3 Things to Start Teaching Your Pup from Day One

So you got a puppy. How exciting? Well maybe, you aren't excited but your kids are or perhaps your significant other. Regardless if you got the dog for you or not it's still best to be in on the training, so the puppy knows who is in charge. Honestly, I don't like using the words "in charge" because it's not about that. It's not about being in charge, being dominant or the master. It's about building trust and working on a relationship. If I have learned one thing being a dog owner it would be, you depend on your dog as much as they depend on you.

If you are a new dog owner this is for you or maybe you are an experienced dog owner looking for new ways to train your dog.

Dog training is a tough thing to do, it takes a lot of time and patience, and it doesn't happen overnight. When I first got my dog Simba he was quite the handful. He was hyperactive and a little aggressive, just a couple of kinks to work out. Whenever you bring a new puppy or dog into your home it can be quite an experience. You're learning new things and so is your dog. You want to teach them boundaries, get them to trust you, and let them know it's a privilege to be in the house (that is if you have a house dog). I didn't know anything when I first rescued my dog, but over the last few years, I have learned a lot about dog training. Here are the best 3 tips I can give for bringing your new pup into your home.

1. Hand-feed your dog every meal for at least the first six months to a year

Hand-feeding your dog may sound like a waste of time or something easy to just put off doing. A lot of people may ask why should I hand feed my dog? There are many reasons. It builds trust between you and your pet, it helps with training, it gets the dog used to their surroundings, and it works their brains. The best way to start doing this before the dog knows any basic commands is to take a handful and walk backward you sift kibble into your other hand as your dog follows you. This is also teaching your dog that good things come from you. Also if you run into a situation where your pup seems nervous maybe it's a new area or a car hand feed them to let them know its ok.

2. Kennel/Crate train them. Being out is a privilege.

There is a huge misconception among dog owners which is people think they should just let their new puppy wonder the house and not let the puppy sleep. In fact, I used to think that until my dog trainer taught me differently. Now I can say that is, the worst thing you can do. If you get a new puppy or bring a new dog into your home keep them in a crate. This helps the dog get used to the crate and decreases anxiety later on. A puppy should be sleeping as much as an infant child. Put your puppy in the crate for 2-3 hours then take the puppy out and immediately take them outside to potty, feed them, and play with them, then repeat. Puppies need their rest. Crate training helps the dog with potty training and helps you the owner start be able to start to trust the dog in the house before they are able to be free in the house.

3. Socialize. Socialize. Socialize

Socialize your dog. By this, I don't mean take the dog to the dog park and let him play with other dogs. In fact, I would say no to taking them to the dog park but this is a conversation for another time. The best way to socialize your dog is to get them used to anything you can think of by introducing them to things such as loud noises, new areas (take them out of the house), people, dogs, and other animals, etc. You can do this by taking your dog places and feeding them kibble over and over again. This teaches them to ignore things. Loud noises, people, and nothing else is scary.

I hope this helps all of you new dog owners out there. I could go on and on. Never stop training your dog for it doesn't take long for them to fall back into old habits or ignore you completely. The more you work on stuff the stronger your bond will become.