If you have a new dog or puppy, here are a few simple things that you can do to make sure that your dog becomes a well-balanced, happy canine.The one thing that you hear a lot about is the ‘S’ word. Socialisation is a very important thing in the dog world but repeatedly it goes wrong. Here Emma from eccaines who is a professional dog trainer and runs training classes and flyball classes, tells us her top four must puppy training areas that will help your puppy become calm, happy and on the road to being a well-behaved, well-rounded adult dog. 

Emma says that she trains dogs by, “…using patience and the latest in dog knowledge we can train your dog the way dogs are meant to be trained. No more forceful techniques or gadgets, EC Canines will allow your dog to be itself while teaching it how to behave”  So who better than Emma to give us puppy or new dog owners ( including people who may have an older rescue dog) some tips.

Emma writes her top pointers …

How to teach your puppy how to approach dogs :

Socialisation takes place every time dogs meet. Teaching your dog to approach and greet dogs calmly goes a long way to the meetings being successful. Small puppies go through a fear period anywhere between 6 to 12 weeks depending on breed. During this period, it is very important that any introductions are done very carefully. Teach the dog to walk past other dogs without fuss and ignoring them. This is important as not all dogs want to be approached. Remember, once your dog is an adult, it will come across young dogs. Your dog will then become the teacher,

 

 

 

The next best thing to teach your dog is how to act while in the presence of humans, big and small:

Not all people love dogs as much as we do and dog hair is not a fashion accessory for them. Having your dog meet new people calmly, or even ignore them when asked, can be very important. Especially for small children or frail adults, who may easily be bowled over by even a small excitable dog.

Teaching your puppy how to stay calm:

Having a calm dog may seem to be impossible when you have a bouncy puppy or anxious rescue but it is an important part of training so start at home when your dog is lying quietly. Take time to sit with them and treat and stroke and cuddle them when they are calm. When they are being over the top and excitable, try to find out the reason. Walks, training and food all become a factor if a dog is constantly over excited and if you are unsure of the reasons a professional dog trainer will be able to help.

Out on a walk, your dog should also stay calm and walk on a loose lead. Training this from as early as possible is the best way with a puppy, though, with dedication can become possible for your older dog too.

Calmness can also be achieved by practicing impulse control. For higher energy, more excitable dogs, this can be the best way to teach them. By teaching the dog this you can also teach them when they are allowed to be excited e.g, during flyball, agility or even just out on a run, to burn off some of that energy. After all, we don’t always want our dogs to be laid back layabouts!!

 

The sit, down and stand command:

To cope with the times your dogs can get truly excitable, good basic commands can help. Having a strong Sit, Down or Stand, Stay and Recall, can help control a dog that is boiling over with excitement or anxiety.

Everyone who owns a dog, especially obedient ones, consider themselves a dog trainer, and if you are out and about with your unruly mutt it can get truly overwhelming with the amount of information that is out there, and with everyone thinking they know best about how to train your dog.

 

Points to remember when looking for a dog trainer:

When looking for a dog trainer, keep an eye out for words like Positive reinforcement, gentle handling, and treating your dog as an individual.

Stay clear of: 

Try to steer clear of those claiming to b a ‘pack leader’ and needing to punish or reprimand your dog.

 

With training there are no quick fixes: 

With true dog trainers and behaviourists there are no quick fixes. All punishing a behaviour does is to repress the behaviour, instead of trying to find the reason behind it.

Today, Dog trainers are more like psychologists and should be willing to work with you and your dog to help your dog overcome anything that may have become a problem, working on long-term fixes and not quick fixes.

To find out more about this type of training, go to my website eccaines and have a look.

 

If you need a dog trainer closer to home, check the IMDT website, which will give you the names of qualified dog trainers in your area.

We would like to thank Emma for her advice and we can’t wait to here from her again

If you would like to talk to others who own dogs / puppies why not join our friendly Facebook page All things Dog 

 

This post was kindly written by Emma Carpenter who runs classes in Cornwall, she offers group classes, one to one and flyball – to contact her please click on her website link below 

E C Canines

www.eccanines.co.uk

Duchy Dashers Flyball Club

www.ddflyballclub.co.uk