The Do’s And Don’ts When Socializing Your Puppy

As an owner of a new puppy, it is vital you socialize the dog as soon as possibly so they become familiar with other things. This will go a long way toward eliminating the possibility of them developing anger and aggression towards dogs down the road. To help you have the most success as a dog trainer with your puppy, here are a few do’s and don’ts to guide you in the right direction.

When it’s time for your pup to interact with other animals or people you must make sure that this is done as calmly and peacefully as possible. You do not want to make your pups first experiences scary or confusing. Ensure that your puppy is in a safe environment that he will not be frightened in.

It’s a whole new world for these little fellows, so start them out gently. Start with family members and friends, the more people they meet the less likely they will be frightened by them in the future. Once they have mastered meeting people, introduce them to the dogs of your friends and neighbors as long as they are calm, healthy and happy dogs themselves. It’s all about your puppy feeling safe.

Step two is to take them out in public whenever you can while they’re still impressionable pups. Go to parks and playgrounds or bring them shopping to pet shops. Essentially just get them meeting and greeting people and pets they don’t know.

Here are a few things to steer clear of. Number one is don’t put this training off. You need to socialize them when they are young in order for them to get the most of it. They’ll learn it easier and will retain it better.

Avoid putting your pup in stressful situations where they may not feel safe. If you must go in uncharted territories, for example when traveling, give them a safe place to be by themselves but at the same time keep an eye on you. Don’t let them go close to strange animals you don’t know. You never know how another dog is going to behave if you don’t know them and it only takes one attack can traumatize your pup and change its behavior forever.

If your puppy is showing signs of fear, the last thing you want to do is inadvertently reward this behavior by soothing them. Biting is often associated with fear and the last thing you want is for your puppy to develop a biting problem.

And finally, you need to stay patient. Socialization is an extremely essential component of their growth so don’t rush them. Just like humans, dogs learn at their own speed and they will learn much more if you follow their lead and not try to force too much on them at once. Patience and consistency is the way to go with puppy training (It works well in everyday life too!)

If your dog is not socializing well with others despite all your attempts, you might want to call in the top guns. Check out other in-depth training practices that will teach you much more than the basics covered here

Alex is a freelance graphic artist & marketing pro with a penchant for writing and pets. She has a long and special history with pets and has studied what will work and what doesn’t when training them. If you enjoyed this article, check out her other pet related articles;Why Physical Force Won’t Work When Training Dogs or Do Dogs Have Human Emotions.

Tips For Training A Puppy The Pros Use

When you are training a dog, you must remember that dogs need more than just love, affection, and effective dog training techniques to become good pets. Training a dog is about understanding who the dog is, which includes their normal behaviors, their physical, emotional, and mental needs. It is a vital piece of dog training to create a happy and fulfilling life with your dog.

Dogs want you to understand that they are not just humans with fur. While they tolerate and often delight in being treated as such, they simply are not human. There’s a lot to be said for being treated like a person – it means you get a cozy spot to sleep, delicious treats, as well as all the attention you crave. You get the picture; dogs have got a better deal than humans, with all the perks and none of the burdens!

Generally speaking, treating dogs the same as humans is all right, just don’t have the expectation that they’ll behave like humans in response. In terms of canine obedience, dogs and puppies are unable to think or behave like humans. This doesn’t mean they are any less delightful just the way they are, however the fact is, whether you are talking about a mighty Great Dane or a miniature Yorkshire terrier, all dogs share traits with their ancestral wolf relatives – so take this into consideration when training your puppy.

You also must bear in mind when you are training your puppy that they learn words through association and repetition. This means they cannot successfully obey a command until there is something they can identify the meaning of the word with. An example of this is teaching a dog to sit, you may say the word sit with a commanding voice but this won’t mean anything to them unless you give them a little help to get into the position and then this will need to be practiced many times. Understanding how your dog learns will help you to succeed in your training.

Puppies need guidance and discipline. Without it, they follow their natural puppy instincts. They will eat anything that smells good. They will chew on anything that feels good. They will roll in anything that smells bad. If you know what to expect from an untrained puppy, you will be better able to help your dog through obedience training. You will be able to give your puppy appropriate outlets for his natural energy and instincts.

It is reasonable to expect regression at times during training, so don’t let yourself get exasperated, your dog will know it and respond accordingly. You may have seen your dog follow the same command successfully many times , so it can be disappointing when failure strikes, but if you arm yourself with knowledge and plan ahead you can successfully work through any set backs your pup may have.

There are a few main theories about learning regression, which can happen to a puppy in training or to a person in any aspect of life. One such theory is that it is due to an error during the brain moving in information between short and long-term memory. Whatever theory you believe, you should take advantage of regression for what it really represents: an opportunity to train your dog better.