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Why is it important to train your puppy?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Your puppy comes to you pretty much as a blank slate. This is good and challenging at the same time – they have no concept or \u2018rules\u2019 or what\u2019s expected of them yet, which makes us their main point of reference. As you can imagine, then, it\u2019s important we teach them how life works and what we\u2019d like them to do for the following reasons:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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- Safety of your puppy: A puppy without a recall can run into roads or chase wildlife which can potentially end up in a not so good ending with someone getting hurt. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Safety of you: Puppies that pull, become dogs that pull. Dogs that pull are no strangers to giving their owners back and hip issues. Also, no one likes being dragged around, it\u2019s embarrassing.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- A better quality of life with your puppy: \u2018A trained dog is a happy dog\u2019. When they know what they\u2019re supposed to do, especially when trained with Positive Reinforcement, they become the happiest of pups. Lovely. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Smarty pants: Your puppy becoming the cleverest pup in town tends to be a side effect of all of the wonderful training you\u2019re doing, we see no one complaining about that!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Our top 5 puppy training tips<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Training your puppy should be fun, for both of you! Gone are the days of barking at our dogs, and ordering them to do things like we\u2019re the boss of them. The training process can be great fun and enjoyable for everyone involved. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
We\u2019ve listed out our top puppy training tips below. If you\u2019re wondering what you should be training them for exactly, take a look at the Zigzag puppy training app – we lay it all out there. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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\u2018You get what you pay for\u2019 <\/h3><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
No, we\u2019re not talking about actual money, for once. We\u2019re talking about how Positive Reinforcement works with our puppies – one of our best puppy training tips if we may say so. Whatever action you reward your puppy for is going to be repeated, so the more we \u2018pay\u2019 for stuff we like to see from our puppy the more they are likely to do it. And yes, you guessed it right – treats will be the currency they understand the most. Whether it\u2019s coming towards us when we call them, responding to their name, or peeing and pooing in the right place, You better reward that sh*t to make sure it happens again! Don\u2019t literally reward the sh*t though\u2026unless it happens in their designated loo area. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Wondering what to pay your puppy with? Then check out our review of <\/em>healthy puppy treats<\/em><\/a> article here to find the best ones.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Focus on Life Skills not just Obedience<\/h3><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
Yeh, we hear you, you want an obedient puppy. But did you know that teaching your puppy to be confident and able to cope with everything life throws at them is of equal importance? In fact, it may be even more important to how they\u2019ll turn out. Teaching Life Skills is how you truly get a well-behaved and well-mannered puppy combined, able to take on the world like a hero.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Aherm, ahem, please note that we didn\u2019t say NOT obedience, because we want you to learn that too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Download our app – we have a tonne of Life Skills AND obedience exercises for you to teach your puppy in there. Oh and a bunch of other puppy training tips you will enjoy – they\u2019ll surprise you for how well they can work. We\u2019ve also created this Guide to obedience training<\/a> to teach you all the tricks – your pup will shine bright in no time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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A routine. It will save you a lot of time and tears<\/h3><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
Creating a routine is one of the best puppy training tips we can give you. It\u2019s going to help massively with toilet training<\/a>, sleep training<\/a>, separation training<\/a> and scheduling<\/a> for training your puppy each day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Puppies thrive on knowing what comes next. Predictability in their daily lives creates a confident and optimistic puppy who can be certain of what\u2019s going on around them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We have a wonderful Weekly overview of when to start training your puppy<\/a> for further reading which will help you craft your day perfectly around this hectic (but wonderful) time. But why not look in the Zigzag App for more juicy puppy training tips? There are plenty, trust me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Photo by Berkay Gumustekin<\/a> on Unsplash<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n - \n
Socialization – Think about how your puppy is feeling and go at their own pace<\/h3><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s tempting to run ahead and have your puppy meet ALL the dogs and ALL the people right away. But if we rush it, it can unfortunately cause problems like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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- Your puppy can become overwhelmed or frightened <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Your puppy can become a social butterfly who \u2018loves everyone too much\u2019 and can get frustrated when not allowed to do that as they mature <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Effective socialization teaches your puppy to adapt to scenarios and environments and gives them coping skills to deal with what life throws at them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s important that we do this in those critical early months, when your puppy\u2019s brain is much like a sponge so they learn early on to not worry, and be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Do the training that\u2019s important for your individual puppy<\/h3><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
While some people might want their puppy to learn every trick in the book, you might just want a well behaved family dog. Those who are able to lie down and relax when you\u2019re at home, who walk nicely on a lead and who joggs over to you with a smile when you call them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
First piece of advice is to try not to worry about what others tell you you must do (what a challenge\u2026even for our own lives, right?). Rather, focus on what you think is going to be important in an adult dog. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019re having a baby or you have another pet at home, be sure to check out these sections in our puppy checklist article<\/a> – it gives a pretty good outline of puppy training tips for all kinds of different scenarios you might run into and how you can help them feel comfortable around them. You can just imagine the shock of hearing a screaming baby for a puppy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What to do if you\u2019re struggling to train your puppy<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It’s no secret that sometimes puppy training can become quite a struggle. Often quite literally, like when you\u2019re busy trying to yank your shoes off their little piranha teeth. Our team of Puppy Training Experts in the Zigzag app are always happy to help you, whatever you may need, and on every step of the way of your puppy journey. Of course, there is a chance you\u2019ll feel the need to see someone in person\u2026to either help you or give you a supportive hug. Each is valid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In case you need someone to help you in real skin and bones, we strongly recommend finding a well-run puppy class by Member organizations of the UK Dog Behavior and Training Charter<\/a>. They go way beyond giving puppy training tips, just you wait and see. You can also look directly on the APDT <\/a>, CAPBT<\/a> or The Pet Professional Guild <\/a> websites for a local trainer or behaviorist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Oh, and you can be sure that all members of the above organizations are all dedicated to using modern and ethical methods. No need to worry about that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Of course, if you feel like your puppy\u2019s developed a sudden change in behavior then we suggest your vet might be a good one to call. Just to be on the safe side and rule out anything medical. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"puppy](\"https:\/\/zigzag.dog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/hanny-naibaho-Go4DH2pZbc-unsplash-1024x683.jpg\")
Photo by Hanny Naibaho<\/a> on Unsplash<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n Now that you\u2019ve read this article and hopefully feel jolly good about practicing some of these puppy training tips, we\u2019re gonna give you some last words of encouragement to give the Zigzag puppy training app<\/a> a try. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
We\u2019ll have a personalized training journey waiting for you and your puppy to follow, and expert support from a fantastic team of qualified puppy trainers. Want to know How it works<\/a>? Come on, you know where to click. Don\u2019t be shy, start your free trial today!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Next, find out more about the benefits of online puppy training classes<\/a> and discover what an ideal daily puppy routine<\/a> looks like with our simple guide.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"