At this point during the beginning of preschool puppy training you should now have your puppy slowly conditioned to expect his daily 10 minute walk, while learning that praise and tasty treats go hand-in-hand. As you continue each walk with your puppy, take notice to see if he is preoccupied with the sights or sounds […]
Preschool Puppy Training (Part 3): Sit & Come
While learning the fetch game, it is important that tasty treats be used in place of too much praise, as previously mentioned. The importance of praise hasn’t been firmly written on the chalkboard of his mind – so until it is, give your pup what is known to be a positive reward stimulus – food! […]
Are Puppy Kindergarten Classes Necessary? You Be The Judge (Part 5)
Every trainer will set his or her own guidelines as to when puppies can begin puppy training classes. Most will accept puppies between 10 and 16 weeks of age, because this is the time when socialization is most important. At this age, puppies are sponges ready to soak up everything they can be taught. They […]
Preschool Puppy Training (Part 2): Fetching
The first positive command that your puppy should learn is the command to sit. By making it the first command, it therefore becomes the first positive word which we will write on the puppy’s “chalkboard mind”. In other words, at this age his mind is like a chalkboard – and not too much has been […]
Preschool Puppy Training (Part 1): The Leash & Collar
Because all of your puppy’s formal obedience training will be accomplished with the assistance of a leash and a training collar, his pre-school training should include familiarization with similar paraphernalia. Initially, the puppy should be fitted with a comfortable leather or nylon collar. Care must be taken that the collar is not affixed either too […]
Polite Puppies: Teaching Your Pup To Be Courteous & Well-Mannered (Part 4)
You recently read several articles on the best ways to teach your puppy to be polite and learn his manners around the house and in front of people, mentioning the use of a tether. To help you better understand what a tether is and how to best make your own, the following information will help […]
Polite Puppies: Teaching Your Pup To Be Courteous & Well-Mannered (Part 3)
Polite Dinner Manners In order to achieve polite puppy dinner behavior, you first have to define it. For example, I consider it polite in my household if my four dogs lie quietly at our feet while we eat. If they don’t beg, bark, whine or otherwise nudge us for treats, they get an occasional treat […]
Are Puppy Kindergarten Classes Necessary? You Be The Judge (Part 4)
Most puppy classes show you how to physically handle your puppy, also called “social handling.” By handling puppies often and gently, they learn to accept being touched, including looking inside the ears, touching the teeth, and handling the paws and toenails. This gentle handling makes grooming much easier, especially combing, brushing, and checking for fleas, […]
Polite Puppies: Teaching Your Pup To Be Courteous & Well-Mannered (Part 2)
Polite Greetings Everyone loves it when a tiny puppy jumps up to greet them. “Awww, so cute!” they say, but when that puppy grows up to be a full-grown Golden Retriever with muddy paws, it’s no longer cute. In fact, it’s down-right rude! It’s very easy to teach a pup to greet people politely. It’s […]
Polite Puppies: Teaching Your Pup To Be Courteous & Well-Mannered (Part 1)
How can anyone not love puppies, with their milk-breath innocence, soft, baby-sweet expressions and clumsy explorations of a world completely new to them? Rare is the puppy adopter who enters into the relationship with anything less than good intentions for a lifelong commitment to the new four-legged family member. Why, then, do so many adolescent […]
