Puppies are not naturally willful. They are like small children in that they need clear and straight forward guidance from you if they are to figure out exactly what you expect them to do. This article will begin explain how to set the rules and the routine for your new puppy's place in the home, and offer guidelines for basic house training.

Starting to train your puppy

Ensure you give enough time to all areas of your puppy's training. It is a process that requires patience and perseverance. It will take time and it is vital to establish and develop the right relationship with your puppy. It is worth the effort though, once you find your efforts are rewarded with an obedient and happy dog.

Just as all children vary in the degree to which they are able to learn new activities, you will find differences in how quickly different puppies are able to learn correct behaviour. Some dogs are very quick to understand what it is you want them to do, while others need much more time to figure things out. All puppies, however, are eager to please and enjoy warm praise, lots of attention and treats. You can be sure they will be only too ready to do whatever they can to earn your approval.

If you are willing to put in a bit of time each day training your puppy, even just five to ten minutes a day if that's all you can spare, you will soon find that your puppy rewards your patience and attention by learning good behavior patterns that ensure that he is a credit to you and a joy to be around.

The first few days

If at all possible, try to get some vacation time when you first bring the puppy home so he has plenty of time to get to know his surroundings and to settle into a routine. It is best if the whole family is involved in his basic obedience training, especially the house training side of it, before the puppy is left for the first time. Every member of the family should know the guidelines the puppy is to follow. These must be applied consistently by everyone from the moment the puppy arrives home. Does the puppy have a special chair he can sit on? When will he need to go outside? Are there areas of the house that are off-limits? In order not to confuse the puppy these things should be agreed upon by the family first.

Remember your puppy is still young so don't overtrain him. Stop while your puppy is still enjoying these activities. Watch out for signs of fatigue or distress. These can include licking the lips, yawning or scratching. Also look for signs of a lack of concentration such as looking around aimlessly. Puppies have a small attention span so keep the training short and the puppy will continue to enjoy the training for a long time to come.