At What Age Should You Begin Puppy Training?

By Linda Cole

It's easy to put off starting a training program for a new pup until after he's older. An eight week old puppy may still be a "baby," but he’s already learned a lot from his mom and siblings. His education needs to continue in his new home as soon as he gets there. Therefore, the best age to begin puppy training is the minute you get him home.

Puppies adjust quickly to new surroundings. Of course, he'll have a period of missing his siblings and mom. You can carry the scent of his old life with you to his new home by taking a baby blanket or towel with you when you pick him up. Rub it on his mom and siblings and let them play on it. When you arrive home, place it where you want him to sleep so he has familiar smells around him. Helping him get through his first few nights will be your first training session.

Create a den-like area in a crate and put the blanket or towel inside. With familiar smells to snuggle into, he'll feel more secure until new scents become familiar. To reassure him and let him know he's not alone, put the crate in your bedroom. It may be a rough couple of nights, but as he begins to feel comfortable in his surroundings, the whimpering will end.

The only difference between a well-trained puppy and one who isn't, is a commitment to begin a puppy training program as soon as you bring him home. His siblings have already taught him about bite inhibition. His mom taught him to listen to authority, and he's beginning to learn about social status in the family. The people who raised him taught him how to socialize with humans, and he learned about his surroundings by exploring. He's ready and eager to learn whatever you are willing to teach him.

Puppy training begins with housebreaking, which is usually the only training some owners are concerned with until the pup is older. Getting into the habit of the puppy learning and you teaching from day one helps the bonding process and lets him know who is in charge. There is a hierarchy among dogs where someone is in charge. When no one steps forward, some dogs feel it's their job to take the lead role. Establishing yourself as his leader while he's still a puppy lets him be just a puppy that looks to you to guide him. He's eager to please and learn.

Bonding is essential in any relationship, human or pet. That's how you earn trust and respect. Puppy training and playing go hand in hand when forming a bond. You can take the opportunity during play to also teach your puppy how you expect him to behave. To keep your puppy from developing bad habits that can turn into behavioral problems later on, housebreaking, biting and chewing all need to be dealt with in the early stages. A dominant pup that shows early signs of aggression can be dealt with through proper training that lets him know his behavior is not acceptable.

Puppy training means you are working with your pup every day and learning who he is as an individual dog. He has a unique personality and you are learning how he might react in different situations. Working with him helps you recognize behavioral issues that may start to show as he grows older, and you can correct them before they become a problem. Catching bad behavior while a dog is still young is much easier to correct. Teaching him it's not okay to bite can save your fingers or toes and stop an excited puppy from hurting someone in the family.

All puppies should be taught basic commands. They should come when called and understand what “NO” means. Training sessions should be short, because a pup doesn't have a long attention span. Make it fun so he thinks it's a game. Puppies are just like adult dogs. They want to please their human and can learn just as well as an adult. Knowing what you mean when you command him to sit, stay, drop it and come are all basic commands that could save his life one day. Positive reinforcement techniques that allow the puppy to succeed helps give him confidence and he grows up with good feelings about himself and you.

Training a puppy requires patience and commitment. Puppy training is important and you might as well begin now because he's learning every day. Make sure he's learning what you want him to learn, and enjoy the eight stages of puppyhood.

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How to Curb Your Dog's On-Leash Aggression

By Linda Cole

Going for a walk with your dog is a great activity you can enjoy together. It’s a chance to get some exercise, fresh air and quality time to bond. But it’s not much fun if your dog turns into a snarling, excited dog who drags you down the street as he races towards everyone and every dog he sees. Some dogs become so excited that their eagerness turns into aggression towards you and everything else within their reach. On-leash aggression is a serious dog behavior issue that needs to be corrected as soon as possible.

I have a 10 month old Border Collie who can't wait to get outside for a walk or to play in the dog pen. She's fine once we get her outside – it's the transition that creates an aggressive behavior with the other dogs and sometimes with us. Putting on her leash only adds to her aggression.

Any kind of aggression should never be allowed to continue because by not correcting this type of behavior, the dog learns it's acceptable and their aggression will only get worse. On-leash aggression needs a firm hand, but not in a forceful manner. Matching your dog's aggressive behavior with equal force will only make him feel more stressed out, adding to his excitement and aggression. Positive reinforcement is your best option in correcting your dog's on-leash aggression. It's also important for you to remember to stay calm when your dog is on a leash. He will pick up on this and react to the same type of energy you're putting out. Dogs are experts at picking up our emotions and if you tense up, he can feel that energy through his leash which will increase his on-leash aggression.

Positive reinforcement is a combination of praise and plenty of your dog's favorite treats, such as CANIDAE Snap-Bits™. As with any dog training session, stay consistent, calm and patient. Have fun with your training and make a game out of it. Teach your dog to focus on you when you call his name. My dog's name is Keikei, and I say “Keikei, focus.” You can use any word you want such as “look” or “here.” Just make it something simple and easy for them to understand. As soon as your dog makes eye contact with you, give him a treat and praise.

The goal is to get your dog to focus on you and not on an approaching dog, cat, squirrel or person. Instead of grabbing the leash in an effort to pull him closer to you, you're teaching him to look at you instead, which helps calm him down. When your dog is making eye contact every time you give him the command, start to move away from him to really get him to focus on you. When you call him and he makes eye contact, move a few steps away from him. He should follow you as you move. Reward him for following and then making eye contact with you in the new spot.

This is an exercise you will need to practice every day, and you need to begin in an area where there are no distractions for your dog. As he begins to understand what you want, then you can add distractions to continue your dog's training. After your dog consistently ignores other distractions when you call his name, you can stop giving him treats and continue with praise, but carrying treats with you on a walk is no big deal and that added incentive can make a difference.

This is an important dog training exercise to help curb your dog's on-leash aggression because it will also change his body language and the signals he's sending to other dogs. When he breaks his eye contact with an approaching dog and focuses on you instead, he's giving the other dog a non-threatening signal which can also help keep that dog in a more relaxed state of mind.

Aggressive behavior is not something that's corrected overnight. We've been working with Keikei for two months. On-leash aggression can be dealt with by teaching your dog that good things happen when they look at you and an approaching dog or person is nothing to feel anxious about or intimidated. You're teaching your dog that when other dogs are around, it's good for him because he gets a treat and lots of praise.

On-leash aggression is serious and can be dangerous for you, your dog and to other people and their pet. As responsible pet owners, we need to have control of our dogs at all times. Positive reinforcement can give you a well-trained dog who understands what you expect from him and helps you keep him under control when you need him to behave.

Photo by Clix

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