Early Training
March 28th, 2010 | 
Author: Early Training – Getting It Right
The best way to discipline your dog is to enroll it in puppy preschool. Many veterinary practices are now running puppy preschools and these, if well managed, are invaluable because they allow puppies to socialize with other puppies and people, and they enable you to start training your dog from as early as seven weeks of age.
A good puppy preschool should not be a free-for-all with large numbers of uncontrolled puppies and children nor should it be a boring, regimented military camp. It should wherever possible, combine supervised off-lead socialization with short periods of individual instruction on basic training. As the class progresses the training should also be practised in a group situation.
Reward-Based Training – Positive Reinforcement
Training should be based on positive reinforcement, not punishment. Reward-based training using food treats is, in my opinion, the best way to train puppies as they are very food-oriented at this stage in their life and are open to learning new things.
In reward-based training, the puppy receives a food treat the moment it performs a desirable behaviour. It is a also praised verbally at the same time. For example, to teach a puppy to sit, a treat is held just in front of its nose and when it shows interest, the treat is moved up and backwards so that in reaching up and back for the treat, the puppy automatically sits. The ‘sir command is given at this time and when the puppy achieves the position, the treat is released and the puppy is verbally praised. Using this technique, puppies learn to sit happily on command very quickly, sometimes within minutes!
Stay away from classes run by control freaks who physically force puppies to sit by pulling their necks up and pushing their bottoms down, or who get them to lie down by pulling their legs out from under them while pulling down on their collars. This is not acceptable in training. Physically forcing puppies to behave in certain ways can be psychologically and sometimes physically damaging.
Posted in Dog Training