There are several reasons that one might want to teach a puppy and the most common reason is to correct bad behavior. One of the biggest problems with puppies is that once they have learned how to beg, whine or mess up you will quickly discover that this behavior is far more widespread than one would initially think. While the dog loves to please his or her pack, every time you change the routine the puppy has learned these routines and behaviors and finds them harder to correct. It can be a very frustrating experience for the owner as well as the puppy if this continues and becomes a pattern. If you are wondering how to teach a puppy before they are a year old, there are a few things you should know.
One of the biggest difficulties with teaching puppies is that because dogs have no concept of time we are often more interested in correcting behavior problems rather than focusing on development. If you are thinking of how to teach the puppy to do tricks such as the forward bite you need to make sure you are not teaching the puppy too many things at the same time. When pups are young they tend to want to please their pack leader as well as other members of the family so giving every possible opportunity to do so is crucial. Puppy's who have had a healthy diet throughout their life are less likely to have serious behavior problems as they mature.
How to teach the puppy to go potty outside is a bit different than teaching an older dog where it is acceptable to go potty. An older dog will have developed good routines for going outside such as taking a poop, getting dressed, and so forth. These good routines will encourage your puppy to understand that these are things he or she should do when they get home so trying to introduce something new and unfamiliar may take longer. The goal is for the puppy to learn the appropriate behavior at home first and then move onto other areas. Many times this is done by simply being consistent with the behavior. Make sure you are using good puppy training techniques by using them consistently and you will have a well-trained dog.
One good way to begin housebreaking your puppy is crate training. A puppy in a crate will soon learn the difference between an acceptable accident and an unacceptable accident. Crate training is one of the fastest and easiest methods of housebreaking your puppy. You just need to get your puppy into the crate and leave it alone for the amount of time it takes him to potty or until you decide he has had enough. It takes around three to four days of consistency on this training method for the crate to work.
There are other methods of teaching your pup some basic behaviors. One thing you can try is crate training. If you want to teach your pup to go inside he or she could try going into his crate during dinner time, after dinner, and every time he drinks water or relieves himself. Once your puppy learns to do this on his own you can then introduce the other routines mentioned. This is especially useful when your pup has excitable behavior that will require him to relieve himself at unusual times.
Housebreaking your puppy doesn't have to be an uphill battle. With a little bit of consistency and firmness, you can easily teach everything from biting to potty training to housebreaking your puppy. Plus... You will feel like a pro from day one!
