You’ll get a great start on training your new dog—adult or puppy—if you put yourself in the dog’s position. Your environment is familiar to you, but it’s brand new to the dog. Depending on where he came from, your dog could feel as if he has landed on another planet! No matter what you’re doing, take it slow. Enjoy the small breakthroughs, and be patient. Life with this dog will be different a month from now as long as you provide firm, consistent guidance.
Both dogs relaxed (ears/eyes); Logan more relaxed (tail).
This little guy didn't trust me yet (whole body tense).
Dog Momma highly recommends taking an obedience class with your new dog. A class is a great bonding and social experience. You and your dog learn together how to relate to each other, and you both have a chance to experience other dogs in a controlled environment.
Before you start to teach any specific skill, you’ll want to establish some basics:
- Find out what the dog finds rewarding. Some treats may be better than others –I’ll work harder for ice cream than for a cracker! Some dogs are more responsive to a favorite toy—and that “favorite” could be something you find strange, such as an empty water bottle.
- Brush up on your doggie body language. Know the calming signals and which bark or body language signals stress, and you’ll understand when your new dog is starting to get anxious.
- Show him where to go. In the house, make sure you hang out in all the rooms. If you are always in the kitchen, the dog may figure that’s your room, and the living room is therefore an appropriate place to do his business.
Once you’ve got these basics, you’ll want to work on specific behaviors, starting with the most important ones: housetraining, walking on a leash, and socialization. Here are some building blocks you can use to teach not only these basic skills but also more advanced ones.
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When Rio came, we reinforced the crate with treats. Naturally, Sage decided this was prime real estate! Luckily we have multiple dog "places".
Establish a work-for-it mentality. Whatever your dog wants to do, he has to do a little training to get it.
- Work to eat: This is a good time to teach a target place.
- Work to go out: Sitting at the door is an eventual goal, but a good start might be four paws on the floor before the door opens.
- Set up the building blocks. To teach almost any skill, you start with a way to get your dog’s attention and a way to let him know he’s doing the right thing.
- Teach the “name game”: When the dog responds to his name by looking at you, he gets a treat.
- Teach a marker, such as the clicker or a verbal “yes.” Reinforce the marker with a treat, and the dog will start to seek the marker for its own sake.
- Teach default behaviors. Your new dog needs to know what “yes” is so that you can stop “no” behaviors.
