Maria Allen
If a puppy is about to move in with you, you should think about parenting beforehand. Many owners let the puppy training slide in the first few weeks because they think that the dog is still too small for it. But these omissions in the early days often lead to problems. Clear rules should apply right from the start, which the four-legged friend must adhere to. Last but not least, it also gives him security. Puppies never train themselves, so you should start lovingly training them as soon as they move in. Breaking bad habits and wrong behavior at some point proves to be much more difficult.
The Basics of Puppy Training in a Nutshell
There are a few basic rules that the whole family should follow so that the puppy can playfully find its place in the “pack”:
- Violence, coercion, and screaming are absolutely taboo at all times.
- Dog training begins in the first few days after moving in, very slowly and patiently.
- If your puppy behaves correctly, praise your puppy immediately and profusely. But also show him what he is not allowed to do. Of course with a lot of patience and again and again – that’s the same with puppies as with small children.
- Under no circumstances should the puppy be overwhelmed. Always pay attention to the dog’s behavior and if in doubt, stop an exercise. Otherwise, the puppy’s concentration may decrease and learning may fail.
- The rules in the household should be established before the dog moves in. It is important that the whole family adheres to this. For example, if the young dog is not allowed to eat from the table, all family members must take this to heart – without exception.
- Gradually get your puppy used to various everyday situations: driving in the car, strolling through town, visitors, noise, veterinarian. But don’t overdo it, your puppy is just discovering the world and that’s exhausting.
Puppy Training Rules – What Really Matters
Puppies are curious and tirelessly busy discovering new things. It’s up to you to help the little one learn the most important things. Puppies begin to learn different behaviors and mechanisms as soon as they take their first breath. An essential factor is the imprint of mother and siblings. But humans can also shape a dog. Another mechanism is habituation. This means that a puppy quickly becomes accustomed to and familiar with its surroundings. He can recognize unpleasant and pleasant sounds and smells and associate situations with them. This is used in dog training. Many associations arise unnoticed. For example, if you always get food from the basement, the dog will quickly learn that the basement is directly related to its food.
Conditioning and Praise
Classical conditioning is a simple process by which the puppy learns to respond to a stimulus with appropriate behavior. A good example of this is an acoustic signal, upon which the dog comes to the owner. He is then praised for this behavior. This learning effect can be further strengthened with “boosters” such as treats. A dog biscuit can have a significant impact on a puppy’s motivation. In addition to food, other rewards can also work, such as being stroked or playing together. Praise is positive reinforcement for your four-legged friend and an important part of dog training.
Puppy Training – What is Important?
There are three golden rules of species-appropriate puppy training:
- The puppy must always feel loved and protected.
- Motivation leads directly to success.
- Assertiveness and calm consistency are indispensable.
Puppy Training – are Penalties Appropriate?
Puppies are able to learn particularly quickly with the right use of rewards. Praise is an effective tool to drive parenting forward. Many people wonder what the punishment for undesirable behavior is. Dogs’ wild relatives don’t learn right and wrong in the wild solely through praise and encouragement. There are also punishments from the mother and fights with the siblings. In general, it is, therefore, possible to incorporate species-appropriate punishments into the upbringing to a small extent.
However, you must never actually inflict pain or injury on your puppy. A painful punishment would only destroy the basic trust between you and your dog – anyway, the Animal Welfare Act forbids such treatment! Also, puppies are weak and extremely vulnerable. You will definitely cause great psychological damage if you act roughly against the dog. However, there are different grips that you can use. These are also used by wolves and dogs.
- Reach over the muzzle from above. Carefully and at the same time firmly, you grab it with your thumb and forefinger and very slowly push the mouth downwards.
- Gripping the scruff of the neck is suitable for preventing undesirable behavior. The puppy is pushed down a little and gently pulled away.
Important: Penalties are only effective if they follow the “act” directly. This means that if a puppy is caught stealing, for example, this behavior can be stopped at the same moment with a corresponding grip, which in turn leads to a learning effect. A late punishment, on the other hand, is pointless, because after a certain time the dog no longer knows what the problem is. Statistics show that praise is more effective than punishment. That’s why punishments in puppy training should be the exception.
Conclusion: Puppy Training Requires Patience, Perseverance, and Consistency
If you decide to have a puppy, the issue of training is crucial in order to create a good basis for harmonious coexistence with your four-legged friend. Patience, perseverance, and consistency play an important role. But it is also important not to see the puppy training too doggedly. It makes sense to enroll in a puppy school immediately after the dog has moved in. There you will get valuable tips on training and meet other dog owners with whom you can exchange ideas. In this way, you also enable your dog to have valuable social contact with other dogs. If you start training a puppy early, many problems can be avoided in advance.