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Training a puppy involves teaching them a variety of essential skills to become a well-behaved dog. This includes teaching them to play nicely, go to the bathroom in the right place, and walk on a leash. It may take several months of focused training to help your puppy learn these behaviors. Using a gentle yet firm training approach will guide your puppy through the necessary exercises, and before you know it, your puppy will have grown into a well-behaved dog with an important role in your family.
Steps
Training a Puppy at Home
Establishing a Routine for Your Puppy. To start training your puppy at home, you should create a consistent routine for them to follow. Your puppy needs to learn the routine of when and where they are allowed to go to the bathroom. It’s crucial to teach your puppy to go outside to relieve themselves as soon as you bring them home. Plan to take your puppy outside to potty on a regular schedule: first thing in the morning, after eating, after playtime, and just before bed.
- Your puppy should be taken outside every hour to relieve themselves, as well as right after eating, sleeping, and playing. Be sure to take your puppy out first thing in the morning and before you and they go to bed, and especially before leaving them home alone for extended periods.
- Feed your puppy at the same time every day, as this will help you predict when they need to go outside.
- Newborn puppies often need to go to the bathroom every hour. This means you or a family member must be available to take them out frequently.
- If you’re unable to train your puppy at home yourself, consider hiring a professional. If not addressed early, it will take longer for your puppy to learn to avoid accidents inside the house.
Get Your Puppy’s Attention When They Try to Relieve Themselves Indoors. If you catch your puppy about to go to the bathroom inside, avoid overreacting by yelling or frightening them. Interrupt their behavior with a clap, then take them outside or lead them to their designated potty area. After they relieve themselves, praise and reward them.
- If you find your puppy has already made a mess behind the sofa or somewhere else inside, it’s too late to scold them. Don’t shove their nose in the mess; this only confuses and scares them, making it harder for them to understand what you’re trying to teach.
Limit Your Puppy’s Space While Training. During the first few months, it’s important to closely monitor your puppy so you can take them outside when they need to relieve themselves. If you give them too much freedom indoors early on, they will learn to potty wherever they please, and you won’t always catch them in time.
- Use a baby gate to limit your puppy’s space in the house. For example, you can place a gate at the bottom of the stairs to prevent them from going upstairs or block a door to keep them from wandering between rooms. Gradually give them more freedom as they learn to control their bathroom habits.
- Try walking your puppy around when they are exploring a new room. They’ll be less likely to make a mess when you're guiding them.
Choose a Specific Outdoor Spot for Your Puppy to Potty. This method helps your puppy learn not to relieve themselves inside. They will start to associate that specific spot with going potty, and over time, they will wait for you to take them there instead of going inside the house.
- Use consistent phrases to help your puppy recognize the potty area. Say "go potty" or "do your business" when taking them to the spot. Don’t use these words elsewhere so they can associate them solely with going potty.
- Many people choose a far corner of the yard or a fenced area as their puppy’s bathroom spot. If you don’t have a yard, pick a spot near your home or apartment. The key is to consistently take your puppy to the same place each time.
- Let your puppy potty in an area where they can link the smell with the act of relieving themselves. The familiar scent will often encourage them to go.
- Remember that some puppies will relieve themselves as soon as you take them outside, while others may need a little time to roam around before doing so.
Praise Your Puppy When They Complete the Task. When your puppy relieves themselves in the right spot, be sure to praise them, pet them, and reward them. This will help your puppy understand that this behavior is correct and should be repeated. The promise of a reward encourages them to continue making the right choices.
- Reward your puppy right after they finish or while they’re still at the potty spot. If you wait too long, they may associate your praise with something else.
- Wait until your puppy has completely finished before praising them. If you praise them too early, they may get confused.
Clean Up Messes Immediately. If your puppy happens to relieve themselves indoors, it’s important to clean up right away. This will help prevent them from going in the house again.
- Use an enzyme-based cleaner instead of ammonia-based ones to clean up your puppy’s accidents. Ammonia-based cleaners smell similar to urine, which may confuse your puppy and make them think it’s okay to potty in that spot again.
Consider Using a Crate for Puppy Training. A crate can be a useful tool for potty training since puppies generally avoid soiling their sleeping area. It can also serve as a safe resting place for your puppy during the day when they are tired or as a secure spot when you are away from home.
- Ensure that the crate is large enough for your puppy to stand up and stretch out comfortably. If it’s too big, they may choose a corner as their bathroom area.
- Remember, never use the crate as a punishment. Take your puppy outside frequently for exercise and bathroom breaks.
Teaching Your Puppy to Play Nicely
Let Your Puppy Play with Other Puppies. Puppies learn to communicate and interact by playing with each other. Young pups don’t yet understand that their teeth can hurt others, so they learn through play. If one puppy bites too hard, the other will yelp and stop playing. This teaches the puppy to regulate their bite strength.
Don’t Encourage Your Puppy to Bite You. Play with your puppy the way they play with other puppies: by nipping and roughhousing until they start biting your hands. When they do, let out a yelp just like another puppy would. Relax your hand and stop playing. Your puppy will quickly learn that biting means no attention.
- Your puppy might try to make up for biting you by rubbing their face on your hand and licking it. Reward them with gentle praise, give them a treat, and resume play. This will help them learn that good behavior gets rewarded.
- Never hit your puppy as punishment. Physical punishment will only make them fearful of you.
Provide Toys for Your Puppy to Chew On. Puppies love to use their teeth, and while you’ve taught them not to bite, they still need something to chew on. Give them safe toys to gnaw on during playtime.
- If your puppy starts lightly biting your hand, offer them a chew toy instead. This will help them understand that toys are for chewing, not your hands.
- Similarly, if your puppy starts nipping at your ankles or feet while you’re walking, stop and give them a chew toy. If you’re not carrying one, simply halt and wait. Praise them when they play nicely.
- If your puppy chews on your belongings, distract them and replace it with their own toys.
Designating a punishment spot. If your puppy struggles with learning not to bite, it's important to designate a specific area for punishment, where you can lead them when they misbehave. Once they start biting, take them to this designated corner of the room.
- Avoid using the crate as a punishment spot. Puppies won’t associate being put in the crate with discipline.
- After a few minutes of playtime being stopped, bring them back to the family. Reward them when they play nicely. If they start biting again, give a loud command and guide them back to the punishment area. This method helps them learn not to bite.
Pippa Elliott, MRCVS
Veterinary surgeon at the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons
Veterinary surgeon at the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons
Pippa Elliott, a licensed veterinarian, explains: 'The command 'Look' is a great tool to help keep excitable puppies calm or distract them from things they shouldn't chase. Simply bring a treat close to their nose and gradually move it toward your forehead while keeping their attention focused on the treat.'
Teaching puppies to play nicely with children. Children often move quickly, make loud noises, and are at a similar height to puppies. While both can have fun playing together, it's essential to teach proper play etiquette. If your puppy is being rough with a child, immediately guide them to their punishment area. It's equally important to ensure your child knows how to play kindly with the puppy.
- Always supervise your child when they are around the puppy. Make sure the child understands that puppies are delicate and teach them how to handle situations where the puppy bites or plays roughly.
Teaching puppies to sit, lie down, and come near
Start by teaching your puppy their name. To train your puppy effectively, you need to ensure they recognize their name. Clearly say their name and reward them when they look at you. Keep doing this until they learn to look at you when you call their name. Once they understand this, you can begin using their name before giving other commands.
Teach your puppy to sit. This is one of the easiest behaviors to teach, and most puppies can learn it. The key is to associate the action of sitting on the floor with the command 'sit.' Say 'sit' in a clear, confident, yet friendly tone. When your puppy sits, reward them.
- Practice regularly. Have your puppy practice sitting inside, outside, or wherever you go. Bring treats with you so you can start training anytime.
- Gradually reduce the frequency of treats until your puppy can sit on command without the need for a reward.
Teach your puppy to lie down. Now that your puppy knows how to sit, it’s time to teach them to lie down. This is a slightly more complex task, but you can use the same system of commands and rewards. Ask your puppy to sit, then say 'lie down' and wait for a few seconds. When they move, tell them 'sit,' then repeat the process. Once they do it successfully, reward and praise them.
- Once your puppy can lie down within 10 seconds, move to a different area. If your puppy follows, turn back and remind them to 'sit.' Tell them 'lie down' again and move away. Always reward them when they do it right.
- Some puppies respond well to using your hand to guide them into the 'lie down' position. Raise your hand each time you say 'lie down.' Gradually, your puppy will learn to lie down without needing the hand gesture.
Teach your puppy to come near. This is easiest when you have someone else help you. Have them carry your puppy to the other side of the room or yard. Look at your puppy and call their name. Once they look at you, say 'come here' clearly and have the other person release the puppy. Call their name again if they seem confused. When your puppy walks toward you, praise them and give a treat. Repeat this process until your puppy understands that 'come here' means they should run toward you.
- Clap, smile, and show excitement when your puppy follows the 'come here' command. Teach them that coming to you is the best thing they can do.
- Practice the 'come here' command frequently in various situations. It's essential that your puppy knows to come to you when called to prevent them from getting lost or hurt in dangerous situations.
Teach your puppy to tolerate being walked
Let your puppy play until tired before walking them. Puppies often pull on the leash because they have excess energy and are eager to go outside. If possible, tire your puppy out by playing with them before using the leash to walk them during the day.
- Try playing a game of fetch with your puppy for 10 minutes before leashing them for a walk.
Teach your puppy to stay still while you put on their collar. Puppies often get excited when it’s time to go outside, jumping up and barking before the walk. If you don’t address this when they are young, it can become a habit that lasts for years.
- If your puppy barks and jumps on you when you take out the leash, wait for them to calm down completely before putting the collar on. Repeat this process until your puppy learns that jumping or barking means no walk.
Use the green light, red light method. Take your puppy outside. When they start running ahead and pulling on the leash, stop and wait for them to turn back. Once they do, say 'come here.' When your puppy reaches you, give the command 'sit.' Reward them with a treat and continue walking. Repeat this process until your puppy learns to walk beside you instead of pulling on the leash.
- When your puppy walks beside you, reward them often so they understand where you want them to walk.
- Continue using this method for a few weeks. It may take some time for your puppy to understand that they shouldn't pull you down the street.
Mastering the basics of puppy training
Establish consistent cues for training and stick with them. Make sure every family member uses the same cues when training your puppy. If you use different words than others in the household, your puppy may get confused and take longer to learn.
- For example, when teaching your puppy to sit, ensure everyone uses the word 'sit.' Don’t change the command. In other words, don’t say 'sit down' or 'lie down' to tell your puppy to sit. Only use one cue word, 'sit,' to avoid confusing your puppy.
Apply this rule consistently in every situation. Ensure that you stick to the rules you’ve set in every circumstance. Don't apply them inconsistently or make exceptions in certain cases.
- For example, if you don’t want your puppy jumping on your furniture, apply this rule at all times. If you don't allow them to jump on furniture during the week but let them sit on the couch on weekends, your puppy will jump on the couch more often.
Motivate your puppy. Training will be successful when your puppy is rewarded for correct behavior. You can reward your puppy with tasty treats, their favorite toy, or attention and praise. Find out what makes your puppy happiest and use that as a reward when they follow commands.
- Reward your puppy immediately. It’s important to reward them right after they follow your command.
- Gradually reduce the frequency of rewards until your puppy doesn't expect a reward every time they complete an action. This will encourage your puppy to work harder for rewards. If you don’t, they could become lazy. Start reducing the frequency of rewards as your puppy learns to perform commands regularly.
Use a clicker (a tool that makes a clicking sound). The clicker is an effective way to reinforce positive behavior in your puppy and signal that a reward is coming. The key is to reward your puppy right after they perform the desired behavior, but this isn't always possible. Therefore, using a clicker during training sessions will help you reinforce good behavior even when you don’t have treats on hand.
- Start by teaching your puppy to associate the clicker sound with receiving a reward.
Understand that punishment is not an effective training method. Yelling at your puppy or using punishment is not a good way to change their behavior. They won't understand why they are being punished, and this can lead to worse behavior.
- For example, if your puppy has an accident on the floor, don't scold them. If you do, they will just think you're angry about the mess, rather than understanding they need to go outside.
- Instead of scolding your puppy if you catch them eliminating indoors, clap your hands to grab their attention and stop them. Then, take them to the appropriate bathroom spot and wait until they finish.
Hold short but frequent training sessions. Puppies can’t focus for long periods, so training sessions should be brief. Limit your training to about 5-10 minutes per session. Try to conduct 2-3 sessions each day to reinforce the behaviors you want your puppy to learn.
- Make sure to use everyday activities as opportunities for training. For example, you can ask your puppy to sit before you place their food down, or praise them when they eliminate outside in the correct spot.
Choose a 'good' and 'naughty' name for your dog: Make sure your dog associates their name with positive experiences. This will encourage them to respond more often. If your dog links their name with negative situations (such as being scolded), they may avoid coming to you when called. By using a different name when they misbehave, you help prevent negative associations with their 'good' name.
- Use their regular name when they behave well, but call them a different name when they are naughty. For example, if your dog's name is Charlie, call them Charlie when they’re good. If they’re misbehaving, call them Chuckie.
Advice
- Be consistent with your rules and boundaries in all situations. If your puppy isn't allowed on the sofa, they should never be allowed there. Make your expectations clear, motivate them with treats or rewards, and remain firm and fair. Your puppy will gain confidence and understand exactly what you expect from them.
- Use your tone of voice to convey how you feel. Use a deep voice when you want your puppy to stop, and a firm tone when giving commands or training.
- Don’t worry if your puppy doesn’t listen at first (it might take a few tries).
Warnings
- Never use violence with your dog. Be cautious of trainers who suggest hitting or shouting at your dog.
- Do not allow children to interact with your dog without supervision.
