Puppy Obedience Training – How to Succeed. When should you start Puppy Obedience Training? Puppies aged – 5 – 7 weeks

The age of your puppy plays an important part in deciding when you should start the training program…

5 – 7 weeks – This is the age where puppies start to act and behave like dog’s. The mother will start to wean the young puppies from around the forth week (although this can vary slightly.) From the forth week (approx) the mother dog will start to teach the puppy discipline such as the bite inhibition – this is the process of teaching the puppy how much pressure should be put on a bite (so the puppies don’t go around biting too hard on their litter mates.) The age from 5 – 7 weeks is also very important in a puppies development as it is the time when the mother dog starts to teach the puppy social skills – this will enable the puppy to learn how to interact with other puppies, dogs and humans. Important – If a puppy is removed too early during these stages of development it could have disastrous effects on the puppy and its behavior and obedience in later life.

The Importance of Housetraining early…

If puppies are properly trained at this very crucial stage 5 – 7 weeks + they will then learn the basic concepts of housetraining. Puppies (given the choice) will not natural eliminate in their crate/whelping box (if they have been taught this by their mother and not separated too early) even if it means having a quick stumble and wobble to the other side of the crate/whelping box. If for whatever reason (you may have left him to long in the crate/whelping box) your puppy eliminates in his den – he may then think that it’s ok and continue to do this.

Puppies aged 8 – 16 weeks.

This is a critical stage in the life and development of your puppy – if you get it wrong here then you are setting yourself up for major puppy obedience and puppy behavior problems in the future. At this age your puppy starts to realize whether it’s a great world to live in or a terrifying and scary world. IMPORTANT - If your puppy doesn’t meet and interact with other people, children and dog’s at this age he may become scared, and as we know a nervous and scared dog can lead to an aggressive dog. At this point if you are inconsistent with the housetraining process then your puppy will be inconsistent with housetraining in later life.

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Don’t be fooled!

You may think that your puppy is completely housetrained at this stage – he may even go towards the door when he wants to eliminate – however … This is where basic and very common mistakes happen in the training process – YOU are having unrealistic expectations… Just because your puppy THINKS that he is a big boy – he has learned the concept of the process of asking to go out – but biologically he is still a baby and may pee on the way to going outside because as a baby he still struggle with bladder control. At about 8 weeks your puppy can hold his bladder for approximately 2 hours and this will increase to about 4 hours when he reaches 16 weeks. Don’t expect your puppy to hold it – if you do you are asking your puppy to get a urinary tract infection.

Puppies aged 4 – 6 months.

This is where all your training is proven to work or fail!

If you thought everything was going well and your beautiful puppy was housetrained – don’t hold your breath as this where you could be proven wrong. At this age your puppy is very very easily distracted – just when you think he is about to pee he will go and chase a fly – this is normal. At this age puppies can hold their bladder for about 4 – 5 hours approx – without a potty break. At about 6 months your puppy should be able last about 6 7 hours.

Puppies aged 6 – 12 months.

This is when your little puppy starts to develop sexually – this brings it’s own problems.

If you own an unneutered male – because he is developing sexually he may start to raise his leg and pee on the furniture. If you own a female then she may have her first heat anywhere between 6 – 12 months. If you have been consistent in your housetraining then your puppy should be able to hold his bladder between 7 – 8 hours between potty breaks. Don’t make the common mistake of thinking that your puppy is completely house trained at this age – many people let them have the run of the House when they are out – only to find accidents around the House – This is because puppies may not associate their den’s/crate with the entire House until they are about 1 year old or more.

To get your puppy off to a good start, schedule a veterinary check-up within the first 48 hours of bringing it home. You can then get a clean bill of health, a schedule for future vaccinations and spay/neuter surgeries and advice on food, training, parasite preventatives and trainer recommendations.

What to consider before getting a puppy?

* Investigate the breeds and mixes.
* Ensure you are familiar with the breed’s adult size & personality traits.
* Estimate costs of regular veterinary care, flea/tick and heartworm prevention.
* Estimate costs of grooming, food and how it fits into your lifestyle or family life.

How to keep your puppy safe?

* Create a safe environment at your home. A puppy, just like a human baby, finds the tiniest nooks and crannies to get into and they often get into trouble playing with computer cables, electric cords, cleaning products, pantyhose, etc. Hide or contain wires and cables, put baby locks on low cabinets (little paws and noses can pry doors open), pick up stray strings, needles, paperclips, shoelaces, and move valuables, books and breakables to new heights.

* Crate – search for one with enough room for your puppy to turn around, lie down and sleep but not too spacious as this leaves room for it to eliminate in areas where it doesn’t sleep.

* Until your puppy has finished all rounds of immunisation, he should not mix with a lot of strange dogs or be where there is a high volume of other dogs walking, as he needs to be fully protected before venturing in public places.

What are the handy things you need to have to care for a puppy?

* Use non-tipping metal food and water dishes – this helps keep the dishes from sliding.

* Buy some stain and odour neutralizer – your puppy will always be drawn to areas where “accidents” took place, a good neutralizer will eliminate odours from its urine or stool.

* Buy a brush, nail clipper and a comb if your puppy will eventually grow into a dog with a medium to long coat.

* Get an adjustable collar, identification tag and a six-foot nylon or leather leash with a small clip. Try to avoid chain collars or leashes.

How to house-train (potty-train) your puppy?

* House-training a puppy is not difficult if you’re consistent and stick to a schedule. You will probably be feeding three times a day. First thing in the morning, take the puppy out of its crate and quickly take it outside to where you’d like it to eliminate. Be patient, and as soon as your puppy starts to eliminate, CALMLY praise it with “Good dog” (or whatever term you’d like to use). When your puppy has finished all its business, take a few minutes to play or cuddle it. What you want to teach your puppy is the sooner it eliminates, the sooner it gets to play with you. When playtime is over, bring it inside, feed your puppy breakfast and let it have water. In about 15-20 minutes, take it outside again and repeat the routine. Once back inside, if you have time to monitor your puppy, you may let it explore its surroundings. After that, put it back in its crate.

* Never leave your puppy in the crate for more than its limit in controlling its bladder. Usually a puppy can hold it for as many hours as its age in months. For example, a 2-month old puppy can stay in the crate for no more than 2 hours, as long as it has eliminated before being crated. Repeat the feeding, elimination, play routine at lunch and dinner, then no more water or food 2 hours before bedtime. If the weather is very warm, a few ice cubes in your puppy’s water bowl will quench its thirst but not stimulate its bladder like water will. Generally, at 8 weeks to 3 months, your puppy will have developed better bladder and bowel control and is capable of sleeping through the night. But remember to take your puppy out first thing in the morning!

* When your puppy pees on one spot, he tends to go back to exactly the same place over and over because your puppy recognises the smell. Therefore take your puppy to the same spot every time. If your puppy does it in the right spot, lavish him with lots of praises! Use your happy voice, your puppy will soon know he did it right and will want to do it right the next time.

* If your puppy had an accident somewhere inside the house, make sure you clean the floor or the carpet thoroughly to neutralise the smell. A good quality pet odour remover should do the trick.

* Each time you want your puppy to defecate or urinate, teach you puppy a specific word by repeating the same word many times, for example “go poop”, “go potty”. By repeating the same words each time, it will become another command for your puppy and he will be able to do it when you mention the command.

* Ideally you will have a dog door installed so that your puppy can be trained to go outside when it needs to eliminate. If this is not practical, keep an eye on your puppy, try to observe how your puppy normally acts before he pees, and take him outside as soon as you see the signs. You can also teach your puppy to ask for the door, but that might take some time.

* Establish a routine – for example, after a nap or before play time, take your puppy outside to eliminate.

What are the development stages and behaviours you can expect from a puppy to a dog?

* The Juvenile Stage: 3 to 4 Months

The Juvenile stage typically lasts from 3 to 4 months of age, and it’s during this time your puppy behaves a little more independent – he might start ignoring the commands he’s only recently learned and tries to exert his new-found independence with its “I don’t have to listen to you” attitude!

You will need to apply firm and gentle reinforcement of commands and training at this stage. Your puppy might even start biting you, play biting or even a real attempt to challenge your authority. A sharp “No!” or “No biting!” command, followed by several minutes of ignoring him should take care of this problem.

When you bond with your puppy, avoid games like tug of war or wrestling with him. He may perceive tug of war as a game of dominance – especially if he wins and wrestling is another game that can rapidly get out of control. As your puppy’s strength grows, he will want to play-fight to see who is stronger – even if you win, the message your puppy receives is that it’s alright to fight with you but this is NOT the message you want to send out!

* The Brat Stage: 4 to 6 Months

Your puppy will demonstrate even more independence and wilfulness during the Brat Stage which begins at about 4 months and runs until about 6 months. You may observe a decline in his urge to please you – expect to see more “testing the limits” type behaviours. During this time he’ll be going through a teething cycle and will also be looking for things to chew on to relieve the pain and pressure. Frozen doggie bones can help sooth him during this period.

Your puppy may try to assert his new “dominance” over other family members, especially children. It is common for puppies at this age to ignore commands to return or come to their owners, which can be a dangerous, even fatal, breakdown in your dog’s response to you. If you turn him loose in a public place, and he bolts, the chances of injury or even death can result – so don’t take the chance. Continue his obedience and basic commands training, but make sure to never let him off his leash during this time unless you’re in a confined area.

Your puppy will now begin to go through the hormonal changes brought on by his growing sexual maturity and you may see signs of rebelliousness. (Think adolescent teen-age boy!) If you haven’t already, you should have your puppy neutered (or spayed if you have a female) during this time.

* The Young Adult Stage: 6 to 18 Months

From 6 months to approximately 18 months, the Young Adulthood stage takes place and is usually a stabilising time in your puppy’s life. He’s young, he’s exuberant, he’s bursting with energy and yet he’s learning all the things he needs to become a full-fledged adult dog. Be realistic in your expectations of your dog at this time, just because he’s approaching his full growth and may look like an adult dog, he’s not as seasoned and experienced as you might expect.

Slowly increase the scope of activities and training for your dog. You can start more advanced training during this period, such as herding or agility training. Otherwise, extend his activities to include more people and other animals – allow him to interact with non-threatening or non-aggressive dogs.

Puppy Housebreaking / Housetraining Procedures and Methods

Puppy housebreaking should start just as soon as you bring your new puppy home – and it is the best way to teach your purebred puppy to go outside when it has to relieve itself. How long does it take to do puppy housetraining?

The easiest answer is: as long as puppy housebreaking takes. I had one German Shepherd puppy that housetrained herself pretty much in just over 3 days, and I have had others that took closer to 2 weeks.

All puppies and breeds of puppies are different and not all can be housetrained in the same amount of time. Housebreaking can easily vary from puppy to puppy.

Additionally, keep in mind that eventhough this article deals primarily with purebred puppies (due to the focus of this web site) that many of these housetraining techniques can also be used with most any other puppy breeds- pure or mixed breed.

When you get your new puppy home the first day, start puppy housebreaking him /her immediately. After he has been briefly introduced to his home and new surroundings, give him a drink of water and immediately take him outside to relieve himself. Take the puppy to the housebreaking area that you chose before bringing him home.

Remember, choice of this housebreaking spot is crucial as it enhances the housetraining – so take careful consideration of where “the housebreaking spot” is before bringing your purebred puppy home. This is the spot where you want the puppy “to go”.

There is a direct correlation between the time you actually put into the puppy housebreaking process and the speed in which the housebreaking of the puppy successfully occurs.

This is a very crucial puppy housebreaking step so be patient and wait until the puppy relieves himself. It may take a while especially with all the new things happening to your new puppy, all the new smells, unfamiliar objects, etc. Do not play with the puppy however until after it has “done it’s business”. If you do it may make the puppy forget about going at all. Since housebreaking is all new to the pure bred puppy it doesn’t know what it’s purpose of being in “the housebreaking spot” is in the first place.

As soon as your puppy finishes, praise it excitedly and immediately take him inside. From that point on, take the puppy to the same housebreaking spot each time and encourage him with a command such as “go potty”, “hurry up” or whatever you choose.

Be consistent using this single command only with the process of puppy housebreaking so that the puppy will learn to associate this act with the command. This will be a huge help in the future, especially when in a new environment or location when traveling, visiting relatives/friends, etc. Being completely housebroken and completely reliable is the final outcome you are looking for.

You must watch them like a hawk at all times – in the beginning of housebreaking especially. If you can not keep an eye on your purebred puppy for some reason please put them in a safe and secure puppy proofed spot (such as a crate or some other small room with easy to clean floors, such as linoleum, closed off with a baby gate so you can peek in as needed). If you are consistent in your puppy housebreaking in the very beginning, ESPECIALLY when it is inconvenient to you (late at night, while you are watching your favorite TV show, etc.), you will actually help the new puppy housebreak itself to alert you when it “has to go”.

A puppy should be taken out immediately (to a prearranged housebreaking area outside): when it wakes up first thing in the morning (before if you manage to get up before the puppy),

after each and every meal,

after each and every nap,

and again before he goes to bed for the night.

Another good housebreaking tip is to take up the puppies water early in the evening and to not feed or water it after say, 6:00 at night, otherwise you may have to make more housebreaking potty trips than usual outside to let the puppy relieve itself. Keep the puppy on a strict housebreaking schedule, both feeding and elimination, and you will have puppy housebreaking success much sooner.

More Puppy Housebreaking and Housetraining Secrets: From Housebreaking to Housebroken

Know in advance that a very young puppy will probably not be able to go through the night without relieving itself so get used to taking it out during the middle of the night until it grows enough to sleep through the night.

You wouldn’t expect a young human baby to be toilet trained in a week, would you? Give the same consideration to your new purebred puppy. He will not be able to be considered reliable as far as housebreaking goes either after only a few days.

The puppy is a baby with a small bladder and weak sphincter muscles. Like human babies, your new puppy will be able to go longer between housebreaking breaks as it grows older and will soon become completely housebroken if your are vigilant in the housebreaking process.

Oops… found a mistake, now what?

If you find your puppy has made a mistake in the house and you did not catch it in the act, simply clean the spot without comment. Clean up all residue and clean the area with a bacteria/enzyme digester. These housetraining aids are available at your pet supply or grocery store. This will get rid of both the stain and the smell. And the smell is the most important part to get rid of. Even if you can’t smell the urine, believe me, your puppy can and he will be encouraged to go back to the same spot again unless you remove ALL urine odors. This is absolutely critical in housebreaking your puppy.

If you find the puppy “in the act”, scoop him up as quickly as possible with his tail between his legs (to help prevent spillage) and take him out asap. Say “out” or “quick” as you take him out but never NO. Since No is used for negative things you do not want your puppy to think that eliminating is wrong, no matter where he does it.

If the new puppy thinks that eliminating is bad he will probably start hiding it from you and you do not want that to happen. That is a whole other behavioral issue to contend with and believe me it’s much better and easier to prevent behavioral problems before they happen than having to deal with them later.

Generally speaking, most puppies are naturally clean dogs – assuming they had the right start clear from the beginning. Puppies raised in small runs or cages develop dirty habits right from the beginning making housebreaking harder. Since they are used to playing and sleeping in their own excrement they will not have any problem with continuing to do so. This is not the puppy’s fault, it’s just what they were accustomed to from an early age.

Keep in mind, housebreaking puppies raised in these type of situations can be much harder and more time consuming than usual but housetraining can still can be done.

Overall, puppy housebreaking problems are often more of a human problem than a puppy problem. If the new owner is steadfast in keeping a watch on the purebred puppy in the beginning of ownership, especially during the first 2 weeks of housetraining, then puppy housebreaking can accomplished and the new puppy will become a reliable member of the family as far as bathroom visits are concerned, and will soon be completely housebroken.

Remember, as the new owner you must be patient with the entire housebreaking process. Each puppy will housetrain at his own speed and with your help. Take him out religiously as outlined above, and keep him on a strict feeding/bathroom housebreaking schedule (as well as anytime the GSD puppy acts as though he has to “go out”). It is very important that you learn to read your puppies potty signals during the housebreaking process: sniffing out “a spot”, circling, whining, going to the door, etc.

Finally, think about how you would like to be housetrained if you were in the puppies place? The puppy won’t enjoy being yelled at, jerked around or frightened any better than you would. A kinder, gentler and more patient puppy housebreaking approach will yield much better results, help your bond with your new puppy and develop a more confident housebroken dog. And isn’t that what we all want as purebred dog owners in the first place?

Puppy Behavior 8 – 11 weeks old.

Puppy behavior is important to be able to understand as when a puppy goes through certain stages in its development their behavior will also go through changes. We will look at the stages a puppy goes through between the ages of 8-11 weeks of age and how you can learn how to train a puppy during this stage.

Puppy Development 8-11 weeks old.

You have just purchased your adorable new puppy and have teaken him home. However, you must try not to get to caught up with the ‘cute puppy’ phase and should start puppy training as early as possible.

You should start basic training.
Don’t allow strangers to scare or intimidate your puppy as this can seriously affect how your puppy interacts with humans in adulthood.
Some dog trainers argue that this phase is so important that if you want your puppy to be a detection dog and you have not taught him the basics of the ‘fetch command’ between 8-11 weeks then they will never be able to become a detection dog

Your puppy will want to explore his surroundings but will have a general fear of everything.
Start socializing your puppy by introducing him to different objects.
Use positive reinforcement to reward good behavior-give your puppy a treat and lots of praise.
Do not be over protective with your puppy. If you give your puppy lots of attention when he becomes scared this will teach him that it is natural to be scared and when he shows fear he gets praise-never a good idea.

Your puppy’s personality will start to really develop so it is imporant to start puppy socialization with other humans and other animals.
Puppy parties are a good socialization tool-but don’t start introducing your puppy to walks or other dogs until your vet says it is ok.
As a new owner you should expect crying and house soiling in the night.
Your puppy will also cry when he is left alone-he is not used to being seperated and he is still a baby.
Monitor fearful behavior as you don’t want irrational fears to develop into adulthood

Your puppy may start tugging and pulling on clothes and even jumping up.
Understand that puppy chewing may happen-but do not allow it.
A puppy soon grows so don’t allow behavior such as jumping up to happen-if he does start ignore your puppy.
Remember that you are the pack leader so you need to be strong and set the House rules
Try not to let anything startle your puppy at this age-watch out for fire works parties
You really need to start introducing your puppy to other dogs as this is how they learn to behave and respond to other dogs.
Although Diarrhoea is common at this age due to changes in diet-if you have any worries at all you must consult your vet.

Yo can start basic puppy training as it is a great way to communicate with your puppy and to build a string relationship-remember these golden rules when puppy obedience training:
Be patient-remember that a puppy has a limited attention span.
Be consistent-set the rules and stick with them.
Positive reinforcement-always heap lots of praise on a puppy that behaves well.
Be rational with your puppy by understanding that you are also learning how to train a puppy so will make mistakes
Be fair at all times with your puppy and accept that their will be accidents in the House.

Start Basic Puppy Obedience Training
Keep pupy obedience training short and fun.
Have lots of treats ready to give your puppy when he behaves well.
Do not give commands in a harsh tone.
Make sure the whole family use the same commands otherwise it will confuse your puppy.
Practice training techniques everyday

Puppy Behavior 8-11 weeks old – what to expect
Fearful behavior
Play biting and chewing
Your puppy may chase other animals
Crying when seperated from you or the family
Minor destructive behavior
Jumping up

If you found this article on puppy behavior and puppy development useful-you may find our more indepth puppy behavior tips useful or visit our site on Dog Obedience Training for more general dog and puppy training advice.

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When bringing home a new puppy, you need to be prepared for the worst case scenario. Chances are, your puppy will be an angel compared to what you expect of him/her, but at least you would have covered all bases. As with anything else in life, it is always better to be over-prepared than to be under-prepared.

The most obvious supplies are usually at the forefront of any new pet-owner’s mind. These include feeding and water dishes, a leash, a collar or harness, teething toys, a bed, some sort of confinement and sleeping quarters for the puppy, wee wee pads, food and of course treats.

When choosing feeding and water dishes, consideration must be given to the size of the puppy. Dishes too large may prevent a tiny puppy from eating and dishes too small may provide too little food for a large puppy. Pay particular attention to the amount of food the puppy is currently eating and the height of the puppy when choosing dishes.

A leash and a collar are two very important items as a puppy needs to get used to walking on a leash even before he/she is ready to go outside. Speak to your veterinarian before taking your puppy out for walks but in the meantime you can get your little furry addition to warm up to the leash by walking him/her inside the house. When choosing between a harness and a collar, attention must be focused on the size of the dog. If a dog is very tiny and fragile, a harness may be a better option because it will prevent accidental injury to your puppy when restraining him/her with a leash.

Teething toys are a must in any household with a new puppy. Puppies, just like babies, lose their puppy teeth and gain adult teeth as they grow. Because of this, they constantly like to gnaw on anything in sight. If you provide your puppy with quality teething toys that entertain him/her then the puppy will continue to chew on the provided toys. You must be sure to select toys that you know your puppy will be entertained by. If the puppy is not entertained, he/she will look to other “toys” around the house to play with.

Choosing a confinement area for your new puppy also needs a lot of planning and thought. Puppies should be supervised at all times if they are freely running around the house. However, there will be times when no one is able to supervise the puppy (when you are sleeping or out of the house etc). During these times, the puppy needs to be confined to a crate or a safe area of the house. If left alone, puppies can be destructive and they can cause harm to themselves. The easiest and most popular form of confinement is usually a crate or an exercise pen. However, you may also choose to have the puppy confined to a gated off section of the house like the kitchen, hallway or bathroom. Whichever form of confinement you choose, you need to choose the proper bedding and soiling area for that arrangement as well. Wee wee pads work well as a scented paper that encourages a puppy to go to the bathroom. These pads will help to ensure that a puppy has an area to go to the bathroom when you are not there so that there are not many soiled areas of the puppy’s sleeping quarters. These pads should be placed away from the puppy’s bed so that the puppy can differentiate between the sleeping quarters and the bathroom area as puppies inherently do not like to soil where they sleep.

Feeding your puppy is also another important factor in preparation planning. As far as treats are concerned, they should only be given to a puppy when the puppy has done something to earn a treat. Always follow the guidelines on the packages to ensure that you are not over-treating your puppy. As for feeding your puppy, you need to ensure that you have the same food for your puppy that the puppy has already been eating. Changing your puppy’s food too quickly can cause upset stomach and diarrhea. Keeping your puppy on a constant, healthy formula is the best way to guarantee your puppy a healthy transition to your home.

After all these factors have been considered and decided upon, you need to make an appointment to have your puppy examined by a Veterinarian to keep him/her current on vaccines. If all goes well, then it is up to you when it comes to training and caring for your new puppy. You can always seek the help of a professional trainer if you are not able to train the puppy properly or you can read training tutorials online or buy training books specific to your breed of dog. 

With the proper planning, care and attention, your puppy will be acclimated to your household within a short period of time. Always remember to socialize your puppy with people, kids and other dogs so he/she will be well rounded as an adult. Puppies need lots of sleep, lots of care and most importantly, lots of love.

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