Bringing home a new puppy is an exciting occasion. To ensure that your new pet is appropriately integrated into the family, it’s essential to focus on obedience training and developing healthy social skills as soon as possible. As well as teaching good behavior, training your puppy provides plenty of valuable bonding opportunities. Here are a few veterinarian-approved tips to make dog training a success.

How to Successfully Train Your Puppy

1. Create Some Ground Rules

Before you begin training, think about how you want to go about the process. What rules do you wish to teach? Are there rooms your pup needs to learn to avoid, or furniture they won’t be allowed on? Make a list of ground rules alongside a general training program for housetraining, crate training, and simple commands.

2. Practice Often

The more often you practice, the better your pup will be at following commands. Practice whenever you can and wherever you go, whether you’re at home, the dog park, the animal clinic, or the groomer. This will teach your dog that these rules apply everywhere. They should be able to pay attention to commands no matter what the environment is like.

3. Offer Rewards

Rewards keep your puppy engaged and motivated to learn. Whenever they carry out a command or follow their training correctly, give your pup a healthy treat or verbal praise. This gives your pet a goal to work towards and makes training more enjoyable for both of you. Make sure to alternate between treats and praise so that your pup won’t expect food every time.

4. Be Consistent

Inconsistent rules from pet owners can confuse dogs and render training ineffective. Make sure everyone in the household teaches and enforces training the same way, especially during the first few months. Consistency will help your pup learn the ways of your home much faster.

5. Stay Positive

Training can be frustrating, but it is crucial to be patient and remain positive. Studies show that confrontational or punishment-based training is linked to more aggressive and fearful behaviors. Most dog training experts and veterinarians will agree that positive, reward-based training is the best way to teach your pup how to behave.

Your puppy needs a reliable and compassionate veterinarian to provide comprehensive pet care throughout their life. The team at Tender Care Animal Hospital of Prairie du Chien, WI, goes above and beyond to provide comfortable, fear-free veterinary services to make every visit as positive as possible. They work closely with pet parents to ensure your furry family member receives the custom care they need, from pet grooming and behavior consultations to dentistry and surgery. Learn more about their services online, and to schedule your puppy’s first appointment, call (608) 326-7101 today.