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PUPPY – TRAINING BASICS
At what age can I start training my new puppy?
You will be training your puppy from the moment you bring it
home and start to house train. Puppies start learning from
birth. Good breeders encourage handling and socialization
from birth. Some training can begin as soon as the puppy can
open its eyes and walk. Young puppies have short attention
spans but expect them to begin to learn simple obedience
commands such as ‘sit’, ‘down’ and ‘stay’, from as young as
7 to 8 weeks of age. (Ask for our handouts on 'Rewards -
learning and reinforcement', 'Puppy training – sit, down,
stand, and stay'; and 'Puppy training – come, wait and
follow' for training on the specific tasks).
Formal dog training has traditionally been delayed until 6
months of age. Actually this juvenile stage is a very poor
time to start. The dog is beginning to solidify adult
behavioral patterns, dominance behavior is beginning to
emerge, and behaviors learned in puppyhood may need to be
changed. In addition anything that has already been learned
or trained incorrectly will need to be undone and retaught.
When training is started at 7 to 8 weeks of age, use methods
that rely on positive reinforcement and gentle teaching.
Puppies have short attention spans, so training sessions
should be brief, but daily. Puppies can be taught to ‘sit’,
‘down’, and ‘stand’ using a method called food-lure
training. We use food treats to entice the dog to follow its
nose into the proper positions for ‘sit’, ‘down’, ‘stand’,
and ‘stay’ (See our handout on teaching sit, down and
stand).
How do I get started using food lure training?
Small pieces of food or a favored toy can be used to
motivate your puppy to perform most tasks. Provided the
reward is sufficiently appealing, the puppy can be prompted
to get the desired response by showing the puppy the reward,
giving a command, and moving it to get the desired response.
For example, food held up over the puppy’s nose and moved
slowly backwards should get a ‘sit’ response; food drawn
down to the floor should get a ‘down’ response; food brought
back up should get a ‘stand’ response; food held out at a
distance should get a ‘come’ response; and food held at your
thigh as you walk should get the puppy to ‘heel or ‘follow’.
By pairing a command phrase or word with each action, and
giving the reward for each appropriate response, the puppy
should soon learn the meaning of each command. The use of
rewards and the specific training commands are covered in
separate handouts on Rewards – learning and reinforcement
for dogs and cats; Controlling stealing and teaching the
“give” command; Teaching – sit, down, stand and stay; and
Training puppies – come, wait and follow.
How often should I give the command?
Ideally you should give the command phrase once and then use
your food to move the puppy into positions. Once the puppy
has performed the task, add in verbal praise and an
affectionate pat, which are known as secondary reinforcers
(see below). Some trainers also use clickers as secondary
reinforcers. If the puppy does not immediately obey on the
first command, then you are likely proceeding a little too
quickly. If you keep repeating the command, the puppy will
learn that several repetitions are acceptable before it
needs to obey. Keeping a leash attached can help to gain an
immediate response if the puppy does not obey.
Remember that early in training your puppy does not know the
meaning of the word. Therefore you could just as easily
teach your puppy to sit with the word bananas, (or sit in
any other language) as you could with the word sit. The key
is to associate the word, in this case “sit”, with the
action of placing the hind end on the floor.
How should I phase out the lure and food rewards?
At first you are going to let the puppy see the food in your
hand so that you will have her attention and can use it to
guide her into position. As your puppy begins to comply more
readily, you can start to hide the food in your hand, but
give the command and repeat the motion or signal that she
has learned to follow. Soon the puppy will come to expect
the treat each time she performs the task. Then, signal and
give the command, but when she performs the task, reward
only with praise and give the puppy an affectionate pat.
Next, you can begin to vary the frequency, giving praise
with ’good dog’ and perhaps patting each time, but giving
the food randomly, perhaps every 3 or 4 times. In time, the
puppy should respond to either the hand signal or the
command
Over time, the words “good dog” or the affectionate pat
become secondary reinforcers. Because they have been paired
with food in the past, they take on more meaning and become
reinforcement in themselves. It is important to use
secondary reinforcement because you will not always have
food with you when you need your pet to obey. In addition,
if you rely on food to always get your puppy to comply, you
will have a puppy that will only do the task when you have a
treat.
At first training may begin in designated sessions
throughout the day, with a variety of family members. All
rewards should be saved for these training sessions. Over
time however, you should begin to ask your puppy to perform
the tasks at other times.
How much time should I spend training my puppy every day?
You do not necessarily need to train in a set session daily.
Rather, integrate these tasks throughout the day. A goal to
strive for is at least 15 minutes of training every day.
These can be short 5 minute sessions spread throughout the
day. Try to have all family members ask your puppy to do
these tasks. Remember to try and train in every room of your
house. You want your puppy to ‘sit’, ‘lie down’ and ‘stay’
everywhere, not just in the training location.
Use these training tasks as you integrate the puppy into
your life. For example, ask your puppy to ‘sit’ prior to
receiving her food, ‘sit’ before you let her in or out the
door, and ‘sit’ before you pet her. These are times when
your puppy wants something and is more likely to comply. In
this way you are training your dog all the time, throughout
the day and also establishing yourself as the leader, the
one who controls the resources. Training your puppy prior to
getting each reward also helps to prevent problems. Having
your puppy sit before getting a food or treat prevents
begging, while teaching your dog to sit before opening the
door can prevent jumping up or running out the door. Be
creative. The time you spend training your puppy now will
pay off when you have an adult dog. To have a well-trained
dog, you need to be committed to reinforcing the training
tasks on nearly a daily basis for the first year of your
puppy’s life. The more you teach and supervise your puppy,
the less opportunity it will have to engage in improper
behaviors. Dogs do not train themselves, when left to choose
their behavior they will act like dogs.
What can be done if my puppy is too distracted or excitable
to control?
Training should begin in a quiet environment with few
distractions. The reward chosen should be highly motivating
so that the puppy is focused entirely on the trainer and the
reward. Although a small food treat generally works best, a
favorite toy or a special dog treat might be more appealing.
It might also be helpful to train the puppy just before a
scheduled mealtime when it is at its hungriest. For
difficult puppies or headstrong puppies the best way to
ensure that the puppy will perform the desired behavior and
respond appropriately to the command is to leave a leash
attached and to use a head collar for additional control. In
this way, the puppy can be prompted into the correct
response if it does not immediately obey and pressure
released as soon as the desired response is achieved (see
our handout on 'Management devices in dog training') Clicker
training is also an excellent way to immediately and
strongly reinforce the desired response (See our handout on
‘Rewards – learning and reinforcement’).
Should I also consider training classes?
Pet owners who are novices at training can begin a training
program with these few simple steps. It takes repetition,
time and perseverance for the puppy to be able to
predictably and reliably respond to commands in a variety of
situations. The training class serves many functions. Of
course trainers can demonstrate techniques and help guide
you through the steps in training. They can help advise you
on puppy training problems, and can help you advance your
training to more difficult exercises. The puppy will be
learning in a group situation, with some real life
distractions. And, considering human nature, the pet owner
who takes his or her dog to a puppy class, will be forced to
practice (do their homework) throughout the week, if they do
not want to fall behind by the next class. A training class
is a good place to meet and talk to other new puppy owners
and see how all puppies behave.
Training classes for young puppies are also an excellent way
to socialize your new puppy to a variety of people, other
dogs, and stimuli, in a controlled environment. In addition,
you will learn how to prevent problems before they can
begin, or deal with them as they emerge, rather than having
to find a way to correct problems that have already
developed. Your puppy might also make some new friends of
the same age. You could then visit these friends (or vice
versa) with your puppy for social play and exercise
sessions. Since the primary socialization period for dogs
ends by 3 months of age, puppy socialization classes are
most valuable for puppies 8 weeks of age and older. If all
puppies in the class have had initial vaccinations, are
healthy and parasite free, the health risks are low and the
potential benefits are enormous. Discuss when to start and
the location of classes in your area with your veterinarian.
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Cherokee Trail Hours:
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Monday thru Friday
8:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Saturday
Appointments Preferred |
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