6 Puppy Training Tips Every Pet Parent Should Know in Columbus, OH

Are you bringing home a new puppy soon, or have you already brought home a new furry friend? There are a few important things to keep in mind when bringing home a new puppy in Columbus, including puppy training tips.

Tips for Puppy Training in Columbus, OH

In the article below, we’ll explain some basic important puppy training tips every puppy owner should implement.

6 puppy training tips every pet parent should keep in mind include:

Be Patient with Puppy Training

First and foremost, always remain patient. Your puppy is in a new home, with new people, in a new environment and away from their mom and litter mates for the first time. This can be a hard adjustment and they are still a baby.

You are their new family and teacher. Their brains are growing rapidly and this is peak learning time. Remember that they need to be taught everything – they don’t just know.

If you ever find yourself losing your patience, put your puppy somewhere safe like their kennel and take a step back to calm down. There’s no use in continuing something if you’re frustrated, as it could create more issues. Patience and repetition are the two most important things to maintain when training your new puppy.

Start with Potty Training

Potty training takes time and lots of repetition. Most of the time your puppy hasn’t been taught anything like this before. Each dog is an individual. Some dogs in Columbus learn quickly while others are slower to catch on.

As they grow, not every dog will let you know when they need to go potty, some need to be taught how to do that and some simply need to be on a regular potty schedule. Always take some treats with you outside and reward them when they potty.

An important puppy training tip for potty training is to NEVER rub a dog’s nose in their own feces or urine, they do not know what this punishment means. Using fear and aggression can create more issues in the long run, such as sneaking away to potty in a hidden place in the house.

Try using baby gates and tether training to keep your new puppy within sights at all times, so it can’t sneak away to potty inside. Take your puppy out every half an hour if you are with them, every time they wake up and every time they finish playing or eating. This kind of schedule can help prevent accidents in the house and reinforce the idea that they need to potty outside. Use a catch phrase every time they go and immediately reward it!

Use Positive Reinforcement

Positive reinforcement means the addition of something to encourage behavior. You can use treats, toys and/or petting to reinforce what you want to see. Ignoring behavior you don’t want to see is a good way to deter unwanted behavior, such as jumping for attention.

In some cases, attention – even negative attention – is still seen as a reward to the dog because they got what they wanted: your attention.

Don’t Overwork Your Puppy

It’s very tempting with a new puppy to try and train for long periods of time with loads of new things. An important puppy training tip to keep in mind is to take your time and be patient.

Do short training intervals of 10 minutes to 15 minutes. You can do a few short training sessions throughout the day without overwhelming or overworking your puppy. As they get older, you can increase the training time.

It is okay to teach multiple things in different sessions and with clear commands so as to lessen the confusion. If your puppy isn’t understanding something and you find yourself getting frustrated, take a break and work on something they have done before. Do not drill something to the point where your puppy shuts down and no longer wants to work.

Important Basic Obedience

As part of training your puppy, it’s important to teach them basic obedience commands so that they can develop good behavior and be able to listen and understand when you want them to do something.

Some of the important basic obedience commands to teach your puppy include:

Sit

This is a very common command people use to tell their dog to sit down.

Down

This command is often used by pet owners when they’re wanting their dog to lay down.

Off

This can be used to tell your puppy to get off of something, such as a counter or couch. This makes it much clearer than saying “down,” especially if your puppy already has “down” as the lay down command.

Stay

A solid stay command is vital. Consistency with this is very important for your puppy to clearly understand what this command means.

Recall

A solid recall can take years to develop. Puppies often stay with you very well while young, but become more independent and sometimes distracted in their adolescent years.

Leave It

This is an important command to teach your puppy, as it can save their life if you need them to leave something dangerous which has been dropped (medications, toxic foods, etc.).

Drop It

This command is good for when you want your puppy to drop toys or other things they may have in their mouth. Always try to trade with a treat when telling your dog to do this.

Stick to a Puppy Training Schedule

Finally, make a training schedule and stick to it. This is especially important for potty training, but it can be just as beneficial for other types of training, too. Your schedule should be a strict one, and everyone in the household should be able to agree to it and stick to it as well.

Once your puppy gets a little older and learns some basic puppy manners, you don’t have to keep following such a tight schedule with her. This is only true of the first several weeks while your puppy is learning her place as part of the family.

Contact Your Vet for More Puppy Training Tips in Columbus, OH

If all else fails, or if you feel like you just aren’t cut out for puppy training yourself, there’s no shame in working with a professional dog trainer! The right dog trainer can help you teach your puppy everything you want her to know and more, and can make sure your puppy is ready to be a well-behaved family member too.

And if you’re having any other behavioral issues that don’t seem to improve with training, be sure to speak to your veterinarian in Columbus, OH for more information. Your puppy should be seen regularly by the vet to pay attention to any concerns like these.

At North Kenny Veterinary Hospital, we’re proud to be your partner in your pet’s health and well-being. Our team is here to answer any questions you have about your pet and offer any additional puppy training tips you may want or need. Call us today at (614) 451-1204 or schedule an appointment with us for your new puppy.