Obedience Training
If you want your puppy to be a positive member of your family and a good citizen when out in the world, obedience training is a must. Obedience training establishes a common language between you and your puppy. A puppy that is well trained and socialized will be comfortable around many people and situations.
Obedience training should be started the day you bring your puppy home. Teaching your puppy to respond to his name is the first training lesson you will accomplish. From here moving to simple commands like sit, stay, come and heel is a natural progression.
Training should be fun and is best taught during play sessions with your dog. When your puppy is playing he is not aware that he is learning. Learning through play makes him more receptive to the messages you are teaching. Keep training sessions short and reward positive responses. Remember that puppies don't have a long attention span.
Follow these basic training tips as you start obedience training:
- Reward good behavior.
- Don't reward undesirable behavior.
- Don't let your puppy ignore a command.
- If you don't want to enforce a command, don't give it.
- Don't punish good behavior.
- Repeat the command and the reward.
- Be realistic, patient and fair.
Once your puppy has completed his vaccinations, you may enroll him in a puppy training class. Be sure to check out the class prior to enrolling. You want to make sure you are comfortable with the teacher and the methods taught in the class. Try to find a class that is small in size so your puppy and you can receive one on one attention.
Obedience training really is a must. Setting clear boundaries and teaching your dog which behaviors are appropriate will reward you with a loving dog that is fun to be around for many years to come.
