What Are The First Things You Should Teach a Puppy?
Bringing home a puppy is exciting, but can also be overwhelming. There are so many elements to basic puppy training, and some, like socialization, have a tight timeline. So what are the behaviors should you teach a puppy first?
The behaviors and household rules you establish from day one will carry through your dog’s life. On the other hand, any bad habits and fears your puppy develops, although usually reversible with effort, can set the tone for your dog’s future.
New dog owners will usually start with obedience behaviors. Teaching your puppy to sit and lie down are definitely important. They’re also a great way to teach your puppy to say please to get what they want. But in the first weeks of puppy ownership, there are some behaviors you’ll want to teach first. Here are behaviors you should tackle from the day you bring your new dog home.
Potty Training Your Puppy
Potty training your puppy speaks for itself. Nobody wants accidents around their house. You may not realize it, but every accident your puppy has trains them that is an area they can potty.
For housetraining success, it’s important to reward your puppy for going to the bathroom where you want, and to keep them from going anywhere else. That means establishing a routine from day one so you can better predict when your puppy will have to go, such as after meals or nap time. Watch your puppy at all times for signs they have to go, like squatting or circling, and keep your puppy to a safe area when you can’t be with them.
Crate Training Your Puppy
One of the best places to confine your puppy is in a crate. When used correctly, crates are a safe space, not a punishment. Crate training has many benefits, like keeping your puppy safe and giving them a personal den for naps or quiet time.
Be sure to choose the right size crate and make the crate a positive space for your puppy so they learn to associate it with good things. Crate training can take a few days for some puppies, and much longer for others. Your goal is to teach your puppy to happily enter on their own and relax while inside.
Alone Time Training
It’s tempting to spend every waking hour with your new puppy, but work and errands will eventually take you away from your pet. Time spent alone can be hard for puppies who haven’t been taught how to be alone yet. To prevent separation anxiety and make sure your puppy knows how to appropriately behave on their own, start alone time training right away.
Place your puppy in their crate or another safe area with something fun to do. Giving them a food-stuffed chew toy or a bully stick is one option. Then walk away for just a few seconds. Ideally, your puppy won’t even notice you’re gone. When you go back, reward your puppy for keeping themselves occupied. Slowly, over a period of days or weeks, you can increase the amount of time your puppy can happily be alone.
Teaching Your Puppy to Love Chew Toys
Dogs explore the world with their mouths, plus chewing is a great way to ease the pain of teething. This means your puppy will try to chew your furniture and destroy things, unless you teach them to chew more appropriate objects. It’s important to puppy-proof your home for your dog’s safety.
Get down on your puppy’s level to survey each room they’ll have access to, and remove anything they shouldn’t have, like shoes, children’s toys, or loose cords. It can also be helpful to get your puppy hooked on chew toys from the day they come home.
Mealtimes don’t just have to be food in a bowl. Your dog’s kibble can make a great training reward and provide enrichment. It’s also perfect for stuffing chew toys. If your dog has access to delicious and appropriate chews whenever they are in their crate or safe area, they’ll look to those toys for their chewing fix. Hopefully, then they’ll be less likely to see your possessions as an option when they’re roaming free.
Socializing and Building Your Puppy’s Confidence
By choosing a responsible breeder, your puppy should start basic puppy training and socializing long before you bring them home. But there’s still work to do once you get your puppy home, and little time to do it. Puppies have a developmental timeline, and their critical socialization period ends at around three months of age. During this time, they need to be exposed to as many people, places, and situations as possible in a positive way to ensure they grow up to be confident and fear-free.
You might be concerned about taking your puppy out into the world before they’ve all of their puppy vaccinations. The risk, however, of your puppy developing serious behavioral problems due to a lack of socialization is high. Talk to your veterinarian about appropriate steps to keep them safe and healthy. Until they’re fully vaccinated, you may want to avoid unfamiliar dogs and potentially unclean environments.
Teaching Your Puppy to Use a Soft Mouth
It’s natural for puppies to nip your hands and bite your clothes. But what’s cute in a tiny puppy can be dangerous in an adult dog. That’s why all puppies need to learn to use a soft mouth when they interact with people. There may come a day when your dog, in pain or fear, puts their mouth on somebody. But once they understand that human skin is delicate, they’ll make their bite less forceful.
Socialization with other dogs will help with bite inhibition because other dogs will yip or give your puppy a time-out when they bite too hard. You can use the same technique to curb puppy mouthing. Try giving a high-pitched “yip” or “ow” when your puppy nips too hard. You can also swap in a toy right at that moment, redirecting your puppy’s mouth toward something they’re allowed to bite down on harder. Or, end your play session until your puppy settles down. The goal isn’t to immediately stop all biting, but instead to slowly lessen the force of your puppy’s bites.
Signing Up for a Puppy Class
Finally, enroll your puppy in a puppy class as soon as your veterinarian says it’s safe. Choose a puppy training class taught by a qualified instructor who uses positive reinforcement methods. The AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy Program is a great place to start.
Your dog trainer will answer your questions, boost your skills, and help you troubleshoot training challenges. Even if this isn’t your first puppy, and you think you know what you’re doing, the class will help with that all-important puppy socialization.