CHAPTER 2: THE PUPPY TRAINING SCHEDULE
For some new puppy owners, the first thing they think should be addressed is housebreaking. This, however, is not farther from true. For your puppy to adapt well to his new life and learn to accept your authority and follow your rules (including his later training), it is important to start training your puppy from the first day that it sets foot in your home. This chapter will go over the puppy training schedule that you should follow, so you can be sure your pup learns everything that it needs without becoming overwhelmed. In the next chapter, you will learn about the attitude that you should hold and what steps to take to ensure that your pup sees you as the authoritative figure of the household.
Why a Schedule is Important
It can be very easy to get caught up in the excitement of a new puppy and try to teach them everything at once. Doing things out of a certain order can be confusing for a new pup though, especially when they are just trying to learn their surroundings. Additionally, teaching your puppy too much at once can overwhelm them and cause them to forget everything you want them to learn. To prevent this, you should adhere to a schedule that will help establish a routine, teach them some language, and then later allow you to housebreak them, teach them to be obedient, and more.
The Puppy Training Schedule
To be sure that you are not overwhelming your new addition, follow this schedule. If your puppy seems to take longer than others, do not worry! Simply delay teaching the new tricks until your pup is ready.
Daily Routines
The first thing that your new addition should learn is the daily routines that he or she will follow. You can do this by introducing your puppy to different areas of the house. You will want to pay close attention to:
Where food and water dishes can be found
When food will be provided
Where your pup will go to the bathroom
Where toys will be kept
Where he or she will sleep
When your puppy will sleep and wake up
As you show your puppy his or her daily routines, it is incredibly important that you use the right attitude and technique. You will learn more about this in the next chapter, so be sure to read it before you bring your pup home.
Gentleness and Acceptance of Being Handled
When you bring home a new furry pet, it is very likely that your family is going to want to hold and handle him. This is when you must first teach gentleness, so that your pup does not nip or scratch at your family members (or guests). You will find that some puppies need more training in this area than others, depending on their age when they come home. Often, their mothers and siblings teach them what is an acceptable amount of roughness when the pups play. It is important that you pick up where their mother left off in order to teach proper restraint.
Another related lesson is acceptance of being handled. There are times that you are going to need to do things your pup will not necessarily enjoy, including putting on their harness or collar, cleaning teeth, clipping nails, brushing, bathing, or giving medication. These are activities made much easier when your puppy stands still and cooperates. Teaching your puppy to accept you as a leader, from the beginning, will help them learn to be handled.
Language Basics
Before you can teach your puppy what behaviors are acceptable or unacceptable, you must teach them basic language. The easiest place to start is with commands like No, which will signify that your pup should stop whatever they are doing in the moment and Good, which works to praise pleasing behavior.
Your puppy will be ready to learn these basics around 2-3 months of age. Pay close attention to your body language and tone of voice. This will continue to establish your role as leader in the household and your pup will listen to you as a result. It is essential that your puppy learn these words before you will even be able to consider any form of behavioral or obedience training.
Basics of Training
Once you have taught your pup the language basics, you will be able to teach them other acceptable and unacceptable behaviors, as well as housebreak them, crate train them, and more.
Crate Training
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