IT'S NEVER TOO SOON TO TRAIN YOUR NEW PUPPY.

Let's say you just brought home a new puppy and discovered that your cute, cuddly ball of fur likes jumping up on guests and chewing on the furniture.

What do you do now?

Start training your puppy as soon as you get him. Simple obedience commands are the very first things to teach.

Who's the boss?

The most important lesson to cover is that you are the boss, so your new puppy will take direction from you. As pack animals, dogs naturally attempt to assume a leadership position. Your family is puppy's new pack, and you must quickly establish yourself as leader by being firm, consistent and clear in your communications.

It is very important to teach your dog, the "come" command, both for his own safety and yours. Use the leash method.


Begin by putting a collar on your puppy. Once he's used to wearing, attach a leash and standing several feet away, say "come", and gently pull him toward you.

As he reaches you, praise him. Puppies have short attention spans, so make is fun for him by keeping each session down to a few minutes. Do not repeat yourself or raise your voice. Soon your puppy will associate the word with the action. Then, you can begin practicing without a leash.

Sit and down commands
Teaching your dog early to sit and then lie-down are also very important. Both of these commands place your dog in a submissive position, and can be used to settle your dog if he is acting up.

you can also make a game out of encouraging your puppy o pick up his toys. Praise him for it, then each him "drop it." When first playing this game with him, be sure to keep your valuables out of reach until he learns which are his toys. Practice object exchanges, where the puppy trades you something he has for something you've got. Your pup will soon be adept at bringing  you things and dropping them on command.

If your dog is playing too roughly in the house, interrupt him and send him outside to play. That way he'll learn that outside is the place for running and playing- not near the cabinet full of family heirlooms.


Guidelines for success
successful dog training relies on positive reinforcement and establishing yourself early as the leader. Remember these golden rules for a puppy training:

• Start training as early as possible.
• Practice patience.
• Be consistent.
• Be firm.
• Give your puppy lots of opportunities to succeed.
• Limit the opportunity for making mistakes and stop your pup if he does.
• Always reward good behavior with words of praise, hugs and treats.
• Practice more patience.

While there are many good books available on puppy training, most experts agree that one of the best ways to get started is by joining a group class. it's great way to socialize your pup, while you, that handler, learn the correct ways to teach, reward and correct him.

The staff here at the Ridgefield Park Animal Hospital advice our new puppy pet parents to train in a early age. Training creates a special bond between puppy and owner. We have a dog trainer in our staff and you can call her at 201-456-9289 and her name is Donna Huppert. Donna has her own website, donnasdogma.com; she is a certified Master Dog Trainer in the State of New York