4 helpful tips for training puppies

When you decide to get a dog, you probably think that training a puppy will bring you a lot of joy. And when you imagine a little dog frolicking on a walk, chewing on its leash, you certainly do not think about puddles of urine all over the place or sleepless nights due to incessant barking and squealing. However, the fact that you are faced with some difficulties does not mean that learning to train a puppy is difficult. This can be as fun as you imagined. If you wondered how to train your pet so that both you and him would be interested, read on. It takes patience to raise a puppy. These four dog training tips will help you get started on your journey.

1. Start with sleep training.

Did you think that only young children should be taught to sleep? Bullshit (sorry bad pun). Puppies need to be helped to learn proper sleep patterns as well as children. How quickly will the puppy get used to it? If you haven't taken your dog home yet, be prepared that in the first few days, or even weeks, you may have difficulty falling asleep. Why? Well, besides the fact that the “child” is studying the world around him, he is still in a completely new environment, and adaptation to it is not easy for him. First of all, the puppy needs to be accustomed to its place.

Start introducing your four-legged toddler to the differences between day and night with a few small steps. First, arrange a cozy place for him to sleep. A luxurious dog bed or soft blankets in the aviary will make your evening routine more comfortable. It's time to turn off the lights. While you might think that leaving the low light on will make your puppy feel calmer, you forget that your job is to teach your pet the difference between daytime and nighttime. Like humans, dogs produce the sleep hormone, or melatonin, says Preventive Vet. Since light affects melatonin production, a dark room is essential. In addition to the lights, you should also turn off or close all phones and TV screens.

It's time for training. Like small children, your puppy may wake up in the middle of the night because he needs to relieve himself. Do not deny him this, but at the same time, do not make an event out of it. If your dog wakes you up and thinks he needs to go to the toilet, take him outside, avoiding eye contact and keeping verbal interaction to a minimum. If your puppy is begging for attention, the most important thing is to ignore it. While it’s hard to ignore how a sad puppy whines pitifully (especially if that’s why you woke up), it’s important that he understands that he must sleep at night and that you are not here to pay attention to him.

Clear out all food and treats ahead of time a few hours before bedtime, but be sure to take your pet out a few more times to empty the bladder. You can also play with him for a couple of hours before bed to make him tired. But don't play with him right before bed, because then his body and mind will be active and he will not be able to sleep. Give him some time to feel tired after the game, and you yourself will not notice how he falls asleep.

Finally, be patient. Sleep training takes patience and consistency. Once your puppy learns positive sleeping habits, everyone can return to their wonderful sleep.

 

 

2. Become buddies on a leash.

Is your puppy making puddles on the floor, or worse, sneaking into different rooms to leave piles there? One of the easiest ways to get out of trouble with a young pet is to always keep it with you. While it can be tricky, especially if you're busy cleaning, cooking, playing catch-up with the kids, or just relaxing on the couch after a long day at work, don't be discouraged. There is an easy way to keep your pet close to you, no matter what you are doing.

Put on a leash and attach the end of it to the belt loop, choose a short leash - this way the puppy will always be a meter away from you. Then, when you notice that he starts to get nervous or whine, you can immediately run outside with him to practice toilet training.

Of course, this tip won't work when you're in the shower, but in this case, you can just leave your dog to rest on the bath mat.

3. Hang bells on the door.

Ding-ding-ding! Someone needs to go to the toilet! How do you know? Well, if you teach your dog, while still a puppy, to ring the bell that you strategically hung on the door, you won't have to guess when it's time to go outside. This is one of the tips for raising puppies that will be useful to you all her life. Teaching your pet this trick is very easy and fun. Just buy or make yourself some bells and hang them on the doorknob. The length should be sufficient so that the dog can either reach them with his paw or nudge them with his nose when he wants to tell you that it is time for him to go outside.

At first, she won't know what to do with the bells. She may or may not like the sound, as she is unfamiliar with it, so you should look lively and joyful every time you ring the bell for a walk with your pet. If you use a special word like "Pot!" or “Walk!” when teaching your dog to use the toilet, say it by ringing the bell and opening the door. Hearing that the bells are ringing every time he goes outside to do his thing, eventually the puppy will associate this sound with the toilet. After a while, try ringing the bell with your dog's paw, not your hand. Encourage your puppy every time he takes the initiative, so training to walk will be much more effective. Eventually, he will do it himself.

Since dogs are inherently curious, the opportunity to go outside is a joyous experience for them. When they start associating the bell with a walk, they may have a bad habit of ringing it just so that they can go explore the area rather than go to the toilet. There are several ways to keep your dog from becoming a habit. It is very important to keep the same schedule. Over time, your puppy will remember when it's time to go for a walk to do his thing, so if you've only recently taken him out, do not give in to his demands. Use this strategy with caution because puppies need to relieve themselves quite often while they are still learning to tolerate, so if you ignore him for too long, he can create a mess in the house. The second strategy is to praise your dog and give him a treat right after she does her business outside. This will help her associate the ringing of the bell with going outside with the specific purpose of going to the bathroom. If she rings the bell and doesn’t do business on the street, do not reward her with food or praise — use them only as methods of encouraging good behavior from the bell to the toilet. Likewise, you can use bells for litter training in an apartment.

4. Choose the right words.

Obedience training can be a lot of fun! This is a good time to use words and physical cues to teach your puppy to follow commands such as Sit, Lie, and Come to Me. Here's a tip that you can immediately try in practice: be specific in the choice of words you use so that your ward understands exactly what you want from him. For example, the command "Come to me" when you want him to come back to you after playing on the street or come to the kitchen to eat may seem logical at first. But in the end, after training is complete, your dog may not respond as often to the general command. Instead, use commands such as "Home" when you want the puppy to come back to the house, or "Dinner" when it's time to eat. Likewise, be specific and use commands like

You may not speak the same language, but the clearer you are with your puppy, the more words from your vocabulary he will remember.

Puppy training can be quite tiring, but it can also be one of the most fun and rewarding activities for both of you. This is a great time to strengthen the bond between you. After all, not only does your dog recognize you, but you also recognize him. Do you have your own puppy training tricks that you would like to share? Go to the Hill's social media page and write to us about it.