🐾 Training Essentials Every Puppy Owner Should Know

Reinforcement

Any consequence that makes your puppy more likely to choose a behaviour again is considered reinforcing. You pup is the one who determines what is valuable to them - can you think of all the things they care about?

When building new behaviours and habits food is a great reinforcer because:

• Dogs value food! In more distracing environments like class you can use higher value food to help motivate them.

• It is easy to deliver as a reinforcer.

• It can be delivered in small pieces allowing repetition.

Once your dog reliably performs the behaviour other rewards can be used dependent on the individual - e.g. play and access to valued places and items.

Communication

Use clear and consistent cues to communicate with your puppy. 

• Dogs can recognise words or short phrases.

• They can only understand one meaning per word or phrase.

Dogs watch our body language closely, having a clear visual signal to go with your verbal cue makes for the best communication.

Timing

Dogs learn best when they are rewarded for a behaviour as it happens. Whether it is 5 seconds or 3 hours later, they cannot link a behaviour with a delayed consequence.

Training sessions

Frequent, short training sessions are ideal for learning. Only ask for 2-3 repetitions of each exercise per session. Puppy training sessions can be as short as a minute or two. You can take opportunities to reward any behaviour you want to see more of any time - e.g. calm and quiet, keeping paws on the floor when interacingng etc.

Break up learning into steps

The process of learning something new is gradual, just like us learning a new skill or language. By breaking training down into smaller steps your puppy can learn in gradual layers until the full behaviour is learned.

Each dog learns new exercises at different rates. Most behaviours will require several sessions to achieve the final result, and then introducing this skill into a new environment can mean taking a few steps back initially.

The finish cue

Teaching a finish cue is about telling your puppy when to disengage from an interaction and do their own this. This is helpful to prevent frustration at the end of play and training sessions. Choose a basic signal such as presenting your open hands with palms facing toward your pup and say something like “finished!” or “all done!” When you do this make sure you do not ask the dog for anything else for at least 5 minutes, and put down any treats or toys. Soon enough your dog will understand your finish cue.

Make it fun

Training should appear to your dog to be just another enjoyable activity involving you, just like play time. Try not to bother if your puppy does not appear to be “getting” something right away - simply go back to something they know well and end your training session on a high note. It is all about building your pup’s confidence and engaging them in positive learning wherever possible.

Why we do not use punishment

The concept of punishment means to suppress or reduce a behaviour through an aversive technique—fear, intimidation, stress, or pain. Obviously these are negative emotional states, but there are a number of reasons not to use punishment:

• It does not teach your puppy what you want them to do

• It can damage your bond and relationship, and remove the value of listening to you

• Dogs do not understand right and wrong, they can just learn to do the same thing when you are not there to punish them—they are clever!

• The risk of negative associations occurring unintentionally—lots of potential negative side effects on behaviour and welfare

🐾 Want support putting this into practice?

Training is much easier (and more effective) with the right guidance from the start. If you’d like personalised help, our Private Puppy Schooloffers one-on-one support in your home, or you can join Puppy College for small, supportive group training focused on real-life skills.

✨ Positive. Practical. Force Free.