If you intend to train
a puppy in obedience, make sure that you understand the
inherent difficulties in the job and how to overcome these
difficulties. Obedience training for a puppy is something
like parenting a child where you must employ the same care
and love that you would give to a newborn baby.
Obedience training for a puppy is much easier than
training an adult dog because their capacity to learn and
readily bond with you has not been blunted by a previous
owner. This allows you to teach your puppy the proper
behavior from the very beginning. It is also easier
because a puppy has not yet acquired bad habits or has a
bad behavioral history.
Take for instance, the often encountered problem of
teaching your puppy not to jump when greeting visitors The
puppy should not be scolded, at least initially, when he
jumps on visitors, as this is part of a young dog’s nature
to be friendly, but he should be given treats instead,
once he learns to respond to the command "sit".
It is considered best to begin serious obedience training
of your puppy between the ages of seven to twelve weeks,
although potty training should begin a little earlier. By
this age the puppy will have bonded to you and be more
receptive to your commands and his capacity for
understanding will be more critical.
If you teach your puppy the right way of socializing, then
aggression and fear should not arise in subsequent
behavior. Whatever the puppy learns during this period
will automatically influence the rest of his life. Seven
weeks is the right age to teach the puppy social behavior
as his brain activity is almost similar to that of an
adult dog and has the capacity to learn and understand
complex behavior.
Correct obedience training of the puppy requires proper
preparation from both you and the puppy. It is important
that you begin with a proper mind set and understand that
you are starting out on a difficult journey where love and
patience will be required in abundance. Training a dog and
modifying his behavior requires repeated stimulus linked
to specific commands as Pavlov demonstrated all these
years ago.
It is important to begin obedience training with the three
simple basic commands "sit stay come". It goes without
saying that these commands should be taught in that order
and only when sit is fully understood and always obeyed
should the puppy be conditioned to learn and obey the next
command. Always attempt to make each lesson a fun time for
both you and the dog.
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Keep in mind that the main purpose of obedience training
your puppy is to prevent behavioral problems developing in
the future. It should also be remembered that young pups
have a short attention span and tire easily, so it is wise
to keep obedience training lessons short and reward your
pup with treats to keep him focused and looking foreword
to his next lesson. There will be many moments of
frustration and just as many moments of joy during this
journey of mutual understanding, but the end result will
make it all worthwhile. A well behaved dog makes for a
happy dog and just as important, a happy owner.
