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Top Five Tips for Training Your New Puppy

BY: Nicole Goudey-Rigger

By Nicole Goudey-RiggerPublished 2 years ago 3 min read
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There are so many incredible things about having a new puppy! But accidents in the house, chewed shoes, and nips on your hand are not among the exciting things that come with your new pet. Remember that puppies are infant dogs, and they aren’t born knowing appropriate ways to act. This is why it’s so important to effectively train them when they are young. While the best thing to do as a new pet parent is to put your pup in a training program, there are a few basic tips you should know as you bring your puppy home and begin to train him. The team at Pets a Go Go compiled their top 5 tips for training your new pup:

It’s all in the name. Picking a name for your puppy is a huge decision, but did you know that some names are better than others? Dogs will usually respond better to names that are short with a strong consonant such as ‘Jack’ or ‘Ginger.’ If you pick a name with a similar sound to these, your dog will probably consistently respond better than if you choose a name with soft sounds.

Patience, patience, patience. Training your new pup will take time, a lot of time. Dogs don’t automatically understand English; it takes time for them to learn a language and understand you. So don’t get frustrated when you give your puppy a command and he doesn’t respond. Instead, show your dog what you want him to do, and then continue to repeat this command and action until he understands you. It will take time, so remain patient and positive— it will be worth it.

Positivity, positivity, positivity! Positive reinforcement is the most effective way to train your dog. Whenever your dog does something good, whether you asked him to or not, praise him for it! This positive reinforcement will lead to your dog repeating that good behavior in the future.

Stay consistent. As new as having a puppy might be for you, for the puppy, everything is new. They are in a new place with new people, which is pretty overwhelming. This is why it’s important to keep routine and rules consistent for dogs. This will help puppies get adjusted and also understand dynamics and expectations. This means you should not change rules every day, and the whole family needs to be on the same page. If one rule for your house is to not let the dog on beds, then this rule needs to stay consistent. If one family member allows the puppy on beds, but the others are trying to train the pup to stay off beds, your puppy will get confused quickly. Stay consistent and be on the same page!

Keep it simple. Dogs are incredible and they have so much potential to follow directions well and perform incredible tricks, but it takes time to work up to this. When you first get a puppy, focus on the simple commands and reinforce those heavily. Stick with commands like ‘come,’ ‘sit,’ ‘heel,’ and ‘stay.’ Once you have the basics down, then you can move on to the more complicated commands. Just make sure you go at your dog’s pace and constantly use positive reinforcement.

Training your new puppy is hard work, but it’s necessary and worth the time and commitment. All new pet parents should know the basics of puppy training, but training your pup well takes more than simply following these tips at home. The best thing you can do as a new pet parent is put your puppy in a training program. At Pets A Go Go, we offer different kinds of programs that will fit your family’s needs, including puppy kindergarten, individual classes, group classes, personal training, and more. Investing in a training program for your puppy will benefit your puppy and you! More information about training programs at Pets a Go Go can be found on our website here.

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About the Creator

Nicole Goudey-Rigger

Nicole Goudey-Rigger is the Owner of Pets a Go Go, the service provider of choice for more than 5,000+* pet parents in Westchester County and Fairfield County.

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