10 Easy Ways To Train Your New Puppy

So you got a new puppy? Now what? You obviously love and adore your puppy but his barking, chewing and incorrect behavior could be driving you crazy? Do not be sad though, you’re going to learn 10 easy ways to train your puppy at home:

Do not yell at your puppy

Oh no!  – your puppy is probably chewing on stuff, barking or playing around when you’re having a busy day. However, in all these circumstances do not yell at him/her, you could risk losing the picture-perfect bond you have with your dog. When you raise your voice on your puppy, they get anxious, nervous and stress him out. Your puppy could get the message it is okay to bark since – you know you’re barking at him as well.

Be firm!

Let me guess, every time your puppy misbehaves he gives you those puppy eyes that make you feel so sorry for them – that you end up not saying what you were to say. However, do not let those puppy eyes lead you elsewhere. In order to teach your puppy good manners, you need to be firm on your words. Dogs are very smart, if they see you’re easy going and flexible, they will behave however they want to.

So, it is very important to use a strict tone when telling him what to do but without yelling at him. He/she will be like – wow I need to listen and will see you as an authority figure to look up to.

Don’t get physical

Please do not threaten or use pain on your puppy. That is not a good way to train them but these kind of behaviours teach puppies to fear their owners and lose their trust in them. If you threaten your puppy with anything, they will always respond in fear. Also they will tend to see you as a threat at all times.

Give your puppy  a time out

Next time you catch your puppy being rough with another pet or simply being stubborn, give him/her a time out! Giving your puppy  a time out will give the puppy the impression that it did something wrong and know it’s being punished so won’t do it again. The time out can be either putting him in a dog crate or putting him in a boring location like a bathroom. Make sure the location is safe for him and let him stay there for no longer than 3 minutes.

Don’t stare down at the puppy

If you were talking to a child who misbehaved, eye contact would be important but for a puppy they might feel threatened or uncomfortable. They feel intimidated and look away to avoid that eye contact.

Don’t scold your puppy long after the offense

If you come home, only to discover your darling puppy knocked over your favourite pot and broke it, what would you do? You’d be angry yes! – But do not scold her/him way after because the puppy will not know the reason why he’s being scolded. What you should do is scold him/her when caught doing something bad. This is done in the moment, so the puppy can understand why he’s being scolded and won’t repeat that again.

Educate & Reward your puppy

When a puppy misbehaves they have to learn how not to.  You have to educate your puppy on how to do the right thing. For example, if you told your puppy not to chew on your shoes and they stopped doing it, you should reward him. If he learnt how to go potty outside or stopped barking for no reason, give him a reward. Don’t forget that you should reward the puppy as soon as he does that, so that he knows why he’s being rewarded. Now your puppy knows if he does well, he will get rewarded.

Remember, before you do anything, try to understand why the puppy is doing this, in their perspective. Despite puppies being a little naughty, they can be a great addition to your family. If you follow these tips, your puppy will be well trained.