When we talk about a dog being part of the family, it's usually because the family took the time to socialize the animal when he was a puppy. The term socialization isn't necessarily training, it just involves teaching the dog what others expect of them. There are many things that a new puppy should be taught if you want to end up with a great member of the family. These include:
Not peeing in the house. The idea that certain parts of your home make an acceptable place to relieve themselves should be strongly discouraged. It's only through learning this behavior will your new found friend ever be considered trustworthy enough to be left alone in your home.
Don't bite. While puppies are naturally curious and playful, biting should not be allowed. It's during those first few formidable months that the pecking order of your family becomes established. A pet should never be considered alpha dog in the family but be subservient to all humans. This means that although roughhousing and playing around is fine, biting is definitely not acceptable.
Sit. While this is a learned behavior, having control of your dog is critical to them being part of your family. You don't need a full-grown dog to charge the door each time the doorbell rings. You may however consider it a positive thing when someone comes to the door that your dog announces the visitor by barking then sits obediently at the door. This can add a measure of safety and put the visitor on notice that a dog is also home.
While there are many other behaviors, you can train your dog to do, socialization should start almost immediately. Showing your new puppy what you expect is easy to do, provided that you are a consistent teacher. The key to teaching your dog anything new is to realize that they have a very short attention span and they want to please you. This means that even during socialization or formal training, any effort to teach a new behavior should be fun.
When you first get a new puppy, it's important that you keep them confined and under control. There's no point in allowing bad habits to develop that will only need to be broken in the future. This is a good reason why allowing your puppy to potty or relieve themselves in the house on newspapers or piddle pads is not the best way to house train your dog.
Crate training works because it uses your dogs natural instinct of keeping the sleeping area clean. This, along with consistent visits outside and lots of praise will result in your puppy not only getting the idea of what makes you happy, but also helps with the socialization aspect of his young life. Visit the link below for more information on how to quickly house train your dog using the very effective crate training method.
While socialization and formal training may be similar, training looks for certain reliable actions from the animal. With socialization, we give your new best friend a lot of slack in doing the behavior.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can any dog fetch?
By: Nes | 21-07-2008
Well, I have been trying to train my mixed pit to fetch..It has not been successful at all. Folks at the dog park have been telling me that not all dogs fetch....Is this true?
How can I get my dog to stop growling at approaching strangers?
By: Munch | 21-07-2008
I have a 10 month old German Shepherd. He is very friendly at dog parks, home, and when he gets introduced to new people but when he is on a walk and a single person approaches he growls and wants to approach them. He is a very large puppy and I have been trying to get him to sit and stay while rubbing his chest to no avail. He is being protective and wants to check everyone out but he'll scare people if he continues to growl and I can't let him sniff every stranger. How can I train him to be more comfortable with approaching strangers?
My dog has not been able to walk on her front legs ...
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my dog has not been able to walk on her front legs for about a month she takes a few steps then fall forward i took her to the vet and they couldn't find anything on an x-ray so they put her on an antiinflammatory i also give her glucosamine it has been a week with treatment and she still can't walk how long should i expect for her to get better or am i just impatient ?
Information about parents of English Springer Spaniel
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Mary Anne
We live in Portage Michigan, we would like to know ...
By: goldensons3 | 21-07-2008
we live in Portage Michigan, we would like to know where we can take our dogs to the beach without driving 100 miles to do so
Vet help
By: rjhowe | 20-07-2008
2-yr old 80lb male akita: He has been sick for 3 days-not eating-drinking little-vomiting at times-temp.! He acts very weak & tired.
I noticed yesterday 2 bite areas about 1" apart on his leg-red but not swollen. He is current on all vaccines including Rattlesnake.
What else should I check re: snake bites? I will take him to the vet tomorrow but not sure if it is more urgent-I would think if he got bit, it would have already been fatal if it was going to be. Does rattlesnake vaccine prevent death from a bite?
Thanks!!
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