Puppy Training Guide 101: How to Train a Puppy? (Best Way)

Last Updated on June, 2023

Congratulations on your new pup! Now you might be wondering how to begin your dog’s training journey, right?

Like many puppy owners, you may be a bit overwhelmed by the length of time and effort involved in proper puppy training, and to be honest, it is somewhat true. But don’t forget that it is the most essential part of owning a dog.

If you’re interested in raising a well-behaved dog, it’s important to start training your puppy right away – before he gets any older or becomes too much work for you!

So if you’re ready, here’s how to train a puppy guide that’ll be helpful to train your new puppy faster and more effectively.

*If you find it hard to train your dog and think that some assistance will be great, I suggest you seek help from a professional dog trainer or try out online dog training classes (extremely inexpensive).

Here are the 3 key points from this article:

Start training your puppy as soon as you get him, before he gets too old or too much work for you
Keep training sessions short, fun, and rewarding for your puppy
Use positive reinforcement while training your puppy

TLDR:

Set up a schedule and stick to it.
Be patient and consistent with your puppy.
Keep training sessions short and fun.
Use positive reinforcement while training.
Crate train your puppy for potty training.
Leash train your puppy.
Socialize your puppy.
Teach your puppy basic obedience commands.

Things To Keep In Mind Before Training A Puppy

Young puppies are absolute joys to have around the house, but there are a few tips you need to know before taking on the responsibility of training a dog.

Set Up A Schedule

Setting up a schedule and sticking to it every time is extremely important while training your puppy.

That’ll help your dog get used to his new family and get to know what’s expected of him. Next, take him outside for potty breaks every 2 to 4 hours every day and frequently during the housebreaking process. With that, your pup should eat, sleep, and wake at the same time each and every day.

Unlike adult dogs which need to be fed once or twice a day, puppies need to be fed 3 times a day, so make sure to stick to it.

The sooner you set up a schedule, the quicker your puppy will get used to it.

Patience

Patience is a virtue! Be patient with your puppy if they don’t pick up on what you’re trying to teach them right away. Practice and repetition will help them get it eventually!

Consistency

The level of consistency in dog training can help give the dog a bit more confidence. If the trainer uses consistent behavior in a variety of settings, it will give the dog a sense that it’s not bad and will be able to make better decisions. Of course, using determination in every single instance is not necessary, but consistency will be beneficial for training and life-long relationships.

Keep Training Sessions Short

When training a puppy, it’s important to make each training session short, fun, and as rewarding as possible. This will keep your dog motivated to train and do the behavior that you want them to do.

This will also help the puppy learn the commands quickly. Longer training spells can cause a lot of confusion and stress for the dog, which could lead to an improper response from the animal.

Positive Reinforcement

Positive reinforcement is the best way to train a dog, and it is what most professional trainers tend to use, so make sure you use it too while training your dog.

Positive reinforcement dog training uses the principle of operant conditioning, where a behavior is strengthened when the reward is given for good behavior and diminished when those behaviors are ignored or not rewarded.

The reinforcement that the dog receives will either be in the form of food, treats, toys, or attention from its owner.

The Complete Puppy Training Guide

There are a lot of advantages to training a puppy at a young age. For example: if you train them now, you’ll have a well-behaved adult dog in the future, and it also helps build a strong bond between you and your dog.

Anyways, Here’s the complete puppy training guide.

Crate And Potty Training

This is the most essential part of puppy training. Potty training (also known as house training or housebreaking) is the first thing you should teach your puppy.

Start to house train your dog right after you bring them home, and don’t expect it to be easy; it is one of the frustrating parts of puppy training. The process of house training is long. Keep in mind that it can take up to 4 to 6 months to fully potty train a dog.

Patient and consistency are critical during potty training. You’ll encounter tons of potty accidents down the road, but you should avoid scolding and punishing your dog at all costs.

Crate training, on the other hand, plays a major role during the potty training process. Even Though you can housebreak your dog without a crate, Crate training has many benefits on its own, such as:

Providing a safe place for your pup when there is no one to supervise.
It keeps them away from damaging household items.
Keeps them away from harmful household items.

But before that, you’ve to choose the right crate for your dog. The demand for secure, home-friendly dog crates has increased as more and more dog owners prioritize their pups’ safety and wellbeing.

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Quick steps to Potty train puppies:

Stick to a routine: take your puppy outside every 2 hours. It is also advisable to take them before and after, sleeping, eating, drinking, and playing.
Designate a potty area outside: this part is crucial; you don’t want your pup to eliminate wherever they want, so pick a spot out and take them to the exact same place every day.
Establish a command: this can make the process a bit quicker. While your puppy is doing its business, use a command like “go potty.” The next time while you bring your pup outside to go potty, you can simply use this command, and they’ll understand what to do.
Praise and Reward them immediately: after your puppy successfully eliminates outside(at the designated potty area), make sure to praise and reward them immediately, I mean right after the job is done. When you reward the dog, it tells them that what they have done is good behavior. Dogs will do things to earn rewards.

Potty training needs constant supervision, so what if you’re not around to supervise them?

This is where crate training comes in. Dogs don’t like to eliminate where they sleep, so teaching them to spend their time in the crate while you’re gone will let them hold it in until they’re given a chance to go outside.

Read more on how to crate train your dog here.

Leash Training The Puppy

Leash training is a must for every dog. It is a tricky process that will result in a much happier human-animal bond once successfully completed. The benefits include:

Increased health and safety.
Less environmental destruction.
Better socialization for your dog.
Easier travel for you both.
More attention from your dog if he doesn’t get it elsewhere.

Leash training is also vital for your dog’s own safety, and these days, many areas have leash laws, and it’s our responsibility to follow those. Unfortunately, disobeying leash laws can result in steep fines and even jail time.

Quick steps to Loose Leash training your puppy:

Before you start training your dog Loose-lead walking, here are some important things you’ll need:

A leash that is non-retractable and should be around 4-6 feet.
A Martingale or buckle collar, head halter, or front-clip harness.
Some Treats.

First and foremost, let your puppy get used to the leash and the collar or the harness. Make sure he is very comfortable wearing it. Each time your puppy is wearing the gear, give him treats and make him think that leash means rewards.

Once your puppy is all set, you can move to the main part, which is the training.

Begin training inside the house or an enclosed area from the get-go – start without a leash.
Encourage your dog to come to you by providing a reward.
Walk a few steps forward while engaging your dog. When they reach you again, give another treat.
Keep repeating the same process until your puppy gets used to it.
Now repeat the same stuff, but with the leash and collar or the harness on.
Once your puppy has gotten used to the process, take them outside and start practicing in an area where there is less distraction. Then, after your pup gets the hang of it, you can take it onto the streets.

Leash training takes time, so it’s up to you to be consistent and, most importantly, remain patient until your dog gets the hang of it.

Another form of leash training is teaching your pup to heel. Get to know more about that here.

Socializing The Puppy

Socialization is the process of exposing your dog to new situations, people, other dogs, and environments. Exposure to these things will allow your dog to become more comfortable with them.

Teach your pup to be gentle with humans by playing games like tug or chase, where you guide him into gentle biting. Have him meet new people too, for example, at the park or vet’s office, so he learns that new people aren’t scary.

Socializing your puppy will reduce the chances of behavior problems such as aggression and overall make your puppy a well-behaved pet allround.

Teaching Basic Obedience Commands

One of the most important aspects of having a dog is obedience. Teaching Basic Commands helps your dog to become more confident and well-behaved on their own as they learn new skills that make things easier for them.

There are a number of simple obedience commands that puppy parents can teach their dogs. These commands include sit, down, stay, and come.

You can also teach some other fun tricks like back up, speak and drop it. Practice these with your puppy, and it will do a whole lot of goods to him.

Worth reading:

FAQs

When Can I Start To Train My Puppy?

It is best to start training your puppy at 6-8 weeks old, so they can learn basic commands and avoid developing bad habits.

What Are The 7 Basic Commands Every Puppy Should Know?

The seven essential commands for puppies to learn are: Sit, Down, Stay, Come, Heel, Off, and No.

What Is The First Thing You Should Train Your Puppy?

The first thing you should train your puppy is obedience.

How Do You Properly Discipline A Puppy?

Proper discipline for a puppy involves consistency in commands and rewards, praise for good behavior, and firm yet gentle correction for misbehavior.

How Do I Tell My Puppy No?

To tell a puppy “no,” a verbal command such as “no” or “uh-uh” can be used, along with a physical gesture.

How Many Times A Day Should I Train My Puppy?

A puppy should be trained a minimum of three times per day during the first week.

How Do You Teach A Puppy Its Name?

To teach a puppy its name, repeat it frequently while interacting with the puppy, so that the puppy associates the name with you and will come when called.

How Often Should You Worm A Puppy?

A puppy should be wormed every two weeks until they reach 12 weeks of age.

How Often Should I Bathe My Puppy?

A puppy should be bathed once a week.

Start The Training Sessions Now!

Once you’ve completed every part of puppy training, don’t think it’s over, Training Never Ends.

The next thing you’ll have to do is proofing behaviors.

Practice the previously learned commands in different environments and situations until your puppy is a master in it. After that, he should be able to do it anywhere, anytime, even with distractions.

Don’t forget that training is the most critical aspect of owning a new pet. It helps to create a strong bond between you and your new puppy, and it is what decides your puppy’s life, so make sure that you train your dog to the maximum and make him a well-behaved canine companion.

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