If you want to train your puppy in the most efficient way from the start, there are two methods for training your puppy which you need to pay close attention to. They are becoming the pack leader and positive reinforcement. These two methods will be covered in this article and you will understand how they can be used to effectively train your puppy.
When you bring a puppy home, you need to have some knowledge of the psychology of dogs and how they live in a pack. Dominance is a crucial dynamic within a pack of dogs. There is a hierarchy within a pack of dogs and at the head is the alpha pair. They are the only ones allowed to breed.
When it comes to eating, the alpha pair eat first. When it comes to sleeping, they take the higher vantage place. Dogs like to sleep on beds or sofas for this reason.
If you want to set off on the right foot and avoid behavior problems in your puppy, you absolutely must position yourself and your family as the pack leaders or alpha dogs in your home. In order to do this, you should avoid letting your puppy onto your bed or sofa.
At meal times for a couple of weeks at least, it’s good to get the family to eat something (like a biscuit for example) just before you give the puppy his food. You should make it look as if you are taking the food from the dog’s plate.
You should be calm and assertive. Speak with authority and be decisive. Closely associated with the idea of the pack leader is the concept of positive reinforcement.
Positive reinforcement means that you reward a desired behavior in your puppy or dog and ignore an undesired behavior. Most dog trainers nowadays don’t use negative reinforcement or punishment because it has been shown to be ineffective.
To positively reinforce you can use small food treats and also praise and affection. It is crucial that you don’t reinforce unwanted behaviors in your puppy. Why do undesired dog behaviors happen? One of the most important reasons is owners reinforcing these behaviors without being aware of it. You need to be aware that training is an activity that happens whenever you are with your puppy or dog, not just when you have a specific training session.
For example, if your puppy jumps up at you when you come into the house, and you immediately give him affection, you are training him to jump up. Whenever he does an unwanted behavior, you must ignore him. This means you should look away or turn away and not give any attention. You may find this method difficult to accept and this is one of the reasons why so many people encourage undesirable behaviors in their dogs.
You will find that positioning yourself as the pack leader in your home forms a bedrock for all your puppy training and positive reinforcement gives you a method to encourage the correct behaviors in your puppy and to avoid potential dog behaviour problems.
For more information on training your puppy, visit the Training Puppy Tips website.
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