Dog Obedience Tips - New Puppy Do’s and Don’ts
Some of the dog obedience tips that have been around for years, e.g “rub you dog’s nose in it” should not be used today. So the modern day tip would be Dont rub your dog’s nose in it. The idea behind this old dog obedience tip is that it will show your dog that pooping in the house is not acceptable. However, other than being unnecessarily aggressive, this approach teaches your dog absolutely nothing. All they will learn from such a punishment is fear and mistrust. Instead, take your dog directly outside after an accident in the house. With puppies it is easiest to make sure a potty break is taken after every meal and every lengthy nap since these are the times that puppies are most likely to have an accident.Don’t change your commands. Using a different command every time you try to train your puppy is confusing for them and you. This includes changing the voice level in which you give the command as well. Your puppy will not know how to respond if each command is given in a different vocal tone. Vocal commands are a valuable dog obedience tip but are only effective when used consistently. For example, if you use the word “no” to correct bad behavior, don’t then use a word like “bad” or even “no,no,no” this will confuse your dog, and keep your training efforts from achieving any worth-while results.
Don’t forget that your puppy will grow. This is a common mistake made by almost all first time dog owners. While the puppy is small and cute they give in to bad habit forming behavior such as treats from the dinner table, or allowing them up onto furniture. Remember, it is easier to train a puppy to obey than it is to “un-train” an older dog.
Do love your dog and shower them with affection. It is an unfortunate misconception that affection will lead to bad behavior from your new puppy, when the opposite is actually true. Dogs enjoy receiving attention from their people, whether it is bad attention or not. If they feel neglected or forgotten, they are more likely to misbehave.
