Training tips for the month

Get the right start in training.  

Potty training: Watch your puppy like a hawk.  Always start with the positives first.  If something is wrong, what’s right?  Don’t attempt to punish a puppy for what’s wrong without giving the puppy an alternative.  This is very critical with a new puppy.  If you first reprimand (shout at) a puppy when he/she goes potty on the floor, your puppy may not go potty in front of you again.  A chewing example: “get your toy” and praise before attempting to reprimand the puppy for getting the wrong object.  If you find yourself reprimanding your puppy often, your puppy is probably getting too much unconstructive/unsupervised time out of the crate. Please enroll in a training class.  Your puppy will make connection with behaviors only within a few seconds.  Do not attempt to correct behaviors after the few -second window.  You will only confuse your puppy.  This goes for chewing as well.  Take your puppy outside regularly on a leash after sleep, play, food, and water.  Go outside with your puppy, use a word to go potty and praise lavishly (option, food reward) on the spot (at the end of potty).  If your puppy makes a habit of going to the door to go outside, take your puppy away from the door for at least five seconds and distract him/her with a toy or attention.  Then tell your puppy to go outside and take your puppy out the door.  This way you are initiating going outside.  If your puppy is let outside every time he/she goes to the door: (one) who is training whom? (two) your puppy gets into a cycle of going to the door, outside, and relieving him/herself.  If you don’t see the puppy’s command at the door to go outside to go potty, the puppy will more than likely relieve him/herself at the door, staying with the learned cycle.  Potty training is not only teaching your puppy to go potty outside but also teaching control of the bladder.  Unless you have a dog door, your puppy needs to learn that he/she can relieve him/herself only at your convenience.