Another good training tool to have is a spray bottle, again, very inexpensive, but effective. Fill with water, add Tbsp of vinegar (some say lemon juice but the dogs get used to that and don’t mind it), then when you have unwanted behaviour you mist it across the puppies face, not directly into it and give the puppy your command in a firm voice or a strong “no”.
Is your puppy nipping, put peanut butter or margarine on the back of your hand, she will lick it off, tell her “good puppy, good kisses”, refocus her behaviour from the biting to licking. This a really good thing to do with children and your puppy.
But before you do any of that you need to decide what type of training you want to do. Clicker training rewards good behaviour, the spray bottle is working on the negative. So do you want to reward or consequate? Do some reading, research different training methods and find what works for you and your family.
Each family member should use the same words, commands, and methods to avoid confusion. Telling a dog “off” and “down” can mean two entirely different things.
The most important message to get across with your puppy is that YOU are the leader of the “pack”. When you go outside, YOU go through the door first, (say “people first”); when you go for a walk YOU lead the dog, the dog does not lead you – if he starts to pull ahead on the leash YOU turn and go the other way. Many times you see dogs out taking their humans for a walk! YOU control the food and water, in the dog world whoever controls the food (eats first), is the leader. These may seem like simple ideas but it’s the message they convey that is important. YOU are the one to be followed and looked to for commands. If you want your dog to lie on the couch, that’s okay, but he can only get up on the couch once you invite him to. If he jumps up on his own, make him get off, then YOU invite him back up, he quickly learns to sit and look to you for permission before he gets on the couch. This may seem like overkill, but very nice if he is in someone else’s home for example.
Behaviors that seem so cute as a puppy may not be so appealing as an adult dog. Keep in mind your vision of what you want for a well behaved adult dog while you are training your puppy. At times it will seem like a lot of work, and it is, but you’ll be so proud of your little dog when people exclaim “what a good dog!” All your hard work will have paid off.
Giving commands after the dog has done the wrong thing is too late. Say “off” before he jumps up on you or the furniture. Try to anticipate your dogs next move, and correct him just as he is about to make it, then praise, praise, praise him!
The best time to train your dog is every day throughout the day! Small commands like sit can be used when you notice your dog is about to sit; tell her sit and then praise her for sitting. She's such a good dog!
Remember ~ you will have your puppy for a long time, she doesn't have to learn everything at once! Be patient, keep training sessions short and focus on teaching one thing at a time. You will be so glad when your puppy is older that you put the time and effort in now!
Funny Fact: My Father has Molly’s sister, her name is Daisy, and just to give you an example of how “trainable” these dogs are Daisy does the following: at night she picks up her toys and puts them in the toy basket before she goes to bed, and she can’t drop them beside the basket, she has to put them in the basket, when she wants to eat she drags her bag of food to my Father and he feeds her (he buys the small bags so she can do this), she brings my Mother’s cane to her and she doesn’t just drop it at her feet, she holds it up with her mouth until my Mother reaches down and takes it. She really does these things, and more, so whatever you can probably imagine you can teach these little guys to do.
Molly & Daisy as puppies
Don’t make the mistake of thinking “the dog couldn’t possibly learn this”. She can!
