Catch them young - conversation about dog training

Andrew : Good morning, uncle. This is my pup, Minky. She’s only three weeks old. I got her last week. Please tell me how to house-train her.

Nayakan : Hello, Minky! Cute little pup. Yes, Andrew. Let me give you a few tips. With young puppies, when the urge comes, they go -it usually doesn’t matter where
they are or what they are doing. If we didn’t put diapers on human babies, they too would soil our carpets and floors. Confine your puppy to a dogproofed area and line the entire floor with papers. The idea is that no matter where the puppy eliminates, it is on something that resembles her toilet area. Your goal is to never allow your puppy to eliminate on carpet, tile, hardwood, or anything that resembles the flooring in your home. Once a habit is established, it is difficult to break, therefore, do not let your pup
form bad habits in the first place. Praise and reward your puppy each and every time possible for eliminating in her toilet area. Never hit, kick or slap your dog. Feed your puppy at regular times. What goes in on schedule will come out on schedule. Use a crate to help your puppy develop self-control. Provide constant access to the toilet area. If you are
at home, take her there every 45 minutes or less. Be patient. It can take until the dog is 6 months old for her to be housetrained.

Andrew : Uncle, all of us adore her and take turns feeding and bathing her. Is it OK?

Nayakan : No. It is best that each one has a defined role. Decide who is responsible for feeding and cleaning up after her. Don’t deviate from the schedule. Routine is especially important for your puppy.

Andrew : And uncle, she is chewing our footwear, rugs, carpet, anything that is lying around. What should I do about this?

Nayakan : This is only a phase and she’ll outgrow it. This is only because of ‘teething’. Provide a variety of toys for your puppy. Teach your puppy to play with these toys. Praise puppy every time you see her chewing or playing with her toys on her own. Any area that
the pup has access to must be kept clear and clean. Put out of puppy’s reach anything you don’t want her to chew or destroy, such as trash, shoes, hazards, etc. Your puppy does not know what is valuable or dangerous and what is not. If you find your puppy with your best shoe in mouth, distract her away from it and replace the shoe with one of her toys. Praise
her for chewing her toy. Do not reprimand her for chewing your shoe. Reprimand yourself for leaving it out where she could find it.

Andrew : Should I start training her right away, or …..?

Nayakan : Since puppies are so impressionable, it is important to begin explaining the rules right away. Don’t give her special licence to get away with anything just because she is a puppy. If you allow her to have her way about certain things now, she will only be
confused later when you decide to change the rules. Remember, puppies learn very quickly with proper instruction.

Andrew : Is there anything else that I need to know?

Nayakan : Yes, there’s something very important - effective training requires good timing. This is the most difficult thing for most dog owners to learn. A critical difference between the way people learn and the way dogs learn involves the use of language. Language connects the present action with the past event. Dogs, for the most part, lack language skills. Good timing becomes critical to connect the action (your praise or correction) to the event. Learning how to communicate without words is the most important basic skill you need to learn. Learn to read your dog’s body language and how and when to react to it, then you will be the proud owner of a polite, socially adept
dog.