Your New Puppy: Raising a well-mannered dog

"Whoever said you can't buy happiness forgot little puppies" -Gene Hill

Congratulations on your new friend! The cuteness, cuddliness, and playfulness have begun, and so must the dog education.

Dogs and puppies have a routine, and it should involve lots of loving, plenty of exercise and good food. You will like it too. Getting your puppy into a routine helps speed up the housetraining process and also makes it easier to set aside time in your day to give your incredible puppy proper care and attention.

Earning Your Puppy's Respect

When you get home, you and your family should eat in your dog's presence before setting out the puppy food. In packs, the most important dogs always eat first.

Puppies do feel fear, but it is not useful for your dog to fear you. Never hit your dog. Take the time to teach your puppy what you want (The Clicker Training Guide is really helpful for this). A puppy arrives in our world, often having just been born two or three months earlier. We should not expect him to understand anything but to love us. We get to teach him the rest - using persistence, patience and affection to shape him into the companions that we want and that he is capable of becoming.

Use tone of voice to communicate. A high pitch is exciting and playful. A normal tone is like a bark - direct and commanding. A low growl is a warning. With practice, you can make your puppy understand your mood.

Many dog owners do not realize how important dog leadership is. This is the key to nurturing a balanced dog. See more tips on dog leadership.

Trainer Zak George on "Understanding Your Dog"

Beware of Bad Behaviors

Many times we, dog-owners, give our dogs bad habits without realizing it. We focus on how cute and cuddly the puppy is and forget about discipline. Beware that you do not fall into the same mistake.

We reinforce bad behavior by rewarding it. We reward by giving the dog what he/she wants (i.e. food, affection, play, walk, etc). For instance, when someone comes into your home and your dog gets excited and jumps on him/her to "say hi," many people usually pet the dog, which reinforces this behavior. Not all your visitors will like your dog to jump on them, however, so it is good to correct it and not allow it. Jumping on people also says that your dog is at the same level of the person, which should not be. The dog must be a follower to all humans! All humans are its leaders and the dog should submit to them.

Do not pet the dog when they are scared, nervous, aggressive, uncertain, etcetera. If you do, you will be nurturing these unwanted behaviors. Encourage good states of mind, the ones you want - calm and submissive.

Schedules to Set

Regardless of the breed, with dedication and a lot of patience, your puppy will learn the rules. Keep in mind that age does play a role in how easy your dog will complete the process. Since a small puppy eats more meals than an adult dog does, you can expect more trips outside. For this reason, you will need to set up a schedule that coordinates with the puppy's age.

Typically, a small puppy will need to go outside about every two to three hours. Although you will need to establish your own schedule, the following is what you might expect during the potty training period. Remember to also schedule time for exercise (walking), playtime, and training sessions.

• 7:00 a.m. - Take the puppy outside immediately after waking up
• 7:15 a.m. - Feed and water the puppy inside a crate large enough for the puppy to move around
• 7:45 a.m. - Take the puppy outside to go potty
• 11:45 a.m. - Take the puppy outside to go potty
• 12:00 p.m. - Feed and water the puppy inside its crate
• 12:45 p.m. - Take the puppy outside to go potty

Around this time, your puppy will be tired and in need of a nap. Gently place your puppy inside the crate. Remember, this schedule is to encourage a pattern, making potty training easier.

• 2:30 p.m. - Take the puppy outside to go potty
• 4:30 p.m. - Take the puppy outside to go potty
• 5:00 p.m. - Feed and water the puppy inside the crate
• 5:30 p.m. - Take the puppy outside to go potty

About an hour after your puppy has had dinner, take it for a short walk and then spend quality time playing and enjoying it. This quality time will help build the bond and a relationship of trust, which only helps to strengthen the desire of the puppy to please its master.

• 7:30 p.m. - Remove the puppy's water and any food for the night
• 8:30 p.m. - Take the puppy outside to go potty
• 9:30 p.m. - Put the puppy in the crate to sleep

"Dogs have given us their absolute all. We are the center of their universe. We are the focus of their love and faith and trust. They serve us in return for scraps. It is without a doubt the best deal man has ever made." -Roger Caras

practice, practice, practice!