Raising Puppies

Puppy training should start right from the start. Luckily, a puppy is full of energy, inquisitive, eager to learn, and relatively easy to train. The most important period when training a dog is the first year of life. It should therefore grow up in close contact with humans from the very beginning. It is also important that all contact persons in a family pull together. What one allows, the other must not forbid.

The tone is important when training puppies: Commands in a firm voice, praise in a friendly voice, and criticism in a stern voice. Hitting and screaming won’t help the puppy. The puppy needs to realize that obeying will pay off. Praise is the key to success. But be careful: puppies can be corrupted. Sometimes they only do something when a treat beckons.

Puppies also need to learn how to interact with other dogs. Therefore, the puppy should also have regular contact with other dogs between the 8th and 16th week of life. Clubs and dog schools offer so-called puppy play hours. Also useful is the presence of a well-socialized adult dog, who will also put a puppy in its place and discipline it. Only when the puppy learns to subordinate itself will it not have any problems with other dogs later on.

Once your puppy has gotten to know its immediate living area, it should soon be brought into contact with other environmental influences. Get your puppy used to new everyday situations, traffic, a car ride, a visit to a restaurant, step by step – and always on a leash. If you behave calmly and relaxed in these situations, you are signaling to your puppy that nothing can happen to him.

Especially in families with children, it is important that the dog also accepts smaller family members and tolerates their sometimes impetuous behavior. When children are loving and considerate of puppies, the dog will also develop a love for children.

5 important tips for puppy training:

• At eye level: When engaging with a puppy, always crouch down.
• Physical activity: Body language and facial expressions play a major role in puppy training. Use your voice sparingly.
• Plain language: Only use short, clear commands, and long sentences to unsettle the dog. The tone of your voice is more important than the volume of your voice.
• Reward: Your pup should be slightly hungry when you exercise with them so that treats motivate them too. For each exercise, the puppy must be rewarded.
• Take a break: In all exercises, take a break from playing for a few minutes.