When a fluffy little puppy bursts into our lives, its innocent and curious appearance instantly melts our hearts. From that moment on, we are filled with anticipation, looking forward to accompanying it to grow up healthily, watching it learn various skills, and becoming a well-behaved and obedient little treasure. However, many novice dog owners are often confused: When can a puppy start training? In fact, the answer to this question not only concerns the growth of the puppy but also affects our future way of getting along with it. It is an important starting point of a journey of companionship full of love and responsibility.
The growth of a puppy is like an orderly movement of life, with different training focuses at different stages. Generally speaking, for puppies from 3 to 12 weeks after birth, it is the golden period for socialization training. Puppies at this stage are like a pure blank sheet of paper, full of curiosity about the world and with a strong ability to accept new things. They start to actively explore the surrounding environment and are full of freshness towards various sounds, smells, and things. During this period, exposing the puppy to different people, animals, environments, and things can help them establish positive social concepts and learn how to get along harmoniously with the outside world.
From 3 to 7 weeks old, puppies mainly interact with their littermates and the mother dog, learning basic social skills such as playing, communicating, and controlling strength. As owners, we can gently observe from the side and let the puppies grow in a natural environment. After 7 weeks, we can gradually intervene and guide the puppies to carry out socialization training. Take the puppy to public places such as parks and pet stores to let it experience different environments and atmospheres; invite relatives and friends to visit at home to let the puppy contact different people; and also let the puppy interact with other gentle-tempered pets. In this process, the puppy will learn to distinguish different people and animals, understand social rules, and avoid behavior problems such as timidity and strong aggression when it grows up.
In addition to socialization training, simple obedience training can also start during the puppy stage. When the puppy is 8 to 12 weeks old, it already has a certain cognitive ability and can understand some simple instructions. At this time, we can teach the puppy some basic commands, such as "sit", "stay", and "come". When training, pay attention to the methods and avoid using coercive or punitive means, so as not to leave a psychological shadow on the puppy. For example, when we want to teach the puppy the command "sit", we can hold a snack above the puppy's head, guide it to look up, and at the same time, gently press its buttocks with the other hand to help it make the sitting action. When the puppy successfully sits down, immediately give it a snack as a reward and gently praise it, such as "You're so great" or "Well done". Through this positive reinforcement method, the puppy will gradually understand the meaning of the instructions and be willing to cooperate with the training.
Puppies from 3 to 6 months old enter the teething period. They are full of energy, highly curious, and also begin to show a sense of independence. At this stage, we can focus on training the puppy's behavior norms, such as not biting furniture, not jumping on people, and not defecating or urinating casually at home. Puppies like to bite things during the teething period. We can prepare some special teething toys for it, such as chew toys and plush toys, to meet its need to bite. When we find the puppy biting the furniture, stop it in a timely manner, say "No" in a serious tone, and then guide it to bite the special toys. For the puppy's potty training, we can designate a fixed place for it to defecate, such as the bathroom or the balcony. When the puppy shows signs of needing to defecate, such as circling on the ground and sniffing around, immediately take it to the designated place. When the puppy defecates at the designated place, give it rewards and praise.
Puppies from 6 to 12 months old are developing rapidly both physically and intellectually and already have a strong learning ability. At this time, we can carry out more complex training, such as heel training and no-feeding training. Heel training can enable the puppy to learn to keep up with the owner's pace during a walk and not pull the leash randomly. When training, we can hold the leash and walk slowly. When the puppy walks in front or deviates from the route, gently pull the leash back and give the command "heel". When the puppy returns to the correct position, give it a reward. No-feeding training can ensure the puppy's safety and prevent it from accidentally eating harmful items. We can put the food on the ground. When the puppy wants to eat it, immediately give the command "No" and take the food away. Through multiple trainings, the puppy will gradually learn to refuse the food on the ground.
Training a puppy is a long-term battle that requires patience and love. Every puppy has its own unique personality and learning rhythm. During the training process, we may encounter setbacks and difficulties, but as long as we persevere, guide it with scientific methods, and support it with love and companionship, we can help the puppy grow into an excellent partner. Watching the puppy gradually learn various skills from an innocent little fellow, our hearts will also be filled with a sense of accomplishment. Let us cherish every moment spent with the puppy and write a beautiful chapter of the companionship between humans and pets with love.
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