Anyone have tips on Training a puppy?

Puppies are a load of work, but they're fun to have in the house. Spay and neuter, and if you just brought an untrained puppy home, put it in a closed room. Of course your puppy will get excited and do his business on your new rug, but with practice, and a boat-load of patience, your puppy will be learning each step, every day. First, start with something simple.

Make sure you already have a crate, leash, food and water bowls, treats, toys, and a collar. Those are the simple things you need to start out with. Show your puppy where his food and water his. Get your puppy adjusted to his new home. If you have an older dog at home with the puppy, he will bark and growl, and a slim chance of biting. Don't scold the dog. Award him for defending his territory.

After a long day, put your new puppy in his new crate with a treat and some toys. Make sure your crate is wide and tall enough for your dog to sit and lie down. If you can't put in at least two small toys in, then your crate is too small. The next day is starting potty training!

Puppies have a bladder span of an hour, so be sure to let your dog out quite often. Take your dog on a leash and take him in the yard for potty training. Remember, puppies don't have a long bladder span, so try to sit out there for 10 minutes, and if he doesn't do his business, wait until he does, because if you let him inside, he is more comfortable in the enviroment he already knows, so he pees where he knows best.

When that little rascal pees or poops outside, give him a treat and say "Good _____" every time he does his business. Everytime you say that phrase, and award him, he knows that he did something good. Don't change the phrase, or the puppy will be confused.

Crate time! Your puppy needs to get used to the crate, but the first day, don't introduce it to him until night comes. Let potty training and others come first. Put a treat and some toys in the crate and let him get settled. He WILL whimper and bark, but do your best to ignore him. Once he sees you wandering outside his crate, it's like bragging that you're free, so try to stay out of his sight.

Stick to your routine. Don't put crate training in the morning, and leash training at night. That isn't right. The puppy will always be in your routine, and he'll learn the routine, so do the training every day, so he can always be a part of it and learn. Have fun with your new puppy!

A Note From Experience

When you teach your dog to sit, my puppy, Rocco, caught onto the method when I first mentioned the word. Award your puppy with a treat, but don't show it to him. Say "sit" in a serious voice, so he doesn't think you're playing with him.