With plump paws, soft fur, and puppy dog eyes, how could you resist spending all your waking time cuddling with your new puppy? Don’t worry, we totally get it. Puppy cuddles are not only fun, but they also have a lot of benefits including stimulating the production of oxytocin in your brain, helping boost your mood and reduce your stress levels.
But the thing is, cuddling won’t teach your fur baby where to poop, how to listen to your commands, or what not to chew on. Only proper puppy training in Loxahatchee can do all of that. Of course, before you send your little pooch to puppy school, you can get ahead of the lessons and teach them the following things that young pups need to learn as early as possible:
1. Their name
Names have power and it’s never truer than when applied to you and your dog’s relationship. They need to learn their name right away because its purpose is to get your dog to look at you and pay attention to you. Fortunately, it’s pretty easy to teach a puppy his or her name. Whenever they’re looking at you, simply say their name and repeat it several times. Do this over the next couple of weeks and you’ll see that your puppy will be responding to their name whenever you’re calling them.
2. Potty training
Probably the most essential thing every dog needs to learn, potty training can save you loads of stress down the line. Depending on your puppy’s age, potty training them takes time and endless patience. The younger they are, the less control they have of their bladder. But once you establish a routine and potty spot and stick to both, your little canine friend will learn to do their business outside and not stink up your house.
3. Using their crate
Much like potty training, dogs need to know where they should stay and rest. If you give them a spacious crate where they can play with their chew toys and eat their meals, they need to learn that that’s their spot and they need to stay there. Otherwise, you waste a perfectly good crate and it will be more difficult to teach your puppy the necessary commands. What’s more, allowing your pupper to roam free all day, unattended can mean ripped up sofas and chewed up shoes for you.
4. Focus
No one exactly knows what goes on inside a puppy’s head but one thing is for sure: they can have really short attention spans. A puppy’s thoughts, for example, may be turned towards the bright color of your top one moment and a squirrel they see racing up a tree the next. This lack of focus on a singular thing for a long period can make teaching them essential commands more challenging.
5. How to sit and stay
“Sit” and “stay” are two of the most basic commands taught to dogs. These two orders are infinitely useful. Though they may look like they’re no more than a fun trick, these commands help you control your puppy so they don’t jump up or onto visitors or jump up the table when you’re eating. These commands are also a gateway to other instructions and learned behaviors, such as asking your pup to come to you.
Keep in mind that puppies, though cute and fun, are also energetic and require a lot of your attention. But with patience and consistency in training them, you’ll have an obedient puppy in no time.