You can start training your puppy practically as soon as you get him home. You can take him to puppy training classes of course, but it isn’t so difficult to learn puppy training techniques and teach him yourself. Dogs are like children and learn quickly through games. Try to play with your puppy as often as you can, and if possible get down on the floor with him. That way a bond will be established between you and the puppy and you can strengthen it through training. When he is about eight weeks old your puppy will be old enough to start learning how to retrieve things, bring them to you and lay them at your feet. He will find this fun and enjoy playing “fetch” for the rest of his life.

The best way to teach him this game is to keep him on a 10-foot leash. Rather than using a stick, use a toy he is familiar with or a soft ball. It is important to ensure that it isn’t too small, to prevent him from swallowing it. Take the toy and wave it in the air around his head to catch his attention, and then throw it at a distance of about 5 feet. Be careful not to throw it further than that or he might injure himself when he suddenly reaches the end of the leash. Make sure you use his name, for example “Prince, fetch!”

Run after him as he goes after the toy and give him a bit of praise, especially if he picks it up, but do not praise him too much at this point. If he fails to pick it up with his mouth, shake it in front of him until he does, and then return to where you were, trying to get him to follow you. Should he drop the toy you must make him pick it up again. When he brings it back, get the toy out of his mouth saying “Out” as you do so, so that he will learn to recognize this command. After that you can lavish all the praise you want on him.

It is important when training a new puppy to make sure he always has fun with this game and that it is not a source of stress for him. Little by little he will begin to understand what you want and what he needs to do to get praise from you. Once you no longer have to move towards the toy to get him to retrieve, you can begin to throw it in other directions.

Although Labrador retrievers are good swimmers, this is something they need to learn, and they need to strengthen their swimming muscles through exercise. It is not a good idea to push your puppy into the water or make him go in. When he is about three months old you can encourage him to enter a pond or lake and he will quickly understand what to do. You can help him get started by wading in with him at the beginning, and if he sees other dogs having fun in the water that will encourage him to get in on the fun.

Puppies that are raised by the sea become great sea-lovers, but you have to be sure to protect a young puppy from big waves. Take him to the shallow part of a sheltered bay to begin with. When you throw an object make sure it does not fall into deep water as it is easy to misjudge distances and your puppy might not be able to swim back if the object is too far away, and risks drowning from exhaustion.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that it’s safe to let your puppy swim in your pool. He might go in alone when you are not looking and not be able to climb out when he gets tired.

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.

Getting a new puppy is always an exciting adventure, but training them can be a feat. Free puppy training tip lists are readily available, and can can be very useful when attempting to train a new puppy at home. The following paragraphs will discuss some ways to locate these free puppy training tip lists including:

• paper publications
• animal organizations
• the internet
• other pet owners

Paper publications for animal lovers often have free puppy training tip lists included inside. It is a good idea to check the cover, then the table of contents to find the free puppy training tip lists. Sometimes the paper publications may offer past issues that contain the free puppy training tip lists you desire. These back issues are often available for purchase by mailing in the order form.

Another great source of free puppy training tip lists are animal organizations in your area. Many veterinarians, dog training services, humane societies, and pet supply stores will offer free puppy training tip lists in the form of free literature. You can visit these different establishments in your area to obtain these free puppy training tip lists to help you with training your new puppy.

The world wide web is a huge source in obtaining free puppy training tip lists. With the internet growing so rapidly in popularity, more and more trainers and pet owners are sharing their knowledge through web pages. By browsing these different web pages, you can find many free puppy training tip lists, as well as many other aids in training your new puppy.

Finally, the last source of locating free puppy training lists are from family and friends. Many pet owners enjoy sharing their knowledge, and would gladly give you free puppy training tip lists. Who would know better about training a puppy than someone who has done it?

While the joys of adopting a new puppy can be enormous, the stresses of training that new puppy can be just as huge. Obtaining free puppy training tip lists is easy and can be extremely effective in aiding in training your new puppy with less stress. With free puppy training tip lists so easily available, reducing the stress of training your puppy will be a breeze!

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.

Puppy training is often considerably easier than training an adult or adolescent dog. One reason is that the puppy is essentially a “blank slate”, untroubled by past training techniques and other issues. Another more indirect reason is that you are probably more likely to spend more time and have greater patience with your new puppy than you would after the “novelty” has worn off somewhat. And it tends to be human nature to have greater patience with young (dogs and people), since we know that they’re inexperienced in life and they’re usually eager to learn.

In other ways, however, the puppy can be a little more difficult to train than an older dog. One challenge to training a new puppy is that puppies are more easily distractible than older dogs. Everything is new to a puppy, and every new experience provides a new chance for distraction. For this reason, it is best to keep training sessions short when working with a puppy, and to end each training sessions on a positive note.

It is also important to allow the puppy plenty of time to play, and to interact with other puppies and dogs. Socialization training is vital to making your new puppy a good canine citizen, as dog aggression is a growing problem in many areas. A properly socialized dog learns how to play properly with other dogs, and overly aggressive play is punished by the other dogs in the play group.

This type of play learning is something that happens among siblings in litters of puppies. As the puppies play with each other, they learn what is appropriate and what is not. Inappropriate behavior, such as hard biting or scratching, is punished by the other puppies, by the mother dog, or both.

Failure to properly socialize can be a major problem with your dog, and it is an important reason for always buying from a responsible breeder, and never taking your puppy home before he is 8 weeks of age. A large proportion of this important socialization experience occurs in those last weeks with the puppy’s mother and siblings.

A responsible and experienced breeder knows this, and will never allow prospective puppy owners take puppies home until 8 weeks of age, but it is nevertheless a very important and useful fact to be aware of yourself.

Unfortunately, many puppies are removed from their mothers and sold or adopted before this socialization has fully occurred. In these instances, even more than ever, puppy play sessions initiated by you are a very important part of any puppy training session. Most good puppy preschool training programs provide time in each session for this type of dog interaction.

Introducing your puppy to new experiences and new locations is also an important part of puppy training. Teaching your dog to be obedient and responsive, even in the face of many distractions, is very important when training dogs and puppies.

One great way to socialize your puppy both to new people and new dogs is to take it on a trip to your local pet store. Many major pet store chains, and some independent ones as well, allow pet parents to bring their furry children, and these stores can be great places for puppies to get used to new sights, sounds and smells. Of course you will want to make sure the store allows pets before heading over, and you will also want to keep the visits fairly short, both for your puppy’s sake, and in consideration of the pet store personnel.

It is important for puppy owners to structure their pet’s environment so that the puppy is rewarded for good behaviors and not rewarded for others. One good example of this is jumping on people. Many people inadvertently reward this behavior because it can be cute. While it is true that jumping can be cute for a 10 pound puppy, it will not be so cute when that puppy has grown into a 100 pound dog.

Laughing at your puppy, or paying any attention to him at all when he jumps up, will be interpreted as a reward by your puppy – he will learn that he will receive attention from you when he does this. So be very careful not to confuse your puppy. There are two strategies for undesired behaviors – firmly saying “No” to your puppy, and/or ignoring the behavior completely. For “repeat offenders”, the ignoring method works best, as it is possible that your puppy will be interpreting ANY attention (even you saying “No” to him) as a reward for the behavior.

Conversely, of course, good behaviors should be rewarded immediately (either with treats or simply with lots of attention and fuss – saying “Good boy” in a very positive tone of voice, and stroking your dog at the same time is often just as well received as treats are). This type of positive reinforcement will result in a well behaved adult dog that is a valued member of both the family and the community at large.

The positive reinforcement method can also be used in potty training the new puppy. Teaching a puppy to use a unique surface such as gravel or asphalt is a good technique. The theory is that the puppy will associate this surface with going potty, and therefore be reluctant to use other surfaces (like your kitchen carpet for example) as a potty. Many puppies can, with a little patience, be readily trained to use the same spot for toileting. This is a great technique, as it will train your puppy to go “on command”, and will save you having to scour the back yard when cleaning up after your puppy.

Shih Tzu Puppy Training

The joys of having a Shih Tzu puppy, which is also called a lion dog and chrysanthemum dog, is incomparable. You will appreciate its cute and cuddly appearance, soft and smooth fur, and adoring eyes that make it one of the most desirable pets around. Its quality as an excellent guard dog despite its small size is a bonus!

Like all dog breeds, however, you must train your lion dog to integrate fully into human society whilst staying true to its natural tendencies and temperaments. You can achieve this through proper puppy training, of which many benefits can be had.

Build Good Relationships

The basis of a good relationship with your Shih Tzu puppy is trust, which should be nurtured from the first contact. When you have mutual trust, your pet will follow your commands without the attendant displeasure, confusion and anxiety present in most untrained puppies. Of course, your pet and the people around you will appreciate your relationship. For one thing, your dog will follow commands that can put it out of harm’s way specifically with dog fights. For another thing, your family members and neighbors will appreciate your happy pet, thanks to good puppy training. Ultimately, your relationships with your dog and with other people will benefit from a well-behaved Shih Tzu, puppy or not.

Fix Behavioral Difficulties

It must be emphasized that dogs, like people, have different temperaments although certain traits can be attributed to lion dogs. In addition to their naturally sweet, trustful and playful nature, lion dogs can be very stubborn and easily distracted as well as snappy. Thus, if you are training your pet, always keep these general personality traits in mind.

When you do succeed in your puppy training, you will delightedly discover that your dog behavioral problems wonderfully vanish. You can say goodbye to poop and pee littering the house and the lawn, to neighbors being annoyed with your Shih Tzu’s bad behavior, and to children being snapped on by a temperamental puppy. In short, you will have a healthy, happy and huggable puppy that will bring plenty of joy to the family. What more can you want in a pet?

Encourage Socialization

Amongst all the dog breeds, the lion dogs are said to be the most sociable, most affectionate and most playful. You will observe that your pet constantly craves human attention and contact, which can lead to behavioral problems with both the dog and the human kinds.

Puppy training, however, minimizes the problems associated with such an attention seeker mentality. Of course, you will train your puppy in the correct ways that he should interact around other dogs and humans. Besides, you can establish who the alpha dog is in the pack, thanks to said training. In a Shih Tzu, you must assert your authority or else you will be taken over by its arrogant and dominant qualities!

So, don’t ever hesitate! As soon as you read this article, you can go ahead to my website to learn more about puppy training.