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4 Things You Should Teach Your Puppy

Puppy training is arguably the most important part of raising a puppy—without proper training, you may have to deal with unwanted behaviors from your dog as they grow older. Puppy training in Chapel Hill can be simply defined as training your puppy about what is acceptable behavior and what is unacceptable behavior. Which behaviors do you need to teach them? Let’s take a closer look at 4 important things you should teach your puppy during training.

Teach them where to use the bathroom

Teaching your puppy where they should use the bathroom, otherwise known as housebreaking your puppy, requires plenty of patience—especially since puppies who are still only 2-3 months old do not yet have great control over their bladders. You will need to teach your puppy that it is not acceptable for them to go to the bathroom anywhere they please; rather, there are designated areas (indoor pads at first, until they are old enough to be taught how to ask to go outside) for bathroom use.

Teach them how to be handled

Teaching your puppy how to be handled is very important, especially for everyday aspects of your dog’s life which will include being groomed, cleaning their teeth, trips to the vet, putting on a collar, or even simply picking them up. Your puppy needs to be taught to relax while being handled and not to squirm away or react in a defensive way while you are handling them.

Teach them your household rules

The household rules for puppies will vary from owner to owner. For example: some dog owners do not allow their dogs to get onto furniture, while other owners allow their dogs to get on furniture whenever they want, and still other owners allow their dogs to get on furniture only with prompting from a person. Before you begin to teach your puppy the household rules, you need to establish what those rules are—and apply them universally. For example: If you are going to allow your puppy to jump up on someone’s lap, then everyone must allow the dog to jump on their lap or the puppy will become confused about the rule. 

Common household rules to address include:
  • Whether the dog is allowed to be on furniture
  • Whether the dog is allowed to sleep in people's beds at night
  • Whether the dog is allowed to bark at noises he hears coming from outside
  • Whether the dog is allowed to sit near people while they eat
Remember: these rules have to apply universally or else the rule will be unclear for the puppy.

Teach them a routine

Routines are essential to puppy training because they help puppies remember what they are allowed to do or not allowed to do; routines are also reassuring for puppies, and help them view their home environment as relaxing. Routines should include schedule routines, such as specific feeding times, as well as 'placement' routines such as keeping food and water bowls in the same spot, and keeping toys in the same spot.