Some people think that training puppies is difficult. How you approach your puppy training and handling will make a big difference. The following tips will help make training your puppy easier and more fun, too.

Training tip n. 1 – Always watch your puppy. If you supervise your puppy, he or she cannot use the bathroom in the house, he cannot chew on things, and you can be there to take him out when he needs to leave.

If you are unable to supervise your puppy, investing in a quality kennel is suggested.

Training tip n. 2 – Let your puppy drag a leash. Buy a 5 to 6 foot nylon leash and let your puppy drag it. This way you can stand on the leash to keep your puppy around you. Tie the puppy to a chair or door so you can supervise him while he’s busy.

Training tip n. 3 – Handle them. Touch her paws, rub her ears, check her teeth, pick them up and check her tummy, touch her backside. This will get them used to being examined by the vet, handled by the groomer, by children and adults.

Training tip n. 4 – Socialize your puppy. Early socialization is critical to the proper development of your puppy. If you don’t bring them out into the world, they will never learn to behave in the world.

My general rule of thumb is to take them whenever I can between 8-14 weeks and I continue this socialization until maturity.

For younger puppies, consult your veterinarian for safety precautions. You can usually start socializing your puppies with other dogs after they have started their second round of vaccinations. Again, check with your vet before doing this.

Training tip n. 5 – Use motivation to teach basic things like sit, sit, and roll over. Teaching your puppy to sit, lie down, and roll over are great ways to start formal obedience training with your puppy.

Rolling and lying down are also submissive positions that will help your puppy learn to stay calm and see you as the leader as he matures.

With the use of positive reinforcement and motivational techniques, you can work with almost any age and see results.

Training tip n. 6 – Use hand signals. Along with verbal signals, you want to use hand signals. This will help your puppy understand what you want him to do. Dogs are masters at reading body language. It makes sense to use it early on to start teaching your puppy behaviors.

Training tip n. 7 – Avoid rolling your puppy on his back or practicing “alpha rolls”. A popular concept today is leadership. Many people confuse leadership with dominance. Dominance and leadership or not is the same and practicing dominant handling techniques like the Alpha Roll is not the best for you or your puppies.

Instead, lay them on their sides and teach them to relax at the right time. This will help you establish yourself in the long term as the leader and teach you how to stay calm in stressful situations like the vet’s office, the groomer, and in situations that put stress on your puppy.

In conclusion Socialize your puppy as often as you can and start touching him a lot to help him handle the stressful situations he will face on a daily basis.

By taking the time to properly work with your puppy, you will save yourself a lot of frustration as he grows up.