Puppy Care 105 - Training

She snorts but is super lovable, great with housebreaking other dogs & cats.

1. Housebreak your dog. Start housebreaking your dog the first day you bring him home. The longer you wait, the more mess you'll have to deal with, and the harder it will be to train your dog

. Consider using training pads for the first few days. While these should not be used instead of taking your dog outside, they're useful as an intermediate stage, especially if you don't have a backyard.

dog in a soft crate

2. Consider crate training your dog. Crate training is helpful for many reasons. First of all, it curbs destructive behavior, allowing you to sleep and leave your dog alone without worrying. Second of all, it is a very effective method of potty training when used correctly.

3. Teach your dog basic commands. Your puppy will be most able to learn commands while he is young, so begin teaching as soon as possible. In addition, you can use basic commands as a basis for more complicated tricks later.

• Teach your dog to come.

• Teach your dog to sit.

• Teach your dog to lie down.

4. Get your dog used to car rides. Take your puppy on regular car rides to get him used to traveling with you. Otherwise, every time you get in the car he will think he is being taken to a vet. Then, he will start whining, and it will just get you frustrated.

5. Enter in an obedience class. Not only will this help you better train your dog, but it will socialize your puppy, helping him learn how to act around unfamiliar dogs and people.