Puppy Training Tips That Work

Good puppy training tips are worth their weight in gold, and if they're free it's even better! Get practical advice for fun, effective lessons here.... and make everyone's life that little bit easier.

If you've just added a new puppy to your family then you're about to find out just how important it is to train him properly.

An untrained puppy is exhausting, messy and unpredictable - which is bad enough.

But if you don't teach him where to eliminate, a few simple manners and some basic obedience commands then he'll grow up to be an un-trained dog, which is much worse.

A dog who has never learned to pee/poop outdoors, come when called, not to jump on people or to guard their food/possessions isn't just frustrating, but can also be dangerous and extremely difficult to live with.

It's not just the actual commands that you need to know if you're going to be successful though. YOUR approach, attitude and expectations play a huge role in how effective you're going to be as a teacher.

So, let's take a look at some practical puppy training tips and advice that will get your pup's lessons started off on the right foot (uh.. paw) and make life easier on everyone!

*If you're looking for advice on teaching specific puppy obedience commands such as 'Sit' or 'Come', visit my Basic Puppy Training page, everything you need to know is right there.

Six Of The Best!

Here are 6 of the best puppy training tips you can get. Your pup takes his cue from you, so if you get these right, he will enjoy his lessons and be eager to learn everything you have to teach him.

1. Start Early

Puppy obedience training should start just as soon as you bring Fido or Fifi home, usually at around 8 weeks of age.

Begin with simple things like name recognition, and the 'sit' command.

A young puppy is like a little sponge, just soaking things up - make sure you begin puppy obedience training right away so that he starts off on the right paw.

2. Little & Often Is The Key

One of the most important puppy training tips is to keep your training sessions short.

A three to five minute session is enough for an eight week old puppy, and you can gradually increase this time as your puppys' attention span increases. Several short sessions (3 to 5 per day) is much better than one 20 minute marathon!

I strongly recommend enrolling your puppy in a Puppy Class at a dog obedience school just as soon as he's had all his puppy shots.

3. Be Positive, Upbeat & Give Rewards

Puppies (and dogs) respond much better to positive reinforcement than they do to punitive, correction-based dog training methods.

So, use lots of praise, treats, and even play, to show Fido what a good boy he is.

If he enjoys his training sessions rather than dreading them, both you and he will be more successful and happier.

4. Keep Smiling!

Here's one of those free puppy training tips that will help you set the tone for your future relationship with your new puppy..... it takes lots of love, patience and good humor to successfully train a puppy.

If you get angry or stressed out, Fido will sense it and play up (just like your toddler at the grocery store check out line!), so stop the session before that happens.

Always end on a positive note, with something Fido can do well, that way he has good memories of his training. Also, never start a training session if you're in a bad mood.

5. Don't Expect Too Much

Another hugely important tip is to remember that your puppy is just a baby!

Your pup wasn't born knowing that he needs to 'do his business' outside, or what his name is going to be.

A human baby takes many months to learn to walk and talk, and toilet training takes years. It's the same principle when you're training your puppy - your little one will learn to pee and poop outside, when and how to 'sit', and what not to chew on etc. etc.

But it will take time and patience on your part.

6. Don't Be Afraid To Ask For Help

Puppy training tips come from many different sources, and if you're having problems, or just want to know more, look for help!

This website has many, many articles packed full of tips, advice and information that can help you understand, raise, train and care for your puppy.......

The qualified instructors at your local dog obedience school is there to help you out. I also strongly recommend having a really good reference book close at hand!

There are also tons of dog training books on the market, so many in fact that it can be tricky for a new owner to pick one!

But don't worry, if you check out my Best Dog Training Books page you'll find a list of my personal favorites.

Here's a couple of other good online dog training resources that you might also want to take a look at:

Dog Obedience Training Online
Learn how to train a dog or puppy fast and effectively with dog obedience training. Discover puppy house training, puppy crate training, puppy potty training, dog clicker training, dog leash training, positive & negative reinforcement, dog whisperer techniques and much much more.

Dogobedience.org.uk - How to train your dog with basic commands like sit, drop, stand and come when called. We have great ideas on how to get rid of your dog's bad habits such as chasing cars, chewing, barking and jumping on people. A great resource for all dog owners.