Dog Training Tips For The First Time Dog Owner

Bringing home your new dog can be a challenge and puppies don’t come with a manual. Here are some dog training tips for the first time dog owner.

Dog Tips For Training

Looking for tips about your dog is a great start. You have already started tip number 1 finding a creditable source for information. This can be ruff but it is the first step in learning the basics for dog training. Since every dog is unique not all training methods will work for your dog. When you are training your dog at home remember patience and repetition is the key to unlocking your dog’s full potential.

Dog Potty Training Tips

When it comes to dog potty training teaching them when the right time and the best place for them to go is the most important step. Improper training when a dog soils the house is among one of the top reasons why dogs end up in shelters. Very few are willing to put in the work necessary to deal with a dog who destroys their carpets and shoes. Right now, you are doing the most important step which is researching dog training tips and making a comprehensive plan that works for you.

There are three methods that work when training your puppy frequent walks, crate training, & paper training.

Frequent Walks: It should be noted that you should wait 10-14 days after your puppies vaccinations before you take them outside. At 14-16 weeks old you can start taking your dog to parks and large social gatherings this is to prevent viruses and potentially fatal diseases. At 8-16 weeks old it is important to start socializing your dog however its important to note that you shouldn’t bring an unvaccinated dog around your puppy at this time. Socialization for your dog is best done in the safety of your backyard or bringing some friends over to admire your new puppy.

Taking your dog for more walks sounds easy but puppies can go to the bathroom every 1-2 hours. The general rule of thumb comes down to 1 hour per months old. If your dog is two months old, it can maximum hold it for 2 hours. If you can’t take time off to train your puppy having a significant other, roommate, or family member that is able to help with the training is a must. Taking your dog out should also be done at the proper times after eating, drinking, and after waking up in the morning. This is to start training your puppy to have a routine when they are older. You should always be on the lookout for when your new puppy needs to go whining, pacing, and sniffing the ground are some indicators that your dog needs to go potty. It is also important to start leash training right away since you don't want your dog to pull on their dog leash.

Crate Training: Crate training should be started right away when you introduce your new puppy into your home. Some view this as confinement but in a previous article we wrote the truth about dog crates covers dog crate sizes, materials, preferred uses, & duration of time that should be spend in their crate.

Dogs are den animals especially in their adolescent months which owning a dog crate fills that naturalistic behavior in your dog. The purpose of using a dog crate for potty training is that dogs don’t like using the bathroom in their living spaces. If your dog is using the bathroom in their crate, cage, or kennel they either aren’t being taken for enough walks or it can be a serious medical issue. A dog will give you signs when they need to be let out of their cage make sure you pay attention to them.

Paper Training: Puppy pads and paper training are very common in the United States however this method isn’t the best option.  What you are doing is reinforcing two completely different behaviors for your puppy. Training them that it is both good and bad to have them relieve themselves in the house can be confusing especially for a new pup.

Dog training pads should only be used in specific circumstances for instance if you live in a cold climate or during the winter when its too cold outside. If you are a person that works long hours and it is impossible for you to be home several times a day training your dog to use the pads is the best option. If you a significant other or anyone can take your dog out multiple times daily this should be done before turning to dog wee wee pads.  

Dog Walking Tips

Part of dog walking is more than just the physical exercise and finding the right fire hydrant. This is an important time and the only time your dog can explore. I personally noticed that owners will tug on the leash when a dog is sniffing a tree and exploring their surroundings. Give you dog some time to smell the flowers and get a few extra sniffs after which a verbal command should be given when to move on.

Verbal Commands: These verbal commands are important when walking dogs can understand about 165 words and possibly more with training. Therefore, it’s important for your new dog to start learning commands like stay, go, and walk this will prevent your dog from stopping every 5 seconds to smell anything in sight. Training your dog to listen to cues will cause less frustrations in the long run because your dog will understand what you want at that time.

Long Walking Tips: A new puppy should avoid too much exercise since veterinarians, breeders, and trainers agree that too much exercise can be just as bad as not enough exercise. So how much exercise is too much? This depends on the breed a Golden Retriever is more inclined to have longer period of exercise than a Corgi. Most people think however that this means that larger dog breeds need a lot of exercise but that isn’t always the case. Going for a two mile jog daily with your Bernese Mountain Dog can be causing as much harm as too little exercise. Asking your vet how much exercise is needed  and learning more about your dogs specific breed can help answer this question.

Products: There are a few products that we recommend if you are having issues walking your new dog. Investing in a harness, a non retractable leash, & doggie shoes are the basic products that you should own when walking with your dog. There are products others like dog coats, travel bowls, and reflective gear that we can talk about as well and if you are interested in that you can read our article here for more information.

Dog Harness: Choosing the right harness can make dog walking a breeze or a nightmare. Having a clip that connects your leash to the front of your dog harness can prevent excess tugging during a walk. Connecting a leash to your dog’s collar isn’t advised since the strain it places on your dog’s neck can prevent them from releasing heat through panting. This can cause your dog to faint and have a neck injury by tugging on the leash.

Non retractable Dog Leash: While retractable dog leashes are convenient, they don’t have the strength and are known to break under enough pressure. The length of retractable dog leashes makes it hard to control your dog along with the possibility of receiving rope burn by grabbing onto the leash. In some cases severe burns and even amputation in 2007 alone there were 16,564 hospital treated injuries in association with leashes. Since owning a retractable leash caused these many incidents, we advise you to change your leash to a non retractable one.

Dog Shoes: This might seem as an afterthought but during the winter and summer months owning a pair or dog shoes can prevent serious burns on your dog’s paw pads and frost bite during the winter months. We wrote an article about do dogs need shoes and it goes over which shoe options are best in different situations.  

Dog Obedience Training Tips

When it comes to dog obedience training looking into dog training centers should be done. Taking dog classes and following tips from the experts like Cesar Millan will teach you the secrets to be a responsible pet owner. If you notice your dog keeps barking, digging and chewing on furniture here are some tips that can help your dog become more obedient.

End Training On A Good Note: When working with any animal that you are trying to gain trust ending on a good note is a must. Imagine you’re training with a personal trainer and after a great workout they belittle you. If you continued using the trainer after that you are in the minority and the same goes with your dog. Ending on a bad note and even punishment will set a bad example for your dog and will make them less inclined to learn the good behaviors.  

Rewarding Behavior: Rewarding behavior should only be done when something has been achieved. If your dog hasn’t performed a task that should be rewarded don’t give them a treat. Punishment and scolding during training should be avoided since it will discourage them from doing it again the future. Stick the basics give rewards and praise when something has been accomplished. Also avoid trying to train your dog for long periods of time their attention spans aren’t like ours 15 minutes at a time is the sweet spot for us.

Practice: When you are trying to get your dog to be obedient or learn a new trick practicing it often will get you the results you are looking for. Practicing daily with your dog is a great start 5 minutes a day is plenty of time to start obedience training. After seeing that your puppy can handle longer than 5 minutes training intervals up it slowly until you get the desire result. After the trick or behavior is learned continue practicing it while introducing new tricks and behaviors after that one has been mastered.

Patience: Patience is the most important aspect in obedience training. If you aren’t willing to put in the time to training your dog, why would you expect your dog to have the patience. Starting with small intervals will keep you and your puppy interested long enough to make progress and end on that good note. Dogs are more that willing to learn it’s the amount of time we put in that we receive back.

Dog Training Tips Aggression

When it comes to an aggressive puppy getting help right away is necessary. Owners tend to seek out a professional dog trainer at this point and so should you. How can we stop aggressive behavior in dogs? The first step is to identify what is causing your dog’s aggression and talking with your vet and personal trainer. Following the previous steps should avoid reaching these stages of aggression.

Dog Bathing Tips

Bath time for pups can be one of the most fun aspects of owning a dog. Before you even start the bathtub make sure you are prepared with shampoo, a towel, and brush if they are a long-haired dog. It important to make this a fun time with lots of toys and love.

Associating bath time as a punishment or reprimand shouldn’t be done as it can cause fear and anxiety for some dogs. Sometimes it is beneficial if you jump in the bath with them as they can feel more relaxed until they understand that a bath is a good thing.

If your dog associates water running as negative cue run the bath before bringing them into the bathroom. Placing steel wool over the drain can collect hair and prevent it from clogging your drain. Remember this is a fun time for your and your dog. If you have small children, this is a great time to bond with all of them.   

Dog Grooming tips

If you are looking for tips on grooming, you came to the right place. Dog grooming isn’t just about brushing their fur coats its also about brushing their teeth, trimming their nails, cleaning their eyes and ears. Each one is important and not one should be neglected as it can cause harm later down the road.

Dog Hair Brushing Tips: Brushing your dogs hair isn’t just for long hair dogs it removes debris, dead hair, and dander that can cause an allergic reaction. Proper dog brushing will make your next appointment to your dog groomer easy. Never brush your dog back to front chances are the brush will get mangled up within your dogs fur and that is a bad time for everyone.   

Dog Nail Trimming Tips: Some professional dog groomers offer an additional service of trimming dog nails which takes most of the headache out of the situation. There are a few nail trimming and nail clipping options out there which ever you choose to take make sure it’s a pleasant experience for your dog. Associating negative behavior with grooming especially when you should trim your dogs nails at minimum once every month usually once every two weeks will set a bad precedent and make it harder to do in the future.

Dog Teeth Brushing tips: How often do you need to brush your dog’s teeth at least once a week is necessary. Try a few different options when brushing your dogs teeth. We just wrote an article about how to clean my dogs teeth and it goes over teeth cleaning toys, treats, supplements, and professional cleanings. If you don’t know where to begin this article is a great start for to learn how to brush your dog’s teeth.

Dog Ear Cleaning Tips: With continued buildup of wax your dog is more likely to suffer from an ear infection and even hearing damage. Most owners overlook cleaning their dogs eyes and ears for the most part cleaning them can be done the same way. Cotton swabs and cotton balls can be used just don’t insert anything into your dog’s ear canal by doing so you might cause permanent hearing damage. Using the proper cleanser for your dogs eyes and ears can also be used. If you don’t have any cotton swabs a hand towel can also be used to clean a dogs eyes and ears.

What's great about these tips is that most can be done at home. Dog training at home is viable especially with a new puppy. If you have the means for a personal dog trainer, we highly recommend searching for one in your area.