Puppy parenthood is a journey and there are bound to be bumps along the way, especially in the beginning. We want to help you get started on the best foot (and paw) so here’s part two of the common puppy training mistakes many new owners make -- not just you! Now, you can learn directly from our puppy trainers what you can do to avoid these pesky pitfalls.
If you read through our first “Common Puppy Training Mistakes New Owners Make” blog you’re already on the right path to providing your puppy the best puppy training possible! As a first time owner, there will be many mistakes that you could encounter along the way, and could inadvertently slow down your puppy’s training progress. With this second installment, you’ll be prepared to identify when you may be falling into the trap of making one of these mistakes, learn how to correct your technique, and continue to provide the best training for your puppy!
#1 Inconsistent Puppy Training
When your puppy starts puppy training, one of the biggest responsibilities an owner has is to make sure they continue their training regularly in-between puppy classes. A couple of the biggest mistakes we see new owners make are not following through with the training at home, and not being consistent with it. Making time daily to practice with your pup as well as having the members of your household on the same page to help reinforce the training, will really help them learn good manners, what’s expected of them, and help them master the basic commands like Sit, Down, Stay and Come. Graduates from The Puppy Academy are even more successful in their training when their owners regularly practice and work at keeping up their pup’s training when they’re outside of school.
Introduce regular 10 to 15-minute training sessions at home, for example, one short session a day in-between their puppy training class, in order to help your puppy master their commands, and also, learn to love and have fun during training, as well as grow their bond with you!
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#2 Calling Your Puppy Over to You and Not Rewarding Them
@_love_animals_41
Do you find yourself calling your puppy over to you when they’re playing in the yard, only to immediately end playtime and bring them inside? It may not seem like it, but this is a sneaky mistake that many new owners make and don’t even realize it! If every time you call your puppy to you by their name or with the “Come” command and then do something that isn’t fun or rewarding for them, the less they want to come to you! Your goal should be to always make coming to you a positive experience for your puppy so they want to do it ALL the time!
Recall is one of the most important things that you can teach your puppy. It can keep them from getting into trouble, running away, reinforces their bond with you, and is an overall asset to your pup’s training and safety. Make sure that when you do start training your puppy to come to you, that you make their return a rewarding experience by offering your pup lots of praise and food treats! In the long run, it’ll be easier to train your puppy to come in all sorts of situations and places.
“Use a high-reward treat (ex. a treat your pup goes absolutely nuts for) specifically for practicing Recall. Knowing they’re going to get their most favorite treat (that they don’t normally get) just for coming to you will entice them to ALWAYS want to come to you as they’re learning this super important command!”
#3 Accidentally Encouraging Your Puppy to Chew on the Wrong Things
@bigbadwoofs
Puppies like to chew anything and everything! And many times, new owners often make the mistake of encouraging this behavior by failing to puppy-proof their home and address puppy chewing as it happens. A sure-fire way to unwanted chewing is leaving around items like shoes or electronics within your pup’s reach. Make sure that you provide your puppy enough stimulation through playing and a proper outlet for their chewy energy and to soothe their teething gums with chew toys. When you do catch them gnawing on something they shouldn’t be, like your coffee table leg, try to redirect their attention to a chew toy. If you are experiencing a puppy chewing problem, refer to our “How to Stop Your Puppy From Chewing!” blog for more in-depth details and steps to curb this behavior.
#4 Not Introducing a Harness and Leash to Your Puppy
“Step-in harnesses can be much easier to put on and take off a young puppy, especially if they tend to nip or put up a fight when trying to put on an over-the-head one.”
If you plan to take your pup on their first walk, don’t expect your puppy to take to their new harness and leash right out of the door! In fact, you probably want to give them some time to adjust at home and create a positive association with their new gear. For some pups, it can feel a little strange to have something new strapped around them, so take your time with it and make sure the harness is snug enough that your puppy can’t slip out, but not too tight that it’s uncomfortable. New owners often make the mistake of walking their pups on a flat collar so for young puppies, we recommend that they walk on a harness to avoid accidental damage to their tracheas from pulling on a flat collar. Put their harness and leash on while they are at home and let the leash drag behind them, but make sure you are around to supervise them so they don’t get tangled on something or start chewing on it when you’re not looking! For puppies that are fussy with their harness and leash or not a fan of it at the beginning, use lots of food to reward them when they are doing good with it. You can even bring them to a pet store and try on different types of harnesses they may do better with like harnesses they step into vs. ones that go over their head, or ones that are more strappy vs. wider fabrics that cover more of the body for pups that may feel too constricted and “freeze” in a thicker harness. Whatever the situation, baby steps are the way to go in order to let your pup get used to their new harness and leash, eventually, letting you move onto working on short leash walks!
#5 Impatience and Expecting Too Much
@maverick_and_surf
Just like we mentioned in the previous section for introducing a harness and leash to your puppy, take baby steps with your puppy and try not to expect too much right away. New owners commit this mistake simply by getting too eager to train their puppy and becoming frustrated when it doesn’t go according to plan. At this moment, the world is so big and new for your pup, and they are just starting to understand their surroundings and grow their bond with you! Puppy training takes lots of time and it’s important you don’t become impatient if your puppy isn’t grasping a command right away -- that’s totally normal! And if you become frustrated, chances are they are becoming frustrated too. Just step away from training and come back to it later when the two of you have had some time to relax. Remember: keep your puppy training sessions short, and give them a reward like praise or a food treat every time they get something right! Nothing motivates a puppy more than getting your affection and receiving something delicious!
“If your puppy is keeping the leash on in the house, purchase an inexpensive flat lead and cut the loop part out to avoid it getting caught on things more easily. But still, make sure to monitor your pup while it’s on!”