Puppies are adorable furballs that love to play, be cuddled and sometimes get into mischief. Your puppy has learnt the first rules of dog life from their mother and now you’re taking the lead. You will teach them how to behave in order to live harmoniously with their human family and the world around them. Even if your puppy is only a few weeks old and has just been weaned, they are already capable of understanding quite a lot. First of all, you should get them used to their name by saying it to them several times a day. Don’t be tempted to use pet names such as “my baby”, “my doggy” or “little treasure” to beckon your puppy. You can use them later if you want to, but they need to learn their name first.
Next, they are going to learn what is allowed and what isn’t. For this, you can use the command “no” or “stop”. The word itself is not important, what matters most is that you remain consistent with the word you have chosen. When your little companion does something that they are not allowed to do, for example taking one of your shoes to play with, firmly tell them “no” or “stop”. As they are more used to hearing you speak to them softly, they will certainly be surprised and may even stop what they’re doing altogether. If that’s the case, praise them with a “very good” and give them a little treat. Be careful not to give them too much, however, and choose treats that are suitable for their young age.
Another basic and very important command is calling your dog back. Some owners say “here”, others prefer “come”. Train your puppy at home by first going to a different corner of the room. They will see you again and you can reinforce your command with a treat or a gesture. Here too, don’t forget to praise your puppy once they have reached you. Once they have understood this command, you can change the training location, e.g. you can go into the garden. There will be more distractions that will make the exercise more difficult in the beginning. With patience and gentleness, you will eventually succeed in teaching your dog to come when you call them in all kinds of different places. Your puppy will then learn the commands to sit, lie down and stay.