Owning a puppy is an exciting and rewarding experience. Unfortunately, it can also be a bit overwhelming. From potty training to establishing good habits, there’s a lot that goes into raising a well-behaved pup. To help make the process easier, here are 5 training tips for new puppy owners.

Start Early and Be Consistent

The sooner you start training your puppy, the better. Start by teaching basic commands such as “sit” and “come” as soon as they come home with you. Training should be done on a consistent basis throughout the day – a few minutes here and there is better than one long session each week. This helps to keep your pup engaged and less likely to become bored or distracted during training sessions.  

Use Positive Reinforcement 

Positive reinforcement is one of the best ways to train your puppy since it rewards good behaviour while discouraging bad behaviour. Whenever your pup does something right, give them plenty of verbal praise, petting, or treats (or all three!). This will help reinforce positive behaviours so that your pup knows what is expected of them when it comes to obedience.  

Be Patient 

Training can take time and patience – especially with puppies! Keep in mind that puppies have shorter attention spans than older dogs so you will need to break up training sessions into smaller chunks in order to maximise their learning potential. Don’t get frustrated if your pup doesn’t seem to understand something right away – just keep trying until they finally get it! 

Keep Sessions Short and Fun

No matter how eager you may be to teach your pup everything at once, try not to overwhelm them with too much information at once. Instead, keep sessions short (no more than 10 minutes) and make sure they are fun for both you and your pup! Try playing games like fetch or hide-and-seek after each training session so that your pup associates obedience with playtime rather than punishment. 

Create Structure and Consistency

Creating structure in the form of rules will help ensure that your puppy understands what is expected of them on a daily basis. Establishing consistent rules such as no jumping on furniture or no barking unnecessarily will help create consistency which will make it easier for your pup to learn what behaviours are acceptable or not acceptable in different situations.   

Training a puppy takes time and patience but following these five tips can help make the process smoother for both you and your furry friend! Make sure you start early, use positive reinforcement techniques, be patient during training sessions, keep them short and fun, and create structure/consistency within the household – all key components when it comes to raising an obedient pet! With some dedication from you (and maybe some treats!), you can have a happy, well-behaved furry family member in no time!