Bringing your new puppy home is an exciting time for all involved. The first few months of life for a puppy are key to shaping their brain and future. This vital window begins to close at 16 weeks old, so it is essential we start teaching them from the very beginning.
We recommend reward-based training as puppies respond well to this method and avoids using harsh techniques.
It is incredibly rewarding training your puppy, but it can quickly become overwhelming especially when searching for advice, it can often lead to being incorrectly informed.
Here are some simple tips and advice we believe will help your puppy succeed in the big, wide world!
Blythman and Partners recommend every puppy enrols onto a training course provided by a recognised dog trainer/ behaviourist.
Please ask for more information.
Calmness
Calmness should be encouraged whilst at home in everyday life. It allows puppies to switch off and can prevent over arousal. To encourage this behaviour, you can create a safe space using a blanket or small bed placed onto the floor. Then sprinkle treats onto the bed without giving eye contact so they do not associate you with the treats but the bed instead.
Once they associate the bed with good things wait until they show calm behaviours before rewarding like laying down/ resting head.
This concept of using a bed and encouraging calmness would benefit you at home and once old enough it can be taken outside to cafes/ pubs/ picnics if you wish. When your puppy shows desired behaviours, such as settling without being asked or taking themselves to bed they should be rewarded, using the ‘reward nothing’ technique.
Please note there are many ways to train your puppy. If you are ever in doubt or have specific issues, please seek professional advice.
Useful links:
Finding a certified clinical animal behaviourist:
www.abtc.org.uk/
Dog training classes near you:
www.apdt.co.uk
Training advice useful videos:
www.dogstrust.org.uk/help-advice
Analysing dog food:
www.allaboutdogfood.com
