5 Tricks for Training Your New Puppy

By Caitlyn Gose

How exciting, you got a new puppy! Dogs add so much fun and love to a home, they really are man's best friend. However, they take a lot of work to train. Especially puppies!

Training your puppy will be one of the most important things you do after getting one. It can be overwhelming and feel impossible, but if you keep reading you will learn 5 simple tricks on training your new pup!

1. Potty Training

The number one thing many people want to teach their new puppy is going potty outside. Make this super easy on yourself by having a schedule set in place for your puppy as soon as you bring him/her home. 

Feed them at certain times of the day, let them out every set amount of time, and reward them with a treat when they go potty outside. Keep the same cycle going and your puppy should catch on rather quickly! 

It’s all about having a routine or schedule that you stick to everyday.

2. Preventing Chewing

When a puppy begins its teething stage, watch out for your personal possessions! Puppies love to chew on anything and everything they can get their mouths on. 

A good way to prevent chewing is to teach them what things they can chew on, rather than try to stop them from chewing. Give them plenty of toys and bones, anything that would feel good on their gums as they chew. 

Keeping an eye on your puppy’s chewing is easier when you keep them in your eyesight at all times. Try using gates to block off hallways and doors to keep them confined in an area where you can see them. When they start chewing on something they’re not supposed to, redirect their attention to one of their toys or bones. 

3. Stop Them From Bitting

A really important part of training your puppy is teaching them that they can’t bite hard. Your puppy doesn’t know that our skin is easily hurt, it’s up to you to teach them that! 

To teach your puppy to bite gently, start playing with them. Wrestle around and let them bite you a little bit, when they bite harder than they should stop playing with them. Keep doing this over and over, stopping the playing when they bite hard. 

Over time they will learn that biting isn’t fun for us, and they will start being more gentle when playing. If they keep biting hard, make a yelp sound to let them know it hurts and stop playing. 

It is so important to teach puppies not to bite us hard, especially if they will be playing with small children. 

4. Use Positive Reinforcement

When it comes to training your puppy, using positive reinforcement is more effective than punishment. Giving your puppy a treat and praising them when they do the right thing will teach them faster than scolding them when they do the wrong thing. 

Too harsh of punishment can also resolve behavior or trust issues. As difficult as it can be sometimes, never scold or hit your puppy as punishment when training them. Instead, teach them the right thing to do and give them a treat when they do it. 

They will learn much quicker this way and won’t develop any behavior or trust issues. 

5. The Basics

As soon as you bring your puppy home, you can begin teaching basic obedience. Things such as commands (sit, shake, roll over, etc.) and rules are a good thing to teach right away. 

Using positive reinforcement is the quickest and easiest way to teach your puppy the basics. Once they sit, give them a treat. Or once they shake, give them a treat. Making sure to repeat it over and over and rewarding them every time. 

The quicker you can teach your puppy the basics, the quicker they will turn into a well behaved dog! 

Conclusion

There you have it! 5 tricks for training your new puppy. These tricks should make training your new puppy a breeze! Just remember to always use positive reinforcement and create a schedule from the get-go. 

Training your puppy should be a bonding experience between the two of you, don’t make it harder than it has to be! Be patient and STAY CONSISTENT! Before you know it your puppy will be a full-grown dog with great manners.