10 Best Ways to Train a New Puppy

Getting a new pet can be fun. Raising a puppy is exciting, but it’s also hard work and sometimes tiring. It is very important to train a new puppy as soon as possible. The moment you bring your puppy home, you can start training. It will help bring order to your home, prevent bad habits, and create a good and healthy relationship between you and your pet. Puppy training can feel like a daunting task, especially for new pet owners, but I promise it’s actually pretty doable. Whether you adopt a dog from a rescue or a breeder, every puppy needs proper training. Today I’ve rounded up some ways to train a new puppy so you can enjoy your puppy and make it a happy and healthy member of your family.

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10 Best Ways to Train a New Puppy

1. Crate training

The moment you bring them home, you can start your crate training. The most important aspect of crate training is making it a positive experience. The crate is not a punishment tool. It’s a relaxing environment for your puppy (and adult dog) that will help with everything from keeping them safe to separation anxiety. It is important to choose the right crate for your dog.we like our Diggs Revol Dog Cage and naps. This is a collapsible crate that is very easy to assemble, transport and store. It has easy-to-use doors, quality materials, and includes a puppy divider so your pet can grow with their crate.

Create positive connections by feeding your puppy food and treats in the crate. Diggs Groov is a great crate training aid that attaches to the crate and provides the puppy with tasty treats (smeared with peanut butter). Your puppy should start spending the night in the cage immediately (while they are young, they may need a few potty breaks). You can gradually increase the time your puppy is in the cage, but don’t keep them for too long. Puppies usually only hold their bladder for 3-4 hours at most. A tired puppy is a happy puppy, so make sure they get enough exercise and reward them with some tasty treats and time in their cage. It’s normal that they may cry and whine, but it’s also important that they learn to self-soothe and spend time in their crate with or without you.

The benefits of cage training a puppy

• Create a safe environment for your pet (prevent destructive behavior)
• Give your pet a space of its own and a place to rest or escape stress
• Helpful when an injury or medical procedure requires recovery
• Encourage toilet training (puppies do not want to use the toilet in enclosed spaces)
• Easier to train as a puppy than an adult dog
• Helps relieve separation anxiety

2. Follow the schedule

Having a regular life with your puppy will help them feel safe and understand what is expected of them. It will help with training, especially potty training. It doesn’t have to be strict, but determining feeding times, potty breaks, playtime, and rest periods will help your puppy thrive. A puppy’s schedule should look like this (as they get older they can have more freedom outside the crate and need less potty breaks)

Sample Puppy Schedule

• Early morning: Potty rest immediately (if still training at home, give praise and treats) and return to the crate immediately
• Feed the puppies in the crate. Let the food sit for no more than 15 minutes. Pick up the bowl and don’t eat (except training snacks) until your next meal.
• Another toilet break after breakfast, followed by playtime and training.
• The rest of the morning is a nap time in the crate.
• Lunch time potty breaks, then back inside to eat in crates.
• Potty rest after lunch, then exercise/training/socializing.
• Back in the crate for a nap.
• A late afternoon potty break followed by a walk/play time.
• Back to the crate until dinner.
• Dinner in the crate
• Toilet rest/exercise after dinner.
• Potty rest before bed and overnight in the crate (may need late night potty rest before 6 months or if home training has not been done)

3. Potty training

Potty training can be a frustrating and confusing part of raising a puppy, but with patience and consistency, you can do it quickly. Following the above schedule will greatly aid in potty training, as well as crate training your puppy. The puppy needs to be outside (if indoors) after eating and playing. Use the same elimination points for your puppy when he’s learning to go outside, and say “yes!” or “OK!” once the puppy goes to the bathroom, then it’s a treat. Don’t punish your puppy for an accident inside.

4. Socialization

Socialization is a key way to keep your puppy aware of all the sights, sounds and smells of the world around you. Take your time, introduce them to all kinds of experiences, people and places, and get lots of compliments and treats along the way. Socializing can be anything from walking around busy places to observing different people and environments. Once they’ve been vaccinated, puppy classes are another important part of socializing (more on that below).

5. Positive reinforcement

Positive reinforcement is a great way to build trust with your pup and help with the training process. Positive reinforcement rewards your desired behavior, such as when you let your dog sit down and when they do, you give them a treat. One of the keys to positive reinforcement is to immediately reward the desired behavior. This way your dog won’t get confused about what you want from them. Many dogs are food-motivated, making treats a great tool for positive reinforcement training. You can also use compliments and high-value toys. The key is to be consistent and fast. Don’t worry too much about training with lots of snacks at first. When your puppy masters a skill, you can start using treats less.

6. Basic commands

Very simple training can be started as soon as the puppy is brought home. Starting with basic commands will give your puppy confidence and help them understand what is expected of them. It will also help show that you are the leader and give you more control over your dog’s behavior. It’s important to use simple, short commands like “Pepper sit” instead of “Hey Pepper, can you help me sit down?” Here are some basic commands to use with your puppy:

basic commands

• sit
• stay
• Down
• Look
• Do not
• leave it alone
• Come
• wait
• Leave
• hold
• place or bed

7. Recall

Once you’ve brought them home, you can start teaching your puppy to remember “come.” This is one of the most important clues to teach your puppy early on. The ultimate goal is to get your puppy to come to you when called, even if they are distracted. You want to start practicing recall in an environment with minimal distraction. You can work your way and finally break free. First, using a longer lead, let your puppy walk away, then say their name and “come.” If they don’t come, you can pull on the leash until they turn around and start running back to you. Use plenty of compliments and high-value treats when executing this order. This is a good memory teaching guide.

8. Training courses

Puppy training classes are an important part of your dog’s socialization and learning. Each training session will help you become more confident as a dog owner and your puppy learn good behavior and basic commands. Some places to find puppy training classes can include your local animal shelter, pet store, or a qualified trainer.I had a great experience Take puppy classes at Petsmarts in our area.

9. Daily exercise

Tired puppies are happy puppies. Daily exercise is very important to your dog’s health and well-being. When puppies are young, they can only handle short play/exercise, but you can increase it over time. A combination of stimulating play, training, and leash walking are all important when you train your puppy. Check out Diggs collars, belts and poop bag dispensers to meet your walking needs (use code JESSANNKIRBY15 for 15% off).

10. Consistency is key

Feeling overwhelmed? do not do that. Yes, a puppy needs a lot of work, but consistency is key. Your hard work will pay off for many years to come. Some days may look better than others, and that’s okay. Even if you only have 5 minutes of training a day, use it to teach your puppy good behavior and you’ll see the difference in time.