they get older you can extend the training periods gradually.

The way to teach simple commands is quite easy: First, show the dog the behavior, then help him perform it, and finally reward him for doing so. It is, in fact, this simple, but it will still take a fair amount of patience and persistence on your part.

Because always keep in mind: Some dogs learn faster than others – this depends both on their breed and their personality. Your priority thus has to be consistency, and with this at heart most any dog will learn.

No two puppies are alike in temperament or ability to learn. Pet owners should stay vigilant when they train and adapt their lessons to the animal’s specific needs.

Being stern is effective but punishment should never be a consequence if the dog does not sit when told to or immediately come when called. With patience and time, any pet owner can be successful in training a new dog and forming a close bond that will last a lifetime.

Learn more about Welpenerziehung. Stop by Dirk Gruenberg’s site where you can find out all about Hundeerziehung and what it can do for you.

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