Friday, March 5, 2010

Puppy Training Tips From The Pros

By Thomas Clancy

A new puppy brings to mind lots of wrestling, romping, and playing with an energetic ball of fur. It also makes people think of chewing, jumping, and little messes about the house that need to be cleaned up. Training a puppy takes time and lots of patience. Being repetitious in your actions and reinforcing good behavior is going to be the quickest way to teach this little guy the proper way to behave. The puppy training tips listed below should help you get started.

Housebreaking: This is probably the most trying form of puppy training that will take place. There is a lot of one on one time needed to make this process as effective as it can be. People who are able to monitor their puppy all day long will use the method of watching for when the pup's nose goes to the ground.

This generally means he is searching for a place to go to the bathroom. As soon as the pup looks like he is looking for a good spot to relieve himself, pick him up and take him outside. Remain outside until he does his business and praise him after he is finished.

When people aren't able to watch their puppy all the time and this method is sometimes used at night as well, a crate can be used to contain the pup. This isn't used for punishment, but as a place for the puppy to remain for an hour or two at a time.

Dogs don't usually make a mess where they sleep, so this area should be relatively safe from being used as a bathroom facility. Taking the puppy out of the crate every hour to go to the bathroom outside is often very effective. It's a good idea to not leave him in the crate for longer than two hours at a time. Once he's done his business outside, then he can romp around the house for a bit before he is placed back in the kennel.

Chewing: Puppies enjoy trying out their new teeth on a number of items, they don't necessarily know the difference between their toys and your shoes. This may take some time for him to figure out. Having a variety of toys placed around the house will make this type of training easier. If you catch the pup chewing on something he isn't supposed to be chewing, then tell him no as you take it away from him. Be sure to give him one of his own toys after you've taken the other item away.

Excessive chewing usually means that his gums are feeling a bit sore. A great remedy for sore puppy gums is by providing a sock with crushed ice in it. This can be placed in the freezer when he isn't using it.

Having a routine to housebreaking and consistency to monitoring chewing are going to make these puppy training tips more effective. This will may be a very trying process for most new dog owners, but having a well-behaved puppy will make life less complicated for both owner and puppy.

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