10 Most Important Things to Teach a Puppy

The 10 Most Important Things to Teach A Puppy

Your new puppy doesn’t automatically know how to do things the way we want in our human world. That’s why puppy training is very important and it needs to be done right. A puppy should learn all the vital skills through lots of appropriate socializing and positive training techniques.

It shouldn’t surprise me but it still does, that there are many people out there who don’t seem to have a clue about how to raise a puppy. Sometimes it even seems like people forget that we need to raise our dogs to have good manners and social skills. At 8 weeks old a puppy is still very young and learning most of the skills needed later in life. They didn’t learn enough from their mum in that time! So in case you are getting your first puppy or haven’t had one in awhile, here’s a reminder of the 10 most important things you should teach your puppy.

Socialize Your Puppy to Many Different Situations

The most important thing to teach your puppy is that the world is a safe and happy place. I’m talking about socialisation, and no I don’t mean dog play. It means taking your puppy to lots of different places, exposing her to different sights, sounds, environments, humans and other animals, in a positive way. You need to give your puppy a positive association with the world and all things she’s likely to encounter later in life. Lots of people understand the part about taking their puppy lots of different places for socialisation, but it’s not just that. The most important thing in puppy training is making sure the puppy has a good time. There is no point socialising your puppy if your puppy ends up feeling anxious or scared. It’s only going to harm your puppy’s development.

And the thing most people don’t know about is that the crucial socialisation window is very small.

It’s only from 8 weeks to 12 weeks. If you get your pup at age eight weeks, you only have 4 weeks to make sure your puppy gets lost of positive encounters with different things.

So, take your puppy to safe places where you can control the environment! Small social gatherings with your friends or people you meet outside, controlled meetings with well behaved children, and a positive puppy class run by a dog trainer are all great for socilisation. Take your dog to businesses that welcome pets (many hardware stores and outdoor cafes are pet-friendly) and take her shopping with you.

If your puppy becomes fearful at any time, move her away from the fear-causing stimulus.

Let her observe it from a safe distance. Keep feeding her high-value treats, like cheese or chicken, to help her have a good association with the thing. Then make a mental note of things you want to help her become more confident with by doing focused counter-conditioning sessions. If you have a very timid puppy, it’s always a good idea to contact an experienced dog trainer early on to help you in your puppy training.

If you are looking for a great Puppy School in Stanmore focused on the socialisation of your puppy, join my classes!

My Stanmore Puppy School is a fun and educational 4 week puppy training class. Your puppy is allowed to socialise and learn new skills in a positive way with other puppies in a safe environment.

Suitable for puppies age 8-16 weeks

In this Puppy Class your puppy will learn:

Basic commands and manners

Socialisation with other puppies and different objects like skateboard, vacuum cleaner etc.

Sound training

Leash manners and greeting/meeting skills

Fun tricks and games.

 

You will learn:

How to better train and control your puppy through understanding how they experience the world around them.

How to read your puppy’s body language and prevent issues.

Calming handling techniques.

A puppy’s view of the big wide world.

Advice on common ‘unwanted’ puppy behaviours such as Toilet training, Biting, Jumping, Hyper-activity, Separation behaviours.

 

Read more about puppy training in my next blog posts!