If you get a puppy in your home, you will have to teach him a lot. Sometimes the Fokker has already made a start, but often he is too busy socializing to also train with the whole gang. But what do you want to teach your puppy? Many people will immediately think of sitting and lying, but other things are even more useful, especially for the future. Of course, good socialization is the most important, but if you still have time and energy left, then also think about the following things.

Walk loose

Of course, everyone is a little nervous about such a little puppy, who hasn’t learned to come back to you when you call., let go. But do you realize that you are now even faster than your pup and that must be the first time? It is now much easier to teach your puppy to follow you than when he is older, faster, and, above all, more curious about the world around him. Another advantage of letting your puppy run free right away is that he doesn’t learn to pull on the leash and play. If you have a dog that later grows big and strong, it is very difficult if it still wants to go to that nice neighbor dog. Don’t let him loose right at the roadside, of course. It is best to select as large and clear a field as possible the first time. Then you can get an idea of ​​what kind of pup you’re dealing with and if there’s anything you need to work on. Many puppies will follow you naturally, but you will just see that you have that stubborn explorer. By rewarding your puppy when he comes to you naturally and playing with him, you will see that he will find you more and more interesting. Enthusiasm and high talk help with this, which is why puppies often find children so interesting.

come to you

Once you’ve decided to release your puppy, it’s very helpful if he comes back when you call him. Don’t expect too much from your puppy. If he’s playing hard, he won’t just come when you call him. Start when there are no other dogs around. Stand next to your pup and call his name. Reward when he looks up if he doesn’t, then wait until he’s less distracted and then try again. If your pup keeps looking up when you call his name, step back and call his name, if he comes, praise him if he doesn’t, move a little closer and try again. If you have a puppy that looks up but doesn’t come your way, teach it the “touch” (see below) and use it to get your puppy to come to you. Your pup will certainly not always come when you call him in the beginning, but there are alternatives to getting your pup along without messing up commands. Never repeat a command more than three times, if it doesn’t work it’s still too difficult for your puppy. Make it easier and just keep practicing. Tricks to get dogs along are candy on the nose or a squeaky toy. Also, make sure you don’t always keep your dog on a leash and take it home when you call it. If you do, come can be associated with the end of the game, and of course, no puppy likes that! Also, make sure you don’t always keep your dog on a leash and take it home when you call it. If you do, come can be associated with the end of the game, and of course, no puppy likes that! Also, make sure you don’t always keep your dog on a leash and take it home when you call it. If you do, come can be associated with the end of the game, and of course, no puppy likes that!

Walk on a leash

To prevent your dog from staying out of catching distance as soon as you want to go home, you can make it fun on a leash. It depends on the belt and how you do this. Most standards are the hunting leash, where the collar is a loop that is attached to the leash and the loose collar to which you attach the leash. If your puppy has a loose collar on, you can grab it, reward it, and let it go. Only put him on a leash once in ten times, and keep it unpredictable, so sometimes the 2nd and sometimes only the 12th time you’ve grabbed him by his leash. If your pup starts wagging when you grab his collar, you know you’re doing a good job. If you use a hunting line, reward your puppy when he puts his head through it. Here too, nine times out of ten let go and be unpredictable. Start simple, hold the loop just in front of your puppy’s head and reward sniffing. Ask for more and more until your puppy pokes his head through. If your puppy gets excited at the sight of the leash, you’re well on your way.

Don’t pull on the leash

Everyone wants their dog to walk along well, but many people can’t always prevent their dog from reaching its goal by pulling. It sounds very simple, only move forward when your puppy walks neatly next to you. But that’s not it if you’re in a hurry, or if you know your puppy needs to be. An alternative is to put the walk neatly on command. Your puppy may pull when you’re in a hurry, but it won’t get to its target when you’ve given the command. Start practicing in a low-stimulus environment, so not between dogs or in a field full of rabbit droppings. Reward as soon as your puppy is next to you and signal the treat so he stays next to you. Don’t skimp on treats, your puppy shouldn’t like anything more than walking in that position. Reward every step in the beginning, and keep putting it off. If you decide to put a command on it, do so as soon as your puppy predictably chooses the correct position. As soon as your puppy walks well, give your command and reward. Repeat this a few times. Then postpone the reward slightly until your puppy walks nicely on the leash. As with all exercises, you should not always make it more difficult, also reward if your puppy can walk along for five steps, for example occasionally after a step. This will make it more fun for your pup and help him learn faster. Don’t expect miracles, young puppies still have to learn to be patient, so walking neatly on a leash for half an hour is not an option for most of them. Let them loose as much as possible and practice short pieces, so they will love walking neatly on a leash. do this as soon as your puppy predictably chooses the correct position. As soon as your puppy walks well, give your command and reward. Repeat this a few times. Then postpone the reward slightly until your puppy walks nicely on the leash. As with all exercises, you should not always make it more difficult, also reward if your puppy can walk along for five steps, for example occasionally after a step. This will make it more fun for your pup and help him learn faster. Don’t expect miracles, young puppies still have to learn to be patient, so walking neatly on a leash for half an hour is not an option for most of them. Let them loose as much as possible and practice short pieces, so they will love walking neatly on a leash. do this as soon as your puppy predictably chooses the correct position. As soon as your puppy walks well, give your command and reward. Repeat this a few times. Then postpone the reward slightly until your puppy walks nicely on the leash. As with all exercises, you should not always make it more difficult, also reward if your puppy can walk along for five steps, for example occasionally after a step. This will make it more fun for your pup and help him learn faster. Don’t expect miracles, young puppies still have to learn to be patient, so walking neatly on a leash for half an hour is not an option for most of them. Let them loose as much as possible and practice short pieces, so that they will love walking neatly on a leash. Then postpone the reward slightly until your puppy walks nicely on the leash. As with all exercises, you should not always make it more difficult, also reward if your puppy can walk along for five steps, for example occasionally after a step. This will make it more fun for your pup and help him learn faster. Don’t expect miracles, young puppies still have to learn to be patient, so walking neatly on a leash for half an hour is not an option for most of them. Let them loose as much as possible and practice short pieces, so they will love walking neatly on a leash. Then postpone the reward slightly until your puppy walks nicely on the leash. As with all exercises, you should not always make it more difficult, also reward if your puppy can walk along for five steps, for example occasionally after a step. This will make it more fun for your pup and help him learn faster. Don’t expect miracles, young puppies still have to learn to be patient, so walking neatly on a leash for half an hour is not an option for most of them. Let them loose as much as possible and practice short pieces, so they will love walking neatly on a leash. This will make it more fun for your pup and help him learn faster. Don’t expect miracles, young puppies still have to learn to be patient, so walking neatly on a leash for half an hour is not an option for most of them. Let them loose as much as possible and practice short pieces, so they will love walking neatly on a leash. This will make it more fun for your pup and help him learn faster. Don’t expect miracles, young puppies still have to learn to be patient, so walking neatly on a leash for half an hour is not an option for most of them. Let them loose as much as possible and practice short pieces, so they will love walking neatly on a leash.

Watch teeth

This is not only useful if you want to take your puppy to dog shows, but also to check the teeth yourself or at the vet. Especially during the transition phase, the teeth must be closely monitored. It is not unusual that a milk tooth not to want to change without the help of the vet. If such a double tooth remains, the permanent teeth can be damaged. Start by gently touching the muzzle and reward. Then always lift the tab slightly and reward if it is allowed. If your puppy pulls away, step back and reward something easier. Finally, gently go over the teeth with a dog’s toothbrush. If your dog is used to this, you can not only check his teeth but also brush a little to prevent plaque.

Touch paws

Touching the paws can be helpful in several ways. If your dog has injured himself on one of his paws, you’ll be more likely to be able to view the wound if he’s learned that you grabbed his paws. But it is also useful to be able to dry his paws so that not all the mud is dragged in with him. And if your dog does not walk sufficiently on a hard surface, the nails will also have to be trimmed from time to time. Start this exercise by gently touching the paws and rewarding them for doing so. Lift them a little further, but be careful not to pull them too far to the side. Alternate this exercise by occasionally holding the leg in your hand and sometimes grabbing it with a towel. If lifting the paws is well accepted, gently place nail scissors on a nail and reward for it.

Touch on the whole body

Some pups are happy from the start to be touched everywhere, but not every pup likes it. However, it is important to make sure that the puppies get used to it as well. Not only will the vet thank you for it, but children will also too unexpectedly wrap their arms around a strange dog or pull a tail. Start by touching the side, moving on to the other areas once your puppy is comfortable with it. Then do them one by one in the following order; under the neck, on the back, and only at the end of the head and tail. Reward each touch and go back to an easier zone if your puppy says he doesn’t like it. If you have a puppy that doesn’t like to be touched, reward it as a first step when you move your hand in his direction. If at some point your puppy is fine with you tugging on his ears (very gently, of course) or putting your arms around him, the chances of him reacting fiercely like a child in an inattentive moment are already much smaller.

Brushing

Every dog ​​needs to be brushed, some more often than others. So it is useful to get your puppy used to it. Make sure you have the right brushes for your puppy’s coat. Also when brushing, the order from easy to difficult spots is sides, under the neck, back, head and tail. Reward every time you touch your puppy with the brush. Many puppies are inclined to bite the brush. This is easy to solve by rewarding quickly and a lot. Give your pup a biscuit so he can look ahead. Then touch your puppy with the brush and reward them before he can look again. Once you’ve done this a few times, you can delay the treat a bit and only reward when your puppy looks ahead. Does he bite the brush, then remove it without turning it into a tug game and try again, but reward a little faster? If you practice well, you will soon be able to brush your puppy without him being annoyed or eating the brush.

To wear clothes

Clothing isn’t just for fashionista dogs. An injured dog sometimes has to wear a romper or shoe to prevent it from scratching the wound open or making it dirty. Of course, we all hope that nothing ever happens to your dog. But an accident is in a small corner and it is nice if your dog has already learned as a puppy that clothing is not terrible. Start short and powerful, put on a piece of clothing, reward and take it off immediately. Make the time a little longer. While building up, you can choose to play a game instead of giving cookies, for example, while the garment is on, and then stop as soon as you take it off. Watch what you do to your dog, and make sure he can’t slip on it or get caught on things. For example, a short scarf or old T-shirt are good objects to practice with.

Touch

Teaching your puppy to touch your hand on command is often not high on the list of behaviors that need to be taught. But this behavior can become the basis of so many other things that we still recommend learning it. If your puppy learns to respond to the command from a distance, it can serve as “here”. And once your puppy has learned to press his nose against your hand for extended periods, you can use it to get him into a certain position or follow you. Start with your hand so close to his nose that he’s very likely to sniff it. Reward as soon as your pup touches your hand with his nose. Repeat this a few times, then move your hand a little further away from your puppy. Repeat this while switching positions and slowly increasing the distance. Then attach a command to it by first giving the chosen command and then showing your hand. Once you’re ready, stop rewarding your puppy for touching your hand without the command. Practice with your puppy until he comes from a distance, holds his nose to your hand for extended periods, and even follows him for a treat and also comes when he’s a little distracted.

Emergency stop

This behavior is very important for your puppy’s safety when off-leash. You teach your puppy to stop and stay where he is now on command. This can come in handy if your puppy runs off onto a busy road. Or if you both walk on the other side of the cycle path and a cyclist approaches. You can choose whether you let your puppy lie down, sit or stand. Choose the position that seems most natural to your pup, i.e. what he will do if you stay in one place with him. First, practice the loose behavior and then attach a command to it. Once your pup has mastered the behavior, practice with increasing distractions, then increasing durations, then command from a greater distance. It’s important to reward your puppy where he is. If he likes to play, for example, you can throw a ball at him, but otherwise, it will be aiming for sweets. It is also useful to have them behind your back because you want to reward them before your puppy is on its way to you. Practice the chosen behavior so well that at some point your puppy can even do it from play. You do this by repeating often and slowly building up the level of difficulty, i.e. distance, duration, and distraction