Puppy Training Tips – Building A Strong Relationship
A good relationship between you and your puppy is essential if he is to be well behaved and well adjusted. A relationship based on friendship and trust will ensure that he tries hard to win your praise and approval, thereby making it more likely that he will want to do as you ask.
The bond will take time to build and is not something that can be created overnight. Young puppies need to learn how to understand and communicate with humans, who are, after all, members of a different species. However, a consistent, kind and thoughtful approach to interactions during your puppy’s first year will enable him to learn easily, safe in the knowledge that you will be fair and treat him well.
Play helps to build the bond between owner and puppy, and makes it much stronger. Puppies don’t automatically know how to play games with humans, having grown up playing with other puppies in the litter by biting and mouthing. Until they learn, they will try to play with us in a similar way by biting our hands, feet and any part of us that moves quickly, in a similar way to how they played with other puppies.
Since this is an unacceptable type of play to most people, and particularly children or elderly people, who tend to have thinner skin, it is important that we teach them how to enjoy playing games with toys instead.
Puppies will try to play their favourite game when they get excited. Offer a toy at a time when your puppy is excited by someone coming home, when you approach him after an absence or at any other times when he is eager to do something.
Make it exciting by keeping the toy moving and let him get it sometimes. Try to have fun and concentrate on the toy and the game rather than on the puppy. Different puppies prefer different games, so experiment with chase games, tug games or games with squeaky toys to see which your puppy prefers.
Play energetically, but stop immediately and walk away if the games get too rough or if your puppy accidentally bites your hands. In this way, he will learn to be gentle in his games and will try to avoid putting his teeth on human skin.
A Happy Partnership
A relationship based on love and trust is the best foundation for an easy and rewarding life with your puppy. Positive training, plenty of games with toys and meeting all his needs will ensure a contented, well-behaved puppy that works hard to please you.
Puppy Training Tips For Success
- Play often, choosing spare moments in your day such as while the kettle boils or during the advertisement break in a television program. Keep a toy out of reach of your puppy in each room of the house and replace it after the game so that there is always a toy easily available and you do not have to go looking for one.
- Play with him regularly. This will help to use up your puppy’s excess energy, making him easier to live with. As well as using up physical energy, playing will also help to tire him mentally so that he is calmer.
- Playing with your puppy will make him more focused on you, encouraging a better bond to form between you. This will help with his training.
- Use soft toys that your puppy can bite easily. Hard plastic toys are difficult to get hold of and can be too painful for mouths that are teething.
When It Goes Wrong
There will be times when events or your puppy’s behavior make you angry or frustrated. It is natural, although not advisable, to take it out on your puppy. Providing these are isolated incidents in an otherwise usually calm sea of emotions, your puppy will be able to take them in his stride. Using positive training techniques, you will be able to create a communication system that allows you to tell your puppy what you want him to do. This will help to reduce confusion and frustration and will allow you to have a more harmonious relationship with your puppy, particularly during the difficult time of adolescence.
- A good relationship is built on love and trust.
- Remember, your puppy does not speak English.
- It takes time to build a working partnership.
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