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Five tips to teach your puppy good manners

If you have just acquired a new puppy, now is the time to teach the dog obedience. Dogs do not know at birth what "sit", "come" and "stay" mean. We have to teach them that. Helping your puppy learn what those commands mean is an important step in your relationship with the new family member. Puppy training can begin from as young as eight weeks old. Below are some tips.

A bench. A crate is a great tool for house training, but it is also a safe, quiet place for the puppy when he is tired or stressed. Leaving the puppy in the crate when he cannot be supervised will keep him safe and learn to seek comfort there.

Name behavior as it is - for example, say "sit" when the puppy is already in a sitting position. This will help her associate words with actions and will gradually result in her reaction to the word with the desired behavior.

Offer rewards. Dogs will do whatever works to get attention, so rewarding him with praise, play, or a treat will reinforce desired behaviors and increase the likelihood that the behavior will occur more often in the future.

Ignoring unwanted behavior. By the same principle, the best way to stop unwanted behaviors – such as jumping and whining – is to ignore them. If you don't make eye contact, talk to her, or pick her up when she whines, she'll find out it's not getting the result she wants.

To be consequent. It is essential that the whole family reacts in the same way to the puppy. If one person makes him jump while others ignore that behavior, he will get mixed signals and become confused. Everyone in the household must use the same words and actions

It's harder to correct bad behavior that has turned into a bad habit than it is to prevent that habit in the first place, so get started right away.