Early Obedience Training

The methods and exercises you're learning in this puppy manual are designed to teach your puppy to respond to your commands, love, discipline and praise because he respects you, not because he's afraid of you or because he thinks he will get goodies if he pleases you. Do not use food as a reward for obedience command; rather use it as a friendship tool especially in an abused puppy. Obedience training builds a bond between you and your puppy if mutual respect on both parties is established at an early age. With young pup-pies, attention span is very short; therefore, repetition of an exercise is more important than the length of time he holds the position. Once you start obedience training, your puppy may try temper tantrums to control you and the situation. These come in several forms ranging from the puppy crying out at the top of his lungs in protest to your command, to biting the leash, to laying flat on the floor, refusing to move.

These are all tem-per tantrums and have to be dealt with as they happen. When they attack their own leash, give a quick pop on The lead and collar with a stern growly “NO“. If the pup lays out flat, give a “Let's Go“ Command and use the body language of thumping your thigh or clapping your hands to get the pup up and moving. Your puppy is very capable of learning several obedience commands at a very early age. The earlier you start to structure their minds the better it is. Don t think that waiting until the pup gets older and not as hyper is going to make the job easier. Waiting allows the pup to decide for itself right from wrong, which usually means that a pup is totally out of control by the time it reaches 6 months Old. The exercises your pup will learn are all meaningful. There is a logical purpose for every command. A brief explanation is presented here.