{"id":7736,"date":"2022-06-29T09:06:44","date_gmt":"2022-06-29T13:06:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/companyofanimals.com\/us\/?p=7736"},"modified":"2025-05-09T07:49:04","modified_gmt":"2025-05-09T11:49:04","slug":"essential-puppy-training-tips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/companyofanimals.com\/us\/essential-puppy-training-tips\/","title":{"rendered":"9 Essential Puppy Training Tips"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong><i>Welcome home, pup! <\/i>What an exciting time to be a puppy, so many new faces to meet, smells to check out and adventures to embark on. <\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bringing a new puppy into the family is certainly a thrilling time for all involved, but anyone who has brought a puppy home knows <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">not to be fooled<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, there\u2019s lots of hard work ahead and you will be required to work together as a family to ensure your four-legged friend is well socialized, learns manners and observes house rules.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By teaching our dogs how to behave we are providing them with a basic understanding of what is expected from them. Work may not sound fun, but our companions will benefit from such training, as it gives them freedom to enjoy the things they love the most like running off lead, greeting friends and visitors, being safe and under control in all circumstances. Not only is training an important part of any dog\u2019s life but it helps to keep your dog happy, physically exercised and mentally stimulated. Our complete list of essential puppy training tips should help make things easy and fun for you and your new family member!<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Puppy training tips summary<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"#puppies-learn\">How do puppies learn<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#prepare-for-puppy-training\">How to prepare for puppy training<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#teaching-my-puppy-to-sit\">How do I teach my puppy to sit?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#teaching-my-puppy-down\">How do I teach my puppy &#8216;down?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#teaching-my-puppy-middle\">How do I teach &#8216;middle&#8217; to my puppy?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#puppy-training-house-line\">House Line: The benefits for you and your Puppy Training<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#stop-puppy-chewing\">How do I stop my Puppy from Chewing?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#stop-puppy-stealing\">How do I stop my Puppy from Stealing?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#stop-puppy-biting\">How do I stop my Puppy from Biting?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"puppies-learn\"><b>How do puppies learn?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Before we teach, it\u2019s important to understand how a student learns. Like all animals, puppies will repeat a behavior that has a good result. Any behavior that a puppy frequently shows, it is done so because they gained some benefit from it at some point.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These beneficial outcomes may be:<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A directly rewarding outcome from the owner e.g. a treat, a game, gaining your attention or being allowed to do something he or she wants to do.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Something the puppy finds fun \u2013 chase, chew, dig etc.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The removal of something unpleasant \u2013 a threat stopping, or the puppy being removed from a scary situation. Simply, the problem goes away!<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Most people know that the best way to motivate a puppy to perform a behavior is to reward them for doing so; understandably, they then believe that the best way to discourage him from a behavior is to do the opposite. For most people, the natural thought is that the opposite of reward is punishment. However, whilst punishment certainly can discourage unwanted behaviors it is often unsuccessful because:<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>The puppy simply does not link the punishment with the crime.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Puppies do not have the ability to reason so often do not make the connection or simply become confused and just associate you with unpleasant outcomes. This rarely changes a puppy\u2019s motivation to display that behavior again, but often makes him fearful of his owner!<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>The punishment does not occur consistently every time they display the behavior.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> No matter how good a trainer you are and no matter how consistent you try to be, it is impossible to deliver the punishment immediately every time the puppy starts the unwanted behavior.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>The benefit outweighs the punishment.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Even if 1 &amp; 2 do exist, the puppy may decide that the benefit they gain from the behavior is worth enduring the punishment often resulting in progressively more severe punishments being necessary to achieve the same result. A negative, stressful and pointless cycle.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-10968\" src=\"https:\/\/companyofanimals.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/fatty-corgi-Zn5chZcnFRA-unsplash-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"A corgi listening to our puppy training tips\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When we want to change a puppy\u2019s behavior we simply need to work with the \u2018no reward\u2019 scenario; after all, no intelligent animal continues a behavior that never achieves a result, long term. Further success will be gained if we also offer our friends an alternative behavior and make that one rewarding. This basic principle applies to all behavior, and we simply need to work out just what benefit the puppy is gaining so we can control it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Your Puppy is looking for Attention<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mostly, your puppy is simply seeking your attention, this is primarily the cause of typical unwanted behaviors such as jumping up, stealing and chewing, barking and nipping \u2013 all common attention behaviors. Unfortunately, our vocal commands (such as being told \u201cno\u201d or \u201cdown\u201d) may even prolong the problem, as that\u2019s giving them more attention!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Don\u2019t worry! If your puppy is exhibiting attention seeking behaviors, this does not mean you\u2019re a bad pet parent \u2013 it simply means that they have learnt a successful way of becoming the centre of attention, and for a puppy that\u2019s a great place to be!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"prepare-for-puppy-training\">How to Prepare for Puppy Training<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Getting ready to train your pup couldn\u2019t be easier, and you can start straight away as soon as they have settled into the family home. There are some basic essentials to pick up first:<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><a href=\"https:\/\/companyofanimals.com\/us\/brand-product\/halti-comfort-collar\/\">Collar<\/a><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Control of Dogs Order 1992 does state that any dog in a public place is required to wear a collar with their owner\u2019s name, address and postcode on it \u2013 even if your companion is microchipped. So, it\u2019s best to get your friend used to a collar nice and early. We recommend popping to your local pet specialist for advice and to look at their line of puppy-suitable collars.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><a href=\"https:\/\/companyofanimals.com\/us\/brand-product\/halti-lead\/\">Lead<\/a><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although letting your dog off the lead in most parts of the UK is legal, there are some spots which could land you in some trouble if your dog is caught without a lead. You can look out for signs alerting you to areas that are off-limits but it\u2019s still a good idea to have your dog lead-trained, responsive to call backs and comfortable with both lead and collars.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><a href=\"https:\/\/companyofanimals.com\/us\/brand-product\/coachies-puppy\/\">Treats<\/a><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Treats are a powerful training tool as they help to keep your dog\u2019s focus; as you move on with your training, treats can be slowly weaned out. Find treats that work for you and your puppy and remember to reduce the equivalent feeding amount at mealtimes so you are not over-feeding.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Patience!<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Of course, when it comes to puppy training, we must practice patience \u2013 and lots of it. Your puppy will pick up on any stress signals you may be showing. So it\u2019s best to remain calm \u2013 don\u2019t worry, so long as you\u2019re following the puppy training tips below \u2013 you\u2019ll get there!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If your puppy seems to be constantly engaging in unwanted behavior, instead of labelling them as bad or naughty, you should really think about the way in which you are communicating with them; chances are that you (or other family members) are inadvertently encouraging them to reoffend.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nobody wants to be a bad dog owner or have a badly behaved dog, so learning how your new best friend processes information and what motivates them to repeat behaviors is crucial for all family members.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even children need to understand how to interact with their new playmate and how to treat them appropriately; after all, your puppy may be smaller than them now, but will grow at a much faster rate than them!<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"teaching-my-puppy-to-sit\">How do I teach my puppy to sit?<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is really easy to train your puppy a simple sit during your games; by incorporating this into your regular playtimes you can teach your puppy that sitting is always a good way to get people\u2019s attention or get a game to recommence. This will soon become their chosen behavior when they want something from you rather than jumping up, mouthing or barking!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Want to teach your puppy to sit? We can help \u2013 just watch our video <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/companyofanimals.com\/us\/teaching-sit\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">here<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"teaching-my-puppy-down\">How do I teach my Puppy \u2018Down\u2019?<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once you have mastered \u201csit\u201d then \u201cdown\u201d should soon follow. With down we want to be aware of what word we are teaching our companions to do, as \u2018down\u2019 can be used for so many instructions i.e. \u2018Get Down\u2019 (from the sofa) or \u2018Down\u2019 (from that visitor). So we don\u2019t confuse our pups, it\u2019s important to choose a word that they can distinguish between. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Just watch our <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/companyofanimals.co.uk\/teaching-down\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">video<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> on how to master \u2018Down\u2019 with your puppy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-10964\" src=\"https:\/\/companyofanimals.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Untitled-design-74-1024x536.jpg\" alt=\"Puppy training tips on getting your dog to middle\" width=\"1024\" height=\"536\" \/><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"teaching-my-puppy-middle\">How do I teach \u2018Middle\u2019 to my Puppy?<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Teaching \u2018Middle\u2019 to your puppy is a fantastic way to bond with your new family member but it\u2019s also extremely useful, especially in potentially stressful situations like the vet. Read on to hear why we believe teaching \u2018Middle\u2019 to your puppy is one of the best decisions you\u2019ll ever make with your dog:<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Priceless Bonding<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Imagine how you feel when you hug someone or hold their hand\u2026 safe? Happy? Connected? That is what \u201cmiddle\u201d will do for your dog. It also means they can communicate with you. If they are worried or scared and deploy the \u201cmiddle\u201d position without being asked, you know something is up. <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How cool is that!<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<h3>Reliable Recall<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As your dog starts to learn that being in \u201cmiddle\u201d reaps rewards it will become their happy place and will never pass up the chance to be there! This is fun and useful for your recall games and practice. It\u2019s also very handy should it become time to put the lead back on.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Managing stressful situations with your dog<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cMiddle\u201d is unbelievably useful when it comes to managing a nervous or reactive dog. By getting them to adopt the \u201cmiddle\u201d position you can distract them from the dog\/person\/thing they are scared of and help them to focus on something positive. It can also help to give wildlife the chance to escape an otherwise exhausting or potentially traumatic chase. Calmly call \u201cmiddle\u201d and spin around to face another direction \u2013 crisis averted!<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Calmer Vet Visits<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Get ready to become \u201cteachers\u2019 pet\u201d at the vets with \u201cmiddle\u201d. Remember, by this point, \u201cmiddle\u201d is a calm and happy place for your dog to relax so you can patiently wait your turn. The real magic with \u201cmiddle\u201d is during your appointment. By being in the \u201cmiddle\u201d position, you can reassure your dog and help build a positive association with the vets while giving the practitioner a calm patient to vaccinate or examine. Gold star for you!<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Dog Theft<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sadly, thefts are at an all-time high at the moment and \u201cmiddle\u201d should be your weapon of choice should you be confronted or intimidated. Even if you meet someone asking strange questions\u2026 \u201cmiddle!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>It\u2019s a Top Training Tool for your Dog<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When you start a training session all parties want to get \u201cin the mood\u201d and how better to start than with some quick wins. You\u2019ll be setting the tone and warming up their brain ready for work.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Step by Step guide on teaching \u2018Middle\u2019 to your Dog<\/b><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Take a high value treat in both hands<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With one hand lure your dog behind your legs<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With the other hand use the treat to lure them through so that they are standing between your legs<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When they are standing or even sitting nicely between your legs say \u201cmiddle\u201d and feed them a few treats in a row\u2026 <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">yum yum yum!<\/span><\/i><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hold your dog\u2019s collar or say, \u201cleave it\u201d, throw a treat out in front of you and say \u2018OK\u2019 to release them<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Repeat frequently to master but always end on a high, don\u2019t wait for you and your dog to get tired or distracted<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Still like to learn more? We\u2019ve made a handy video for you and your companion <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/companyofanimals.com\/us\/how-to-teach-your-dog-middle\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">here<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"puppy-training-house-line\">House Line: The benefits for you and your Puppy Training<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As with all new puppy (or rehomed dog) training, your new companion needs to learn the rules of the house.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">House lines (or\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/companyofanimals.com\/us\/brand-product\/company-of-animals-recall-line-10m\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">puppy training lines<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">) are particularly useful during those demanding early days, weeks and months when they are still learning the boundaries. By having a house line attached to your puppy\u2019s harness at home, you will be able to safely and discreetly interrupt undesirable behavior, without confrontation or misunderstanding.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Find out why we like using a House Line whilst Puppy Training at home, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/IrCORSsLoHM?si=iW1nUuKPD5v3QHYt\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">here<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-10969\" src=\"https:\/\/companyofanimals.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/COA-Puppy-Training-Line-PP-MG-4.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"694\" height=\"572\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>Dog Impulse Control<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once we have mastered the simple instructions above, we can move onto Impulse Control games, which will help train our friends into offering us calm behavior \u2013 particularly useful in a family home. Dog impulse control is effectively teaching your puppy that calm behavior results in them getting what they want, be it treats, toys or your attention. Building impulse control takes time and patience but it can also be a really fun way to spend time and bond with your puppy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Impulse control can be more challenging for some dogs than others and so it\u2019s important that the training is mixed with plenty of uninhibited fun too. A good formula is to balance every minute of impulse control games with five minutes of expressive play. This way, the training isn\u2019t solely about self-containment. By mixing things up, your dog will stay engaged with you for longer and you can make sure that the calm, focused behavior you are looking for actually keeps the fun and rewards coming!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once you feel you are making progress in the self-control stakes this opens up all kinds of fun challenges like \u201cleave\u201d, \u201cstay\u201d and release games like \u201cFree\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Watch our video on how to work on \u2018Impulse Control\u2019 with your dog,\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/companyofanimals.com\/us\/dog-impulse-control\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">here<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"stop-puppy-chewing\">How do I stop my Puppy from Chewing?<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bringing a new puppy into your household is a bit like having a small child! A certain amount of \u2018puppy proofing\u2019 will need to be practiced until he is trained and of course we can\u2019t expect a puppy to instinctively know that it is wrong chew items that are within their reach, so all precious or dangerous items should be removed from reach, for the short term at least. Tempting but immovable items like furniture can be treated with one of the readily available anti-chew products available in most pet shops.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Set your puppy up for success by providing them with items to chew rather than waiting for them to start chewing your belongings such as mentally stimulating toys and any of those that dispense food. Food items left on work surfaces are an unfair temptation to an animal with such a sensitive sense of smell, even leftover crumbs or dirty plates are just calling out to be eaten up!<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"stop-puppy-stealing\">How do I stop my Puppy from Stealing?<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Stealing is often inadvertently rewarded by being chased or given attention as well as having the fun of actually having the object. If your puppy picks up something you don\u2019t want them to have, try to not give them a big reaction; as soon as they gets the idea you want their object it instantly becomes a game and a slippery slope for your training!<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"stop-puppy-biting\">How do I stop my Puppy from Biting?<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">All puppies bite and mouth as a way of exploring their environment; it is a totally normal behavior, after all they don\u2019t have hands that they can pick things up with! However, contrary to popular belief it is not something that \u201cthey will just grow out of\u201d; if puppies learn that biting is a good way of getting your attention encouraging people to play with them or stop somebody from doing something to them they don\u2019t enjoy, then biting may well last into adulthood which obviously presents a bigger problem!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Puppies need to learn from an early age that biting and mouthing at people is an unacceptable behavior and not something that brings rewarding outcomes; this doesn\u2019t mean punishing them for it however, as always, it means that we need to make it an unsuccessful behavior whilst providing an alternative that is acceptable and rewarding.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Enjoy your Puppy!<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Finally, take time to enjoy these special moments with your puppy as they grow and bond with you and your family. Our main advice is to have fun and be patient, so long as you offer clear and concise training information, your puppy will work with you for the very best results. <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Welcome home, pup! What an exciting time to be a puppy, so many new faces to meet, smells to check out and adventures to embark on. Bringing a new puppy into the family is certainly a thrilling time for all involved, but anyone who has brought a puppy home knows not to be fooled, there\u2019s [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":7750,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/companyofanimals.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7736"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/companyofanimals.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/companyofanimals.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/companyofanimals.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/companyofanimals.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7736"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/companyofanimals.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7736\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23139,"href":"https:\/\/companyofanimals.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7736\/revisions\/23139"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/companyofanimals.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7750"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/companyofanimals.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7736"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}