Puppy Leash Training – The Kind Gentle Way To Train Your Puppy
Training your new puppy to accept a collar and lease is the key to successful training. This is called puppy leash training and it can start just as soon as he is settled in his new home.
By training your dog to get used to a collar and leash, you establish yourself as the one in control. Dogs thrive when they know what is expected.
As soon as you can get your puppy to live with his collar and lead, you will be able to start focusing on other areas. Here’s how to train him to accept his collar and lead.
Be sure to buy a collar that is puppy size. Don’t get one that you think he will grow into. If it’s too loose he won’t keep it on. But on the other hand, it should be big enough that you can adjust it for awhile. The rule of thumb for sizing is that you are able to fit two of your fingers comfortably between the collar and his neck.
When you initially begin to use the collar, it will feel strange to your puppy. Give him lots of reassurance and attention to take his mind off it. It will take time before he gets used to the feel of the collar. Once he becomes used to simply having the collar on, you can move forward in training your puppy. Leash training, without a doubt, is easier if you have given your new puppy lots of time just getting used to wearing the collar.
Next, attach a short but very light leash to the collar. Make sure the leash is not any more then about three feet. Let your puppy drag the leash around for short periods of time. You want him to get used to how it feels to have something attached to his collar.
Be sure to keep a close eye on him while he is dragging the lead around. He may become frightened and agitated if he gets stuck for any length of time. Your job is to ensure that this doesn’t happen. For right now, simply making him aware that the leash restricts him briefly is enough. Remember, you want this to be a positive experience for your puppy.
It won’t take long before he gets used to the feel of his leash. When this happens, instead of letting the leash drag freely, attach one end of the lead to you. Allow him to explore and get himself stuck like before. But this time, do not go to him to untangle his leash.
Instead try to help him get rid of his distress by crouching down and calling his name. Entice him to get himself unstuck and to come to you by offering some toy or treat. Give him his treat and lots of praise when he does come to you. Be sure to continue with this every day for short periods. After a few successes each day, remove the leash from his collar, but leave his collar on at all times.
You will know that your puppy leash training has been a success when he routinely comes when called after reaching the end of the leash. With this success, the rest of his puppy training will go so much more smoothly.
After working with your new puppy teaching him to accept a collar and leash, he will be ready for a rest. Why not provide him with a cozy heated dog bed for inside. Even in summer, he’ll find his bed a warm spot in an air conditioned home. For outside, help him keep cool with a coolaroo dog bed. Coolaroo dog beds sit off the ground allowing for air flow underneath.
Training Your Dog 101: Ten Tips On Dog Training
What dog owner doesn’t want a well-behaved dog? But it doesn’t just happen. Training is the only way to achieve this. In order to be able to successfully train your dog, there is some basic information you need to be aware of before you start. Here then are the top ten tips on dog training.
1. Begin just as soon as you bring that new puppy home. It’s crucial to establish routines immediately in order to avoid problems later on. For example, if your dog is not going to be welcome on the couch when he gets bigger, then don’t ever let him on the couch as a puppy. If you want to cuddle with him, get down on the floor with him. You want the habits he learns to be good ones, not bad ones.
2. Be firm, but fair and consistent. If you change the rules you will only frustrate and confuse your dog. So, if you don’t want your dog to beg food from the table, don’t ever feed him treats while you are eating.
3. Teach your new puppy to accept a collar and lead soon after bringing him home. This is one of the easiest yet most important steps you can take to have a well-trained dog. A dog on a lead is easier to work with and control.
4. Training your dog should be fun for both of you. Celebrate his accomplishments by rewarding him. Rewards can be everything from a scratch behind the ear to praise or even a small treat. He will work harder if he knows a reward is waiting for him, so you will be able to accomplish lots in a short time.
5. Be patient. Mark progress in very small steps. It takes many repetitions for the training to become a part of your dog’s behavior. Compliment and reward at each step to reinforce the learned behavior.
6. When disciplining your dog, never use the command “come”. The command “come” should only be used in a positive way because it is such an integral part of training. Don’t hit your pet when you are disciplining him. This will only cause him to fear you and it will end up damaging the trust between the two of you.
7. When beginning a training session, it’s always a good idea to review what your dog has already learned before starting on teaching new behavior. Be sure to give him a reward for a job well done and then go on to something new.
8. Don’t extend the lesson too long. When your dog seems to be losing interest or is tiring of the activity, stop the lesson, have him follow a simple command, give a small reward and then do something your dog considers fun to end the session. So, if he loves to play fetch, get that stick out and throw.
9. Teaching him commands such as “sit, stay, come, and down”, first will make other lessons easier. Once he has learned these commands and responds consistently to each of them, you can then move onto more complex tricks or commands.
10. Only reward when a command is executed correctly. This goes along with being consistent. If he knows that he will get a “good boy” whether or not he sits on command, he won’t learn the lesson.
By following these tips on dog training, you can be sure of having success in your quest to have a well behaved dog. And really wouldn’t you rather have a dog that listens to you than one who doesn’t?
Training can be stressful for both you and your dog. To ease the stress for your dog, a warm cozy bed is a must. A cozy cave dog bed is the ultimate in luxury for your hard working pet. To keep his bed fresh and clean washable dog beds are ideal.
