The definition of a perfect dog can vary from owner to owner, but it's not impossible to breed the dog you want. To get started, make sure he socializes properly, train him, and take care of him. If you want to get the perfect faithful friend for you, focus your efforts on the specific traits that interest you, while making sure the pet is well balanced and makes you and your family happy.
Steps
Part 1 of 4: Train him to use the bathroom
Step 1. Make sure you have enough time and patience
Breeding a well-trained and well-behaved dog takes time and effort over many years. Before deciding to deal with this burden, you should consider your daily routine and evaluate if you have enough time to devote yourself to the puppy; the puppy must also learn new commands, so be patient while learning.
- The puppy cannot spontaneously know what the right behavior is; however, he wants to please you and that makes training easier.
- Teaching the correct bathroom use can take anywhere from six months to a year.
Step 2. Start at the right time
You should start teaching him how to use the toilet when he is about 12-16 weeks old; at this stage, his bladder has developed sufficiently and the puppy can learn to control it.
Step 3. Take him out immediately
Once you have welcomed him into your home, you must immediately take him outdoors to show him the place where he must satisfy his physiological needs; in this way, he soon begins to associate being away from home with using the bathroom. When he urinates or defecates outdoors, you need to show him a lot of affection and praise him, so that he associates the gestures of approval with this behavior.
When he goes outdoors you have to allow him to sniff and explore the yard until he "uses the bathroom"
Step 4. Confine it to a limited space
During the first phase of training you must make sure that the puppy remains in a defined area when you are not at home or not supervised, in order to reduce the risk of him dirtying other areas while he is still learning.
The most suitable spaces in this sense are the laundry room and the bathroom
Step 5. Pay attention when it shows signs that it needs to break free
The puppy lets you know when to urinate or defecate. See if he starts panting, walking in circles, sniffing around, or barking these are all signs of the need to meet these needs. When you notice them, you need to take him outdoors right away so he can free himself.
Step 6. Set up a strict schedule
During the learning phase you have to take it out often; it starts right away when you wake up in the morning and then every half hour or hour throughout the day. You also need to take him outside after meals and when he wakes up from daily naps; finally, before going to sleep.
- Make sure he always goes to the same spot in the garden every time he goes out; its own smells should stimulate it to clear the intestines or bladder.
- Its size also plays an important role in defining the times it needs to come out as it gets older. If she is small, she has a reduced bladder and therefore needs to go to the bathroom more often, even when she reaches maturity. You may think that it is unable to restrain itself, but in reality the problem is only due to the fact that it is smaller.
Step 7. Praise him very much
When he leaves the house and uses the bathroom correctly, you have to reward him in an obvious way; do not be afraid to exaggerate, in this way he will be tempted to please you even more. You can also offer him a treat every two times he does well.
If your house is dirty, never rub his nose in his feces; it is a cruel gesture and does not teach him anything
Part 2 of 4: Train him to use the cage
Step 1. Choose the correct size
Cage training is a great thing for the dog; you can put it inside when you are not at home, also to prevent it from causing "accidents" in unauthorized spaces. You also allow him to have a zone of his own to retreat to when he feels overwhelmed or just wants to be alone. Since he will likely have to spend a lot of time inside this enclosure, you need to make sure you buy one large enough for him.
The cage, or carrier, should allow him to stay comfortably upright, turn around and lie down comfortably; also check that it has the right size to easily contain the animal even when it is an adult
Step 2. Encourage the puppy to enter
In the first stage of training you need to make the cage a pleasant and fun place; start by keeping it open in the living room or kitchen where you are and put a comfy blanket, kennel or mat inside to entice the dog to enter.
To incentivize it even more you can use some delicious treats
Step 3. Close the cage door
Once the puppy has entered and stayed a few times with the door open, try locking him inside for about 10 minutes.
If he starts whimpering or scratching the fence door, don't let him out, otherwise he starts to understand that with this behavior he gets what he wants
Step 4. Increase the duration
Over time, you have to increase the amount of time he spends inside, until he learns to stay there for many hours without complaining or tapping on the door.
- The time it takes to get used to it depends on the age of the puppy. If it's not four months old yet, don't keep it inside for more than two hours; if he is already older, he must be able to stay there for four hours without whining, as long as he is able to keep his bladder under control.
- Never leave it in the cage for a longer period, unless it is necessary because you are at work; never use the fence as a form of punishment, as it will start to fear it.
Part 3 of 4: Socialize it
Step 1. Introduce him to the other animals
If you have other dogs or cats in the house, take some time for the puppy to get to know them. When you bring him home for the first time, keep him in a separate place from other animals and arrange for their first meeting in a neutral territory, such as a neighbour's garden, park, or other outdoor location; also make sure there is a fence or other type of barrier with slots to keep the animals separate.
- Put a leash on all animals and keep the new puppy on one side of the enclosure while your other pet friends must remain on the other side; let them sniff each other through the barrier for about half an hour.
- The next day take them back to a neutral place and allow them to approach without barriers that separate them; it has to be an open place, so they don't feel limited and have all the space they want to smell each other. Wait about two minutes while they sniff each other and let them get used to each other's presence; watch them carefully if they exhibit aggressive behavior or if they fight each other. After some time has elapsed, allow them to play together for a few minutes, then take them home.
- At the end of this mutual acquaintance, leave them together in the yard and then take them into the house. During the first few weeks, avoid them being alone together without your supervision; wait until you see them getting comfortable with each other.
Step 2. Get used to the environment early
If you want your new friend to grow up properly, you need to get him accustomed to the noises and household activities, as well as to the other people present; in this way, he adapts from an early age and learns not to react aggressively or wrongly as he grows up.
- When proceeding with this training, you must not behave in a threatening manner. Do not scare him with objects, for example, avoid chasing him with a vacuum cleaner or hitting him with a broom; you just have to do the housework normally so that he gets used to it.
- Slowly introduce it to other animals as it grows, to allow it to get used to them.
- Make sure that any guest has already met him so that the dog learns to accept and love new people.
Step 3. Take him on trips
If you want me to learn to drive, you should take it with you on many occasions when you travel; in this way, he gets used to the noise and other vehicles on the road.
Plus, making him travel by car with you makes it even easier to take him to the vet
Step 4. Take him to the park
The dog playground is a perfect place where your wagging friend can mingle with others of his kind and people. But keep it on a leash, you have to prevent it from running away or getting into trouble with other animals.
- However, before letting him go to a public place, make sure he has already had the first two boosters for the distemper vaccine.
- You can only take off the leash if the puppy is friendly with other dogs and people, if he has learned to be close to you and if he obeys your commands.
Step 5. Enroll him in an obedience class
When he is a little older, you can take him to these classes, which are organized at pet shops or dog centers. These courses teach you to make yourself obey and the dog to respond to your commands, as well as becoming a well-behaved animal.
If you can't find any suitable courses in your area, ask your vet
Part 4 of 4: Training him in Voice Commands
Step 1. Start with short sessions
Training him in voice commands helps him improve behavior and stay well trained throughout his life. Initially, the sessions should be short in duration, about five minutes; you also have to start with one command at a time until you learn it well, then you can move on to the next one.
- During the training you have to repeat the sessions three times a day.
- As it grows you can increase the length of individual lessons.
Step 2. Teach him the "No" or "Alt" command
This is the first lesson you need to teach him; you can choose one of the two words indifferently, since they mean practically the same thing and the dog does not know the meaning until you teach him. Remember to be firm with this command, although you should never hit the dog.
- When you see that the puppy does something wrong, say "No" or "Alt", then take him away from that activity and tell him again.
- Keep repeating this command every time he does something inappropriate and until he learns to obey consistently.
Step 3. Teach him not to bite
The puppy begins to explore the world around him through his mouth; this means that it tries to gnaw and bite into everything. When you are playing with him and he bites you or tries to nibble you, you have to tell him "Don't bite" and, after telling him, you have to offer him a toy that he can chew; in this way, associate this behavior with the game and not with your fingers.
- Do the same thing if you see him gnawing on things he shouldn't, like shoes or furniture, and say "Don't bite" again.
- Persist with this training until he always behaves correctly.
Step 4. Teach him the "Sit" command
This is another valuable command that he must learn; to start, stand in front of the puppy with a treat in one hand that you need to show him. Firmly say "Sit" and lower the back of his body until he sits down; at this point, you can give him the tidbit and praise him.
- Step away from the dog and let him come back to a standing position, then come back to him again and tell him to sit down again. If he doesn't, repeat the command and gently press his "butt" to the floor; continue with the training until he learns to sit alone without your continued encouragement.
- This command is also useful for preventing him from jumping; use a leash or just your hands to carefully restrain him and give him the command "Sit", offering him a tasty treat when he obeys. He should quickly learn not to jump anymore.
Step 5. Train him to command "Earth"
Once you have learned many other commands, you can teach him this; say "Down" or "Earth" indifferently. To start, stand or sit in front of the dog and hold a treat in your hand so that he can see it. Then say the command you prefer between the two, while you bring your hand with the candy towards the floor; when the puppy starts to sag, even if just a little, give him the treat and praise him.
Keep trying until he's completely flat on the ground
Step 6. Teach him the "Freeze" command
This is one of the best commands to help him stay safe. When he is sitting in front of you, put a hand in front of his muzzle, opening it as much as possible and pronouncing firmly "Stop"; then begins to slowly back away. If you see him approaching you, give him the command to sit down again and praise him. Repeat the whole process until he learns to stand still by himself and at that point praise him and give him a treat.
You must persist with the training until he learns to stay where he is every time you order him, even if you walk away and say "Stop"
Step 7. Train him to come to you
It represents an additional command that helps him stay safe. Start gradually as you play in the yard; lean forward and clap your hands on your thighs saying "Come" in a friendly tone. The dog thinks you want to play and then runs towards you; reward him with pampering and a treat.
- Repeat the command on several occasions, especially when the puppy is distracted by a toy, a similar one or a person; remember to always praise him when he obeys.
- At first, you can use one of his favorite toys to entice him to get close to you.
Step 8. Teach him the "Silence" command
This way, you can get him to stop barking when he does at inopportune moments. Keep a bag of treats handy to correct him when he starts barking. On such occasions, address him while holding a delicacy in your hand and say the word "Silence"; as soon as he stops, give him the prize and praise him.
If he doesn't shut up right away, show him the morsel to make you obey; repeat the exercise until you learn to stop barking at the first command
Step 9. Maintain training
As your dog grows, you need to organize "review" sessions. Play with him and say a random command even when he has already learned them all. When he behaves as required, give him a reward and praise him; this way, you keep him alert, focused on you, and more and more polite as the years go by.
Warnings
- Never scold him or act impatiently, especially if it is a puppy; if he doesn't understand what you are trying to teach him, be patient and don't scold him. The animal does not understand that you are asking him again and does not know why you are punishing him. If you feel frustrated, take a break and try again later.
- Never hit a puppy or adult dog; this behavior only teaches him to fear you by making it impossible for him to create an emotional bond with you. Eventually he will no longer stand it and stop following all your commands.
