To continue on with my tips for basic training:
Correctional sound: We all know that all puppies are perfect and always behave just the way we want them to, right? But on the slim, very off-chance puppy does something wrong, you should have a sound to let him know he is not supposed to be doing whatever he is doing. (Who knew chewing on the living room rug was naughty??) This sound can be a loud beep type sound, or the sound my mommy uses with me is like “aut aut aut”. When I hear this sound, I know that I am being naughty. (The funny thing is I sometimes catch her using this sound now with cats, other dogs, and even children!)
Repeating a command: Here’s a little trick for you humans. Outloud, say “sit”. (Tell any humans around you that you are not talking to them!). Now, say “Sit,sit,sit,sit,sit,sit”. They sound like two different words don’t they? My point is, don’t keep repeating a command over and over and over and ..well, you get the idea. To a puppy, “sit” sounds very different from “sit, sit, sit, sit”. Just say the command once, then wait a few seconds. Sometimes it takes us puppies some time to work out in our heads what you want us to do. If he hasn’t done the command within 10 seconds or so, make your “correctional” sound, then say the command again. Also, you want puppy to learn that he has to do the command the first time.
Clicker training: Some humans choose to train their puppies without the clicker, but I think it makes it easier for the puppy to understand when they have done something correct. A clicker is a small, square box that makes a “click” sound when you push it.
Every time your dog does a command correctly, you click then treat.
First thing you need to do is “load” the clicker. What this means is you are teaching your pup that every time he hears a “click” he gets a treat. So with your dog in front of you, have the clicker in one hand and a handful of treats in the other. It is best to hide the clicker behind your back so puppy doesn’t get too focused on it. Now start clicking and treating. Your puppy doesn’t have to do any tricks, you are just teaching him that the clicking sound is a good thing. Make sure you treat within one second of clicking. If you wait for even a few seconds, it will be hard for puppy to associate the click with a treat. Do this several times until puppy learns that a click means he gets a treat.
Once the clicker is loaded, you can start teaching your puppy new commands and tricks. As soon as he has done the trick, click and treat IMMEDIATELY. This way he learns what is expected of him.
Don’t worry, you will not need to carry a clicker around with you for the rest of your life. Eventually, you will be able to phase out the clicker, and then only use it, if needed, when teaching a new trick or command. My mommy only uses the clicker occasionally for me now.
Treats: It is best to use soft treats when training. You don’t want your dog to have to take time out to eat a large biscuit. And you can break the soft treats into small pieces…as long as puppy gets some kind of small treat, he will be happy. Yes, in the beginning stages of training, you will be giving pup A LOT of treats, but don’t worry, as he begins to learn new things, you will eventually be able to replace some of the treats with hugs and praise or a toy.
Praise: Anytime your pup does a new trick correctly, make sure to give him lots of praise and pets in addition to the treat. You can say “Yes” in an excited voice and tell him “good boy”. Praise means almost as much as treats in the dog world. And the more you praise, the harder we will work to get more. It’s like an addiction, like catnip is to kitties.
Expectations and patience: Have good expectations for your friend, but also have lots and lots of patience! English is not our first language, so there will be times that you will want to only use hand signals for a command in the beginning, then tie a word to the command. And we really do want to please you. If we are not doing a command, it isn’t because we are rebelling or trying to make you mad..we just might be tired or confused at what you want.
Classes: Puppy School classes are an excellent way for you and pup to bond while learning new things. Mommy took me to PetSmart where I took all 3 levels of training and graduated with honors thank you very much! Their class sizes are small and take place both in a seperate room and out in the store. I had the two best trainers in the world and mommy still takes me back to see them. They always recognize me and are happy to see me. But there are lots of places that offer classes, so do your research and choose the one that best fits for you and your little friend.
In my humble puppy opinion, all dogs should at least have the basic training. Research has shown that a dog that has some training is happier and gets disciplined less than a dog who hasn't. And our ancestors always had jobs to do (hunt, take care of pups, lead the pack, etc) so in this modern world, one of our jobs should be to "learn".
Puppy kisses,
Riley
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