The Secret Of Puppy Training

If you want to train your puppy in the most efficient way from the start, there are two methods for training your puppy which you need to pay close attention to. They are being the pack leader and the method of positive reinforcement. These two methods will be covered in this article and you will understand how they can be used to effectively train your puppy.

When a new puppy comes to your home, you need to understand dog psychology and the dynamics of the dog pack. The pack has its own dynamics and the principle of dominance is crucial within it. There is a hierarchy within a pack of dogs and at the head is the alpha pair. They are the only one permitted to breed.

When it comes to eating, the alpha pair eat first. When it comes to sleeping, they take the higher vantage place. This is why dogs like to sleep on beds or sofas.

If you want to set off on the right foot and avoid behavior problems in your puppy, you absolutely must position yourself and your family as the pack leaders or alpha dogs in your home. To do this, you shouldn’t allow your puppy to get onto the bed or sofa.

Your whole family should let your puppy see you eating something (such as a biscuit) just before you give him his food. You should make it look as if you are taking the food from the dog’s plate.

You should always behave in a calm and assertive manner. Having covered the concept of pack leader, let's now go into the idea of positive reinforcement.

Positive reinforcement means that you reward a desired behavior in your puppy or dog and ignore an undesired behavior. Most dog trainers nowadays don’t use negative reinforcement or punishment because it has been shown to be ineffective.

To positively reinforce you can use small food treats and also praise and affection. It is so important that you don't reinforce undesired behaviors in your puppy. Reinforcing undesired behaviors is one of the main reasons for dog behavior problems. Puppy or dog training happens whenever you are with your puppy or dog, not just when you decide to have a training session.

For example, if your puppy jumps up at you when you come into a room and you give him attention and affection, you are reinforcing his "jumping up" behavior. You should ignore him whenever he engages in an undesired behavior. This means you should look away or turn away and not give any attention. This method may be difficult for you to accept and this is the reason many people fail in training their dogs.

You will find that positioning yourself as the pack leader in your home forms a bedrock for all your puppy training and positive reinforcement gives you a method to encourage the correct behaviors in your puppy and to avoid potential dog behaviour problems.

For more information on training your puppy, visit the Training Puppy Tips website.