Puppies
Getting a puppy is exciting and fun, but it can be a lot of hard work as well. Remember that dogs aren't born obedient, and they have no conception of right or wrong whatsoever.
It's your responsibility as the owner to teach the little one what's acceptable and not, and making sure that your dog will grow up to be a happy, thriving individual. But where to start?
This is by no means a complete list of things to do, but it's nice to have some goals and a direction on where you're headed. The first weeks of a puppy's life are the most important ones
when it comes to socialization and laying down the basics for further training, so don't skip this part. It's hard, in some cases even impossible to make up for lost training later on.
This is why I would advise you to start planning even before you bring the puppy home, what do you want your dog to learn, how far do you want to go, and what sort of situations do you
expect your dog to get into in the future? Also, make sure that your breeder has done his/her job with the puppies, so that they are accustomed to normal household machines and noises, cars, etc.
Ok, I'm not trying to scare you. It's just that if you do your part right from the beginning, you'll really get an easier job later on. So, here we go:
Socialization
Socialization is by far the most important thing in my book, just because I appreciate a dog that I can bring with me into any situation without the dog, and me, ending up as nervous wrecks. Of course, there's a difference between the breeds on how they react to new situations, some have a much more relaxed outlook on life than others, but it is really important to let the puppy experience all sorts of environments. Here's a list of things that I can think of right now, more will be added, and you are more than welcome to send me a note if there's something you feel is missing.
- Dogs
- Busy streets
- Escalators
- Elevators
- Trains
- Boats
- Busses
- Cars
- Lakes/Ocean
- Animals
- Children
- Household equipment
- Other machinery
- Different noises
- Heights
- Different surfaces
I used to bring my puppy along with me to dog shows, and just sit there for hours watching everything, taking it easy and letting her get comfortable in the setting. I also made her do simple tricks and play with me to make sure she could focus under the conditions. There's a calming exercise you can try that I highly recommend. Just sit down on the floor, legs out in front of you, put your dog in your lap, on his/her back, and stroke him/her from the chest, between the front legs and towards the belly. Use long, slow strokes. The motions relax the dog. This is an excellent way of gaining both trust, being able to be close to your dog, and I also used it to check my dog's paws and legs. It actually ended up being quite the treat for us both, and my dog used to come and roll over onto her back next to me whenever I sat down on the floor.
It is a pleasure having a grown dog that can relax in any type of situation, so spend some "quiet time" with your dog whenever you can. Also, a nice tip I once got was to teach your dog that you can sit down and take a break even at the places you normally use for walks. My first dog was the kind of dog that completely stressed out if we stopped for more than a second while on a walk. Just imagine your dog jumping up and down while whining whenever you stop and talk to someone you know...
Another mistake many people do is not letting their dogs meet other dogs. Or letting them greet the wrong dogs. Not all dogs are friendly, and letting your puppy get to close to one of the nasty ones can be quite traumatizing and hard to work past. But luckily there are plenty of other nice, sweet dogs out there also. And the more your puppy can interact with these, the more he/she will learn about doggy language and norms. It's also fun to watch your dog communicating with others, and learning to read some of these signals will help you better understand mans best friend. The best way for your puppy to meet other dogs is in a safe, fenced off area where they can run loose. The leashes are both a hassle and can be dangerous when the dogs are greeting. Include dogs of a variety of breeds, sizes, colors and age. But again, make sure that they will treat your puppy nicely!
Puppy classes and later on, other classes are a nice way of making doggy friends of all sorts.
Interacting with other dogs is a healthy, fun thing for your dog to do throughout its whole life.
But just because it's important, remember to teach your dog to pass other dogs without playing and greeting as well. Your dog should only play when you allow it. As an obedience dog it's important that
your dog can work with you, even if there's a dog right next to him/her. Now, even though socialization is so important, and the weeks up until your dog is 12 weeks old are the most important ones, don't overload your puppy. It needs plenty of rest and care. And if a situation scares it, don't force it, but take things easy and slowly. The fact that the puppy's feeling secure in the situations you introduce, is the essence here, not how many places you can drag it through! If the little one's feeling insecure, take a step back, play with it, give it treats, and slowly introduce the new setting again. Even though the first 12 weeks are the most important ones, doesn't mean that socialization should end here. The first 12 weeks are more of a basis, where you teach your dog to learn and that new stuff is ok. Keep the intensive work up for the first year or two, and your dog will really appreciate it if you continue introducing and reintroducing settings throughout it's life.
Puppy classes
Puppy classes can really help you with the socialization part. You'll meet other puppies, people, environments, and the instructors are usually full of information. A puppy class isn't as much of a obedience class, nor should it be. It's a place where you can learn about dogs and dog training. You'll learn a lot about how to teach your dog, and getting the answers to all sorts of questions that you have. It's also the start of teaching your puppy to work with you while other dogs are present. A good puppy class should include how to teach your dog to sit, lay down, come, walk on a leash, and maybe heel position, as well as how to take care of your dog, how dogs interact and information on the doggy sports that are out there. It should all be a very positive experience for both you and the dog, if it's not... I'd recommend you find another class. My opinion is that anyone can benefit from a puppy class, even the pros who've raised plenty of obedience champions. There's always room for learning more, and one of the greatest resources of learning is other dog owners, both new and experienced. Besides, it's a fun thing to do with your dog.
Obedience
Young puppies are so much fun to work with. They are eager to learn and they tend to learn at a fast rate, but they do not have the ability to focus for a long period of time and they forget easily. Again, don't overdo the training. Many, short training sessions are way better than a few longer ones. This, in my experience, goes for grown dogs as well. Teaching your puppy new things should be fun for the both of you. If you're in a bad mood, or the puppy's tired, neither of you are going to have fun, so make sure you're both up to it before you start. There's a detailed description on how to teach your dog some of the basic things on this page, so I won't repeat myself. You can start training your puppy as soon as you want. Just remember that the younger the puppy, the shorter attention span. Yes, it can be quite frustrating that your puppy seems to have completely forgotten what it knew perfectly an hour ago, but stay positive, keep up the good work, and I promise, you will see the results soon! I started off teaching my dog to come, stand, sit and lay down on command, as well as eye contact, nose target, paw target and holding a dumbbell. It may sound like a lot, but most of the puppies naturally perform most of these behaviors many times a day, so it's just a matter of giving a reward whenever the puppy does something you find positive. You can read more about how to teach your dog the basics here. As soon as the puppy knows and remembers the exercises mention above, you have a good foundation for further obedience training.