Early Training Exercises

These exercises are meant to establish a good working relationship with you and your puppy. Do not expect perfection at this young age. Right now all you want from your puppy his willingness to allow you to be the dominant partner in the training regimen. If you do not establish this at an early age, it will be much more difficult for him to submit when he is older, bigger and more assertive. Puppy will have already acquired the habit of obedience before it occurs to him to challenge you. Better to insure a bloodless victory than wait until he has reached his teenage months of rebellion. Early training patterns will pave the way for serious training later. The primary goal is not to just have puppy learn to sit, down and stand on command; rather it is to encourage the puppy to respond to your commands with eagerness and enjoyment, not resistance. This means you praise him when he does it right. I made the mistake most first time trainers do, I turned our training sessions into canine boot camp. I was barking orders and correcting my puppy everytime he did something wrong or even slightly less than perfect. I did not inform him when he got it right. Therefore he would often get it wrong. I would have saved myself a lot of aggravation and Romyl a lot of boredom if I had emphasized the positive rather than focusing on the negative. Fifteen minutes of training a day will give you results. Break your formal training with short periods of playtime. If your puppy just is not getting it, go back to something he does well and end on a positive note.

The earliest exercise to start with is simply placing your puppy in the sit position as you give him the sit command. Keep your hands on the puppy to help him hold the position for a few seconds, then praise him lavishly, emphasizing the sit word. "What a good SIT!". Keep your voice happy, light and joyful when you praise. Then place the puppy in the down position as you give the command to down. Make your voice deeper and more authorative when giving a command. Puppy may struggle more in the down position, hold him in position until he relaxes in your hands, then praise him for his wonderful down. Next, place your hand just under his thigh to help him stand. Place his feet four square under him and hold him in position as you tell him to stand. Then praise, praise, praise! Repeat these exercises five times each. Very soon your puppy will anticipate your commands and will sit or down without you having to place him in position. This is a big step forward and deserves extra praise.

Try to find a puppy kindergarten class, classes are often offered by community adult education. Ask to monitor the class, see if you like the trainer's methods. Puppy's shots will have to be up to date before you take him out to a public place and most trainers will require proof of vaccination. Socialization is imperative, puppy needs to learn that the world is a good and safe place. Ask your vet if you can bring your puppy in for a social visit. Bring a pocket full of treats and have everyone make a fuss over your puppy. There are pet supply stores that welcome pets, here is another opportunity to give your puppy a positive experience. Little league games, soccer and auctions are also great places to socialize a puppy.