Anyone considering getting a dog must understand the absolute necessity of properly training and socializing your dog. It is never too early, or too late, to start.
There is an enormous amount of information and support available over the internet, as well as through your vet, animal professionals, and fellow dog owners.
If you feel the need, there are also self-help books, and professionals. Dog training schools tend to be pretty expensive, though, so if your budget will not allow for such as expense, then consider the less expensive options mentioned above.
By doing focused, dedicated research, plus patience and effort, you can gain the knowledge needed to start properly training your dog.
It should be rewarding experience, and no matter what the dog’s age, you should have the satisfaction of seeing good results quite quickly, if you are firm, fair and consistent.
Socializing your dog should start as soon as possible, under safe, controlled conditions. It is not recommended that you take your dog for a walk until it has had its full round of preliminary shots. But you can have people over to your house to met the new addition to your family. young and old, tall and short, with glasses and without, children of different ages, carefully introduce them to your new puppy or dog.
The Puppy’s Rule of 12 worksheet (also available at this site) gives excellent guidelines on all the things you should expose your pet to by the time it is 12 weeks old. Teach them to pet the dog by going under the head, not over it. They love to get their chests rubbed! Also make sure you handle both their head, and their rear end, to make it easier for any vet to handle him.
You should start brushing their teeth with a finger toothbrush as well. This will make make it much easier for oral examinations of your dog, and in case you ever have to administer medicine.
Handling the head is particularly important for terriers, since they are prone to react to movement, and can often snap by instinct (they were trained to keep down vermin, so beware of sudden movements around them until you are more familiar with their responses).
Your training sessions will be an excellent time for you and family members to bond with your pet. Just make sure that you are all on the same page about what is being taught, and what is expected. Otherwise, the new puppy or dog will soon try to play one ‘puppy parent’ off against the other, just like a human child will!
For those who think that dog training is unkind in some manner, such a putting them in a crate at night, nothing could be further from the truth. your new puppy or dog will feel more secure with an ‘alpha’ parent he can trust and respect, and rely upon to feel safe.
If he does not have an alpha parent, he can turn aggressive. If he is not treated with consistency, s/he will lack emotional maturity, and can often develop issues such as separation anxiety when left alone.
A happy, well-adjusted dog will actually gain a great deal of self-esteem from training. He or she will love to please you by performing the tasks you request, and will certainly not get into trouble through being bored because left to its own devices. Just like a child, your dog will respond to clear commands as to what is expected of it. also just like a child, it may not always wish to obey!
In that case, firmness but fairness is the rule. Above all, you mist be consistent. Don’t allow them on the sofa or your bed one day and then expect them to not do it in front of company. Again, in terms of the role of the alpha in the household, NEVER let them sleep in your bed.
As we mentioned above, some people think crate training is unkind, but wild dogs are actually den animals. They feel more protected and secure in a small, enclosed space such as a crate or kennel, or if you have a larger property, in a dog house. It doesn’t matter if they sleep outside of it in the rain or snow, the fact is that they have a secure place of their own.
For those of us who are city dwellers, a crate is an absolute must. Crate training will give your dog a space of its own away from the family and particularly any children or other animals that you might have. Their bedding, toys, and and other treasures can be kept safe, and it will aid you in toilet training as well, since most puppies will rarely soil their own den. The act of going outside the crate helps prepare them for the act of going outside the house. Putting them on a wee wee pad as soon as they step out of the crate will also reinforce this message.
Some crates have adjustable lengths, so as the dog grows, the crate can ‘grow’ with him to give him more space while still allowing him to feel snug. Modern pee pee pads are often treated with a scent to encourage them to go.
Crates are also excellent to make sure you small pup is not underfoot when there are visitors, meals are being prepared, or when you have to leave them alone. Just so long as they are not left in for more than an hour or two at a time, they should be fine.
It is also good as a ‘naughty corner’ to get them away from a dangerous activity. But never try to punish your dog after the fact, for example, long after they have peed on the rug. Hitting or rubbing the pet’s nose in it will never work. Praise them a great deal when they DO pee on the wee wee pad, and they will soon be happy to make you so happy.
Chose the proper locate for your crate, set it up, and leave it. Don’t move it around, and don’t allow children or other animals to play near or in it. If you have more two puppies in the same litter, it is fine to keep them together, but if you already have a dog and are introducing a new one into the house, never put them in the same crate together. The older dog can get very alpha and in trying to establish pecking order, might hurt the puppy.
Also, the puppy will need a lot more rest to recover from its excitement throughout the day, so try to make sure it is kept to a schedule and not allowed to stay up too late.
One other piece of advice is to never get a dog during the holidays. Your new pet should be able to fit in with your typical schedule, or else it will become used to you being home a lot on vacation, but then get separation anxiety when you return to work or school. Again, consistency is the key to training a well-adjusted dog.
With effort, foresight, and a good crate, along with the establishing of clear boundaries, you will be able to raise a happy, healthy, well-adjusted and well-socialized animal people you can trust, whom everyone in the family and neighborhood will be glad to spend time with.