Socialising & Training

Ensuring your puppy develops into a well mannered dog means getting it familiar with new sights, sounds, people and other animals and as many new positive experiences as possible. An obedient, well trained dog will be happier, more settled and much more fun than a naughty one. The most important period of a dog's life is the first few months and best time to train them is between 12 and 18 weeks of age. However, basic training should start as soon as your puppy arrives in your home and good habits, once learnt, should be continually reinforced throughout your dog's life.

Reward-based training is the most effective method but rewards must be immediate. A puppy will only associate them with its most recent behaviour and therefore, if rewards come too late, they will be ineffective or at worst counter-productive.

Always carry a handful of Pets at Home Puppy Complete food in your pocket as a reward and be ready to give it immediately when your puppy has responded to a command. Begin to teach your puppy to understand Sit, Heal, Come and Down. Use toys and chews, making sure you are controlling the game by taking them away and giving them back or throwing them. At the end of the game take the toy away.

Train your puppy to be sociable and under control at all times. By allowing your puppy to socialise with other people and animals from an early age many behavioural problems can be avoided. For further information on training your puppy, log on to www.the-kennel-club.org.uk

House Training

Puppies need to relieve themselves at regular intervals and certainly after feeding, play and rest. Newspaper is not recommended to house train puppies, as it only prolongs the process and effectively teaches pups to relieve indoors, it is very important to initially establish a regular feeding, sleeping and play routine. Puppies are sure to need to relieve after all of the above and therefore their routine can become predictable and if you can predict when they need to relieve then the house training becomes much more effective and efficient. You must keep a careful eye on your puppy and take it into the garden, giving a command such as 'be quick' and then lots of praise and encouragement as it performs. Without supervision you will not be able to let the dog know they are doing the right thing, therefore even if the puppy needs to go outside in the worst of weather, then you must be with them to praise them. After all it is far better to encourage the dog in the first place, rather than step into a wet, warm puddle in the morning. Reward the dog for his actions each time and your training process should be consistent and regular.

Should the puppy have an accident in front of you, do not tell him off. Therefore a clap of the hands is usually sufficient to interrupt him, from what he is doing and carry him to the garden and continue to supervise and add the 'Be Quick' command.

Using indoor crates over night, confines the puppy to an area they are programmed not to relieve in, their bed. By having this crate near to your bedroom at night you will be able to hear any attempt to get out top relive and therefore allow your puppy to relieve in the correct place, rather than wander around the home to find a suitable discreet spot. This inconvenience at night should only be short lived and by the time the puppy is three months old, they should be well on the way to being fully house trained.

A Pee Post is a great tool for assisting puppy training as it encourages them to eliminate in an area of the garden that you choose. For best results, show them the area where you have placed the post and always take them there first thing in the morning, last thing at night and immediately after meals. If they go there, wait until they've finished and then give an immediate reward.

Puppy Pads also help take the stress out of house training. The scent in the pad will attract puppies to wherever it is placed, thus encouraging them to relieve themselves on the pad instead of the floor. Reward your puppy for its actions each time and your house training process will soon develop.

All conscientious dog owners should never be without a poop scoop. It is irresponsible for owners to allow their dogs to foul paths, public parks and areas. In many public areas litterbins are available to dispose of dog foul and should always be used. You will also find that your poop scoop will come in handy for removing your dogs deposits from the back garden!

Play Biting

 Puppies will experiment with their mouths as they grow and play biting is how puppies learn to use their mouths correctly. Their needle sharp teeth can be very painful and preventing the onset of excessive play biting at an early age is far better then trying to cure it later. The more opportunities the dog has to interact with people and dogs, the more chance your puppy has to learn how to use its mouth carefully. Reprimands are not usually necessary, but imitating another puppies 'Yelp!' or a loud 'Ouch!' when the biting is too hard is usually sufficient to deter most puppies and teach them to be more careful next time. This should be followed immediately by a period of ignoring the puppy, or separating the puppy from the family for a short while. This needs to be consistent and understood by all members of the family for the puppy to learn.

Training Classes

Puppies can begin training classes after they have received their full course of vaccinations by attending a puppy socialisation class, which should allow time for controlled interaction with other puppies of a similar age both on and off the lead.

Advice with Individual Problems

For professional dog training advice please contact;

Association of Pet Dog Trainers, www.apdt.co.uk, Peacocks Farm, Northchapel, Petworth, West Sussex, GU28 9JB 01428 707 234

The Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors, PO BOX 46, Worcester, WR8 9YS 01386 751 151