Training Your New Puppy

House rules

As well as Love, Attention and Security, your puppy needs consistency when it comes to enforcing house rules. You must remember that your puppy has to be taught right from wrong. And the only way he will learn this is by your reactions to what he does. He will not understand half rights or half wrongs.

For example, it's no good letting your dog on the couch when he's clean and then yeling at him when he jumps up with muddy paws. As far as your dog is concerned you said it was ok for him to be on the couch and all you've done now is to send him a mixed message.

Be consistent, your puppy may be clever but he cannot read your mind. Don't allow him to do anything now, such as jumping up, bouncing off the furniture, stealing food etc, that you do not want him to do when he is older and larger. This means that every member of the family should be doing things the same way. If he senses a soft heart or a weak link in the chain of command, he will take advantage of it.

And this could also be a good time to train other family members to keep things tidy and put things away. Your puppy will not understand your embarrassment when he proudly produces a pair of your dirty underpants when you have friends around for coffee. Nor will he care if he chews your best shoes or Johnny's favourite toys. Prevention is better than cure.

Make sure that your puppy has plenty of his own toys and chews. Do not give him anything of yours that is old to play with (old shoes or clothing) as he will not be able to tell your old from your new.

If your puppy does pick up something of yours, tell him "no not yours" and offer him a swap with one of his own toys, tell him "this is yours" And praise him once he has taken it. You must never chase your puppy as this will only teach him a new game of chase me, chase me and you'll end up out of breath and grumpy. Use it as a positive thing by calling him too you. This way you are practising a recall and also beginning to teach him to retrieve.

From the age of thirteen weeks your puppy will be trying to establish his position in your family pack. This should always be at the bottom and it is up to you and the other family members to enforce this. Dominant personality puppies may start mounting behaviour to small children or toys. This should be discouraged consistently: don't let it happen!

Each and every day, have each member of the family gently roll the puppy over and give his tummy a rub. This exercise may seem very simple but by baring his tummy, he is assuming a submissive position to family members. When his mother corrected him, he would roll over and bare his tummy to her, here, he is doing it for you.

Take it in turns to feed your puppy and always feed him last. If it is not possible to feed him last, while you are preparing his food, place something that you like to eat on a plate behind his bowl. Eat this in full view of him before you give him his food. We do this because the leader of the pack always eats first, and the subordinates eat whatever is left.

While your puppy is eating take his bowl away, Tell him "what a good boy" he is, put a treat into his bowl and then give it back, tell him again "what a good boy". Get the whole family to do this and it should never be a problem to remove something from him. You should also be able to do this when your dog is happily chewing a chew or bone. Swap it with a treat and then give it back. Don't forget to praise.

If your puppy doesn't eat all or any of his food, pick it up after 10 minutes, cover and try again later. Never leave his food down. The Leader of the pack eats first and can leave his food whenever he pleases. The subordinates will not touch his food until he has finished. By you leaving his food down you are telling him that he is above you in the pack, he doesn't know that the reason you haven't eaten his dinner is because you don't like dog food!

Also for a few seconds while your puppy is eating, gently but firmly stroke the back of his neck, praising him as you do so. This is your puppy's weak spot, he will be less likely to snap at anyone who strokes him while he is eating in the future. But it is still a good policy to tell any non-family member to leave your dog alone while he is eating. After all they are not one of his pack.