Avoid Behavior Problems In Your Puppy

If you want to train your puppy in the most efficient way from the start, there are two methods for training your puppy which you need to pay close attention to. They are becoming the alpha dog and positive reinforcement. I will explain each of these methods in this article, and show how you can leverage them to create your own efficient puppy dog training system.

When you bring a puppy into your home, it’s wise to have some understanding of the natural instincts of the dog and of the fact that the dog is a pack animal. The pack has its own dynamics and the principle of dominance is crucial within it. Within a pack there is a hierarchy and at the top is the alpha pair. They will not allow any other dogs in the pack to breed.

When it comes to eating, the alpha pair eat first. When it comes to sleeping, they take the higher vantage place. Dogs like to sleep on beds or sofas for this reason.

If you want to set off on the right foot and avoid behavior problems in your puppy, you absolutely must position yourself and your family as the pack leaders or alpha dogs in your home. One way to emphasise yourself as pack leader is not letting your puppy onto your bed or sofa.

Your whole family should let your puppy see you eating something (such as a biscuit) just before you give him his food. You should make it look as if you are taking the food from the dog’s plate.

You need to project the right kind of energy by being calm and assertive. Closely associated with the idea of the pack leader is the concept of positive reinforcement.

Positive reinforcement means that you reward a desired behavior in your puppy or dog and ignore an undesired behavior. Negative reinforcement and punishment are not recognised as effective methods any longer by virtually all dog trainers.

Small treats, praise and affection can all be used for positive reinforcement. The most important point is not to reinforce undesired behaviors. Reinforcing undesired behaviors is one of the main reasons for dog behavior problems. Whether you like it or not, puppy training occurs whenever you are with your puppy, not just during a training session.

For example, if your puppy jumps up at you when you come into the house, and you immediately give him affection, you are training him to jump up. Whenever he does an unwanted behavior, you must ignore him. This means you should look away or turn away and not give any attention. You may find this difficult and this is why so many people encourage bad behaviors in their dogs.

You will find that positioning yourself as the pack leader in your home forms a bedrock for all your puppy training and positive reinforcement gives you a method to encourage the correct behaviors in your puppy and to avoid potential dog behaviour problems.

For more information on training your puppy, visit the Training Puppy Tips website.