3 Important Things To Remember When Training Your Puppy

There are as many ways to raise a puppy as there are to raising a child. In
fact, one way per family in general! But most of us agree that when it comes to
children, certain things are universal and undisputed. Here are three things
that a lot of people just do not think of when it comes to raising their dogs,
however. How many times have we heard, "My dog just won't listen to
me", or "He just won't behave!"

1. Dogs do not understand English until we teach them.

The thing we all love about puppies the most is the way they live for us, the
way they focus all they have on us, the way our lives become theirs. in the
beginning, they study us to learn our body language, our facial expressions and
our language. Until we teach them the English language, it's all they have. If
we say, "Wanna go out?" one day, "Have to go potty?" the
next day, and, "Hafta pee?" the third day, if they DO figure out what
we want, it is because we have picked up the leash and moved toward the door
with a happy face! If you want to speed up his training by three-fold, teach
him YOUR language. Pick a command for EACH behavior and stick with it. Tell all
in your family to use the same words and commands, and your puppy will amaze you
at how much faster he learns.

2. A young puppy's metabolism is racing along faster than we think.

The younger your puppy is, the faster he is growing, the more food and water he
needs to fuel his metabolism, and the more often he has to go potty. Do not
punish your puppy when he makes a house-breaking mistake. These are YOUR fault.
Your puppy's age in weeks and his breed size determine how often he must go
out. Once an hour is not too often for a large 6-week old puppy, especially if
it is summertime. Dogs love the exciting smells outdoors, so there is no excuse to not have him
housebroken by 7-8 weeks of age. Right after a nap, after he eats and after
grooming are the key times, and he will signal you. If he is happily chewing a
toy and gets up suddenly with his nose to the floor, move quickly! And every
time he goes potty outside, praise him to high heaven! "What a good
BOYY!", "GOOD go potty!" and the like. Dogs love our happy
faces, and they will do anything to get it.

3. Dogs live for our facial expressions and body language.

Because of this, the worst punishment you ever need to give your dog is a scowl
and to turn away from him. You can see his tail fall down and his face get so
sad. He will learn the lesson, I guarantee it. But his attention span is only
3-5 minutes, so do not scorn him any longer. Love him up and give him your
happy face again. Physical punishment is never necessary. Use consistent
commands and loving praise and he will know what you want of him before you
know. He will become a master of your body language and facial expressions in
no time at all.

Naturally there are many aspects of training your puppy well. Loving kindness
works just as well for puppies as it does with children, creating a happy,
well-adjusted and obedient dog for life. These three important tips, used
consistently with confidence, will start him well on his way.

About the author:
Dy Witt has shown, bred and trained standard poodles for 25 years. Her puppies'
new vets and groomers sent word back that they had never worked on such
well-adjusted dogs in their careers. To read free articles, more about her dog
and puppy training techniques and her new ebook, visit:
http://www.DogTraining15MinsADay.com