Some mistakes to avoid in order to have a well-behaved and obedient dog.
2 – When does education start?
3 – Education only lasts for a period?
4 – Should you come as soon as he cries?
5 – How to teach him to be alone?
6 – What to do when you are away?
7 – Let your puppy jump on you?
8 – Should I pick him up if he is scared?
9 – My puppy sulks at his kibble
1 – Train your dog as if it were a child.
Your dog thinks dog.
Canine, not human, dog codes should be used.
Man must adapt his behaviour, he must learn to understand his dog and for this he must be trained.
In order to train your dog well, you must learn the rules, the canine codes and the methods to be respected.
2 – Wait for your puppy to grow up before you start training him.
No, the learning process starts at an early age with the mother.
It is up to the human (the breeder and then the owner) to continue the learning process.
3 – Thinking that education only lasts for a period.
No, we must continue to educate him throughout his life.
It is not too late to train your dog at any age.
4 – Should you come as soon as he cries?
No, if you come as soon as he cries; he will associate = I cry so my master comes.
He has to associate = I am calm so my master is coming.
The puppy will have to learn to stay alone.
Put him in his basket with games and an old piece of clothing that smells like you that he can lie on.
Get out of the room. If the puppy cries, be patient. He must not see you. Puppy stops crying. You go back into the room.
5 – How to teach him to be alone?
Your puppy has just arrived in his new home. It needs time to adapt.
Start by putting him in his corner with his basket and games, plus an object or garment with your scent. The puppy keeps itself busy. You leave the room for a few moments (start with 30 seconds). You come back into the room. Do not pay attention (no direct eye contact) to the puppy. He is quiet. You go about your business. Leave the room, come back… Sit close to him. You can look at it. The puppy will come to you. Games, cuddles… without forgetting to take him out regularly.
Start again later in the day, gradually extending the time of absence. The puppy should remain calm and busy with its games.
As the days go by, increase the time away.
Votre chiot va progressivement s’habituer avec être seul. When you actually leave the house to go to work, to run errands, it will be fine. He will have got used to being alone for a while. He will occupy himself with his toys, or sleep.
6 – Don’t be predictable when you leave. Your puppy will be more calm.
The puppy spends a lot of time analysing you, watching what you do.
Every morning, change the order of things to do. If the puppy can’t foresee everything, he won’t know when you’re leaving, or if you’re leaving. This will allow your puppy to be less tense and stressed when you leave.
You must teach your puppy to be alone (see no. 5).
A few minutes before leaving, put him in his corner with his basket and games.
You can put on soft music, an old t-shirt that smells like you, or games to keep him busy.
Finish getting ready and go straight out of the house.
You don’t need to go back to him, or give him a final hug, or be afraid to leave him alone. It has everything it needs (water bowl, basket, games…), you have already checked!
This prevents over-attachment, anxiety, even barking or destruction of objects in your home.
7 – Let the puppy jump on you as soon as you arrive.
No, don’t let him do anything you don’t want him to do as an adult.
Do not look at the puppy, you turn to the side. As soon as the puppy has all four paws on the ground, reward him.
8 – Should you pick him up/console him as soon as he is scared?
No, you would only be reinforcing his fear.
Not taking it will result in a dog that feels good about itself. They need to be able to deal with situations that are different from those they are used to.
As a child, when he heard a disturbing noise, he would look at his mother to see if she reacted to the noise. The mother remained calm and the puppy did the same. There is no danger. He is learning a new sound.
It is up to you to do the same. Stay calm, blink your eyes, it will reassure him. Then you entertain him.
9 – My puppy sulks, should I give him something else?
No, your puppy doesn’t want his kibble because he has tasted a piece of cheese, a piece of cake, a leftover meal…
The puppy does not starve itself. He will return to his bowl in 1 or 2 meals.
The puppy tries, tests, to move up the hierarchy.
Do not give in = You must remain the master, the leader of the pack.
Just as you should not look at him when he eats, so as not to give him too much importance, he should not eat the same thing as you.
This is very important if you want a balanced dog!
10 – Should I put my hand in the bowl?
No, when the dog eats from the bowl, you must leave it alone! (Would you like to be bothered when you eat, to be picked at, to have your plate taken away…?)
You can add kibble to your dog’s bowl during feeding. The dog gets used to seeing your hand approaching. He will see that we mean well (since we are adding kibble) and will not growl.
11 – My dog has done something stupid, I gave him a command and he won’t respond to it.
The puppy has associated the order and therefore the word with something negative. Perhaps you raised your voice too loudly?
He will no longer respond to this order with this word.
You have to change the word of the order and start learning the order again with this new word.
Some examples of how to soothe and occupy your puppy when he is home alone.
Kong Game
a game that keeps you busy for a long time
Video explanation by Dr Charlotte RENARD,
veterinary consultant for Direct-Vet.fr
Relaxing music for your puppy
Relaxing and stress relieving piano music composed by Peder B. Helland.
This beautiful piece is called “Our Journey”.
The dog is stimulated. He will keep himself busy for a long time by sniffing, looking for the kibble hidden under the carrots, removing the carrots, eating the kibble then playing with the carrots…
More information
Why the positive method?
How to teach your puppy the first essential words?
