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Not all puppies are the same. Many of a puppy's behavioural traits are likely to be dictated by its breed characteristics. All puppies look cute. Many puppies look broadly similar as tiny pups. But each is uniquely different, both as an individual and according to its breed.
Some breeds are easy to train, some are less so. Some are true 'people' dogs, others are more independent. Some are suitable for novice owners, some are not. So you cannot choose a puppy based purely on the looks of the puppy or the looks of an adult dog of that particular breed. You need to know about that breed and its character traits before even considering buying a puppy of that breed. What is for certain though is that each and every individual puppy needs to be trained. It needs to be taught how to behave. It needs to be shown what is expected of it. It needs to understand - and this is most important - that it is not 'top dog', but that you, its owner, are the master. If your puppy does not understand that, you will undoubtedly have a problem dog on your hands! And don't be fooled into thinking that only large dogs can become problem dogs. ALL dogs have the potential to be problem dogs. Remember that all puppies of whatever breed have the grey wolf, a wild animal, as their antecedent. According to its breeding, each puppy is likely to have behavioural habits built into its makeup. That makeup will tell your puppy how it believes is meant to behave. In other words, it is programmed to behave in a certain way. If you want it to ignore that programming and behave in a different way, you have to teach it how you expect it to behave. Without that training, any puppy is likely to grow up to become a problem dog, if not to others, certainly to you! Training does not simply mean training a puppy to walk to heel or to stop and sit down when it reaches a kerbside. Training means teaching. It means teaching your puppy what behaviour is acceptable and what behaviour is not acceptable. It is teaching it what you, its master, expect from it. As is the case with children, puppies are happier if they know what is expected of them. Apart from anything else, they know exactly where they stand. That is important. Any puppy, or child for that matter, needs to be taught where its behavioural boundaries are. What is acceptable behaviour, what is not. What behaviour is likely to result in reward and what behaviour is likely to result in punishment. And having established those boundaries then you can begin to reward your puppy when he or she does something that pleases you, and punish him when his behaviour displeases you. By punishment here we do not mean in terms of physical abuse. That will never work. And even the term 'reward' deserves further explanation. You punish a puppy in a number of ways in order to teach it right from wrong. To begin with, you admonish it - you 'tell it off'. Not loudly or harshly, but controlled and firmly. Shouting at a puppy will only confuse it. You say 'No' or 'Bad'. Choose a term and stick to it. Single word voice commands always work best. Secondly, if you reward your puppy when it does something that pleases you, it will remember that. It will remember for which action it was rewarded and for which action it was not rewarded. In that way - and especially if you are always consistent in your own behaviour - it will know itself when it did something that did not please you because it did not get rewarded for that particular behaviour. Reward based training works. It's far and away the best method of training your puppy. When your puppy does something that pleases you, you reward it. That 'reward' does not necessarily mean that you have to give it a treat every time although that naturally helps at the outset. But you also reward a puppy by praising it, by making a fuss of it. 'Good boy' goes a long way with a puppy especially if it is combined with a hearty pat. Puppy Training Classes
Puppy training classes are not a necessity, but they can certainly help, especially with the larger breeds. Puppy training classes don't train your puppy, they train you to train your puppy. There is an important difference since it is you who are going to be with your puppy most of the time, and it is your rules that you are endeavouring to instil into your puppy. Puppy Training Books, Videos & DVDs
Puppy training books (along with videos and or DVDs) are a must. Puppies are not human beings and neither should they be treated the same. Large or small, they need to understand that you, the human, are the master. Any puppy which fails to understand that simple premise is potentially a problem dog. If not necessarily for you, then for someone else. To this end, a puppy training book (or video/DVD) is essential. You cannot train your puppy if you do not know how. What may seem obvious to you may not be obvious to your puppy and you need to learn how to communicate with your puppy. Because every dog breed is different, most breeds will have training books written specific to that particular breed taking into account that each different breed has its own unique characteristics. If however you are looking for a general puppy training book, we are happy to recommend: Puppies Raising and Training Diary for Dummies by: Sarah Hodgson
Before and after Getting Your Puppy: The Positive Approach to Raising a Happy, Healthy, and Well-Behaved Dog by: Ian Dunbar
New Owners Guide to Training the Perfect Puppy by: Andrew De Prisco
Puppy Training: Owner's Week-By-Week Training Guide by: Charlotte Schwartz
Puppy Whisperer: A Compassionate, Non Violent Guide to Early Training and Care by: Norma Eckroate
Puppy Care and Training by: Teoti Anderson and Wayne L. Hunthausen Buying a puppy represents a considerable investment in terms of both financial and emotional commitment. Spend just a few pounds to maximise the return on your investment and both you and your puppy will reap the reward!
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