A Comprehensive Guide to Puppy Parenting

Adding a puppy to your family can bring much joy and happiness. After all, they grow to be loyal, loving companions by your side. That being said, it is our responsibility to give them the proper training to grow into healthy adults. So, here’s a comprehensive guide to raising a puppy. 

Puppy Training 101: What is Puppy Behavior Training? 

Before you begin training a puppy, it’s important to know what puppy behavior training is all about. Key components of puppy training include teaching a young dog how to behave appropriately through basic commands, healthy socialization, and positive reinforcement techniques.

Teaching Basic Commands 

A foundation of puppy training is teaching them basic commands that they will need throughout their lives. These include commands like sit, stay, and leash training. Teaching your puppy basic commands and cues can begin as early as when they are 8 weeks old. 

Moreover, teaching your pup these basic cues helps them know what is expected of them. Remember that it will take consistency, positive reinforcement, and patience when it comes to training. 

Importance of Healthy Socialization 

Exposing your puppy to a variety of environments, people, and animals can serve them later in their mature years. Healthy socialization involves interactions with your puppy and other dogs, different people, various sounds, and environments to help promote positive behavior. 

In fact, gently exposing your puppy to safe experiences during their first three months of life will permanently shape their future personality. 

Positive Reinforcement

The use of positive reinforcement in your puppy’s behavior training is hugely impactful to their development. Positive reinforcement involves the act of rewarding good behavior to encourage it to be repeated in the future. 

This training method is beneficial for puppies since they respond best to praise, and teaches them to love training. Plus, focusing on rewards will allow your puppy to make a positive association, further strengthening your bond. With that in mind, here are some positive reinforcement techniques to reward your puppy for desired behaviors. 

• Use of toys
• Healthy treats or chews
• Anything that your dog wants to work for! 

Puppy Training Tips

Puppies learn a lot of information in their early months. To facilitate their learning, pet parents can incorporate puppy behavior training to help them adopt good behaviors. Here are some tips to consider.

• Focus on building a loving bond with your puppy to facilitate teaching behaviors and commands. 
• Emphasis on positive reinforcement training to influence positive dog behavior. 
• Make sure that you conduct training when your puppy is well-rested.
• Remember that training begins as soon as you bring your puppy home. 

Puppy Potty Training Tips

Another foundation of training your pup involves potty training them at the right time and place. When it comes to potty training, there are various tools to consider when housetraining. 

Here are a few tips that can make housetraining easier, including: 

1. The use of dog crates can aid potty training by teaching your puppy not to potty where they sleep and eat. Plus, crates can be beneficial for travel and vet visits while serving as a safe space for them. 
2. Establish a consistent potty schedule to make training more predictable. Routines help puppies learn appropriate elimination behavior. 
3. Praise and reward your puppy through positive reinforcement so that they can establish good potty training behaviors. 

Professional Puppy Support from Get Joy

At Get Joy, we know how much your dog’s wellness means to you. That’s why we are your one-stop shop for all things related to dog health and wellness. Whether you seek nutritious meals, dog wellness resources, or an on-demand virtual vet service for behavior and training, we’ve got you covered. 

Check out our products here – you won’t regret it!