A critical responsibility as a puppy owner is puppy training. These cute little pets have come into this world, and everything is so big and new to them – and it’s your job to help them learn to live with you so you puppy is well behaved and happy. And since puppies are actually still pretty fragile, you may actually harm them if they are not trained properly.
If the puppies are born in your home, the mother can be very helpful in socializing them and “training” them in the ways of your household. But it’s still your responsibility to know how to train the puppy so it does not get into destructive or aggressive habits. Make sure everyone in your household knows how to properly pick up and hold a puppy so they don’t feel pain and aren’t injured.
If the puppy was purchased from a pet store or a breeder, you will need to take extra care. And if you do have any other dogs in the household, you will need to be extra vigilant, so that the relationship developed between the pets is harmonious and safe for all concerned.
Even if the puppy is born to your own dog, you will want to try to slowly separate it from the mother and any siblings it may have daily, gradually increasing the period of time. This is one of the first steps to take in training a puppy and will make them less anxious and more confident.
A sense of safety and security must be provided to any puppy. So you should look to provide your puppy with its own area in the household or yard. If it’s outside, some sort of fencing that won’t hurt the puppy may be a good idea, and choose a spot where clearing up your dog’s droppings won’t be a big problem for you.
Indoors a create is a very effective way of giving you dog its own “space.” A crate is very much like a “dog house” indoors, and makes your puppy feel like it has its own safe haven. Bedding and a food bowl should be kept in one corner. Dogs who have a crate are usually much easier to housebreak, because dogs do not like to “mess” in their space. A crate teaches the puppy to be aware of the difference between its feeding and “littering” places.
Everyone in the family should agree on the rules which must be put in place in the puppies first few months of training. This includes rules about jumping on furniture or people, nipping and biting, chewing, and so forth. These rules must be followed consistently by all members of the household because they are the foundation of training a puppy. You can’t train a puppy effectively if everyone in the household doesn’t treat it in the same manner: the rules can’t be different for each person, it will only result in a confused and anxious dog.