Puppy Training Guide

As soon as your puppy has been taught a few simple rules he will be a well-adjusted and well-behaved family pet. Training your puppy, i.e. basic manners and household rules is not difficult. You just need to start early. From the day you bring him home, teach your new puppy not to bite or chew humans - even in play. Make it clear that unnecessary barking is unacceptable. Always make him 'sit' before being petted or fed. Just remember, your puppy really wants to please you. A key aspect of puppy training is to reward him for appropriate behaviour and use a stern 'No!' to correct him.

Unlike humans, dogs don't distinguish between right and wrong. If an action has pleasant consequences, they repeat it. If the results are unpleasant, they avoid it. Simple really: reward the behaviour you want to see repeated and training your puppy will be a doddle.

Puppy Training Techniques - Basic Recall

1. Wait for your puppy's usual feeding time. Show him a portion of the food and back away ten steps. Next, bend down and call him using his name and a command.
2. Hold his bowl outstretched towards him. Lavish him with praise, put the bowl on the floor and allow him to eat. Repeat the exercise for each portion of food and don't offer any other titbits or treats. His main meal is the reward.
3. Once your puppy is coming to you regularly, show him food and move away until you are out of sight. Make sure he is released the moment you call. Practise this until the exercise becomes a game and he comes willingly.
4. Now introduce the 'Sit!' command. Do exactly as before, but when he reaches you, raise the food above his head. His head will come up and his bottom down to the sit position. Give him lots of praise.

Puppy Training Techniques – Sit

1. Hold your chosen reward between your fingers, allow your dog to sniff and lick at it, and then slowly raise it so his head tilts upwards.
2. Keep your hand still once his head is tilted back while providing him with enough of the chosen treat to keep him licking and chewing at it.
3. As soon as his bottom touches the floor, feed him the treat and praise him. After several repetitions, your dog will begin to realise what is needed.

Puppy Training Techniques – Down (from Sit position)

1. Allow your dog to sniff and lick at your chosen reward. Hold it tightly between your fingers.
2. Lower the reward slowly, so that your dog's nose points down between his paws. (If he gets up, ask him to sit and try the technique again). Be patient and make sure he finds it rewarding enough to stay in position by allowing him to chew off little bits of the reward.
3. Feed the rest of the reward as the elbows touch the floor and praise well.

Above all, enjoy your training sessions. End each lesson on a high note with a command he's sure to obey and a guaranteed reward. That way you'll both feel positive. And don't expect too much, too soon - take it slowly and you will get there!

Travelling

For some dogs, travelling can be an exciting adventure - something to share with the family, with a promise of a walk on arrival. For others, it can be a terrifying and thoroughly uncomfortable experience. So how do you make sure that your puppy reaches his destination safe, well and happy?

The trick is to be prepared.

Before a long journey, take plenty of fresh water with you, particularly when travelling in hot weather and stop regularly to allow your dog to drink and exercise.

Some dogs are a little anxious when first travelling, but eventually the noise and motion of the car will calm them and most dogs usually fall asleep. If your puppy suffers from motion sickness, make sure that he is not fed within an hour of the journey. And be considerate when you are driving. Accelerating and decelerating smoothly can go a long way towards preventing motion sickness.

If you're travelling by air, contact the airline well in advance to find out what rules they have about transporting dogs. Make sure you arrive early for the flight, as cargo is usually loaded first. It’s a good idea to contact your vet well in advance to find out which vaccinations and health certificates are needed if he is travelling abroad.

How to Stop a Puppy Barking

Your puppy has a dozen different barks and each has up to forty different meanings. Can you tell the difference between a 'yelp' and a 'howl' or is his noise simply driving you barking mad?

While barking to deter people from entering your property is fine in principle, it can become a complete pain if your puppy barks every time anyone passes nearby. One of the best ways to teach your dog not to bark is to teach him how to bark on command.

“Speak”

First, find a way to entice him to vocalise. It may be as simple as holding his food bowl or a beloved toy up in the air. When he does bark, praise him and repeat the command “Speak”. Repeat the exercise often enough and he will associate the word with the act of barking.

“Stop”

Now, while he is barking, introduce the word “Quiet” or “Stop” and give him a toy or food treat when he goes quiet. With repetition, your dog will associate the signal to be quiet.

Reinforce this good behaviour by rewarding him when he's quiet in situations that would normally set him off.

How to Clean Up After your Puppy

It’s up to you to make sure that your dog does not soil parks, gardens, beaches or streets. Give him every opportunity to relieve himself in his own garden before a walk. If 'accidents' happen, be prepared to clean up his mess with a plastic bag or 'pooper-scooper'.

Using puppy pads is a simple and effective way to train your puppy. Just follow these steps.

1. Unfold a pad and place on the floor with the plastic side down and white absorbent side up.
2. Positively encourage your puppy to use the pad by regularly placing him onto it. Leave the pad on the floor during the training process so that your puppy knows where to go. Praise your puppy each time he uses the pad correctly.
3. Once your puppy recognises that he must go to the toilet on the puppy pad, you can start moving the pad towards the place you want him to use as his regular toilet. Eventually you’ll be able to make the transition from inside to outside.