“What’s in a name?” begins the famous Shakespearean quote. Although your puppy might not be able to recite Romeo and Juliet, he or she should have the ability to respond and react when you call their name. In this article, we will show you how it’s done!

How to Teach Your Puppy Its Name

#1 Start by deciding on your puppy’s name. Get the whole family involved – allow everyone to come up with their favourite name and work together to choose the best one.

#2 next, from the moment you collect your new puppy, begin using their name. Every time they respond to it, reward them. This could be a treat, an extra cuddle, or enthusiastic verbal encouragement.

What you’re trying to do from the start is linking your puppy’s name and a positive outcome. This helps them to become recognize it and consistently react with the desired behavior.

If your puppy doesn’t respond to their name, don’t react with any negative behaviour. Punishment is not an effective way to train a puppy, and they are more likely to ignore their name being called if they associate it with an unpleasant outcome.

Keep practicing this technique with your puppy, in as many contexts as possible. Call their name when you’re out for a walk; if they move towards you, make a big fuss and give them a treat. At feeding time, if they respond to their name, give them plenty of praise before handing over the chow. Essentially, take every opportunity you have to reinforce the idea that responding to their name is positive.

With patience and time, your puppy will soon recognize its name, and come running to find you whenever you call!

How to House Train Your Puppy

One of the most pressing priorities, when you bring your puppy home, is to start the process of toilet training. The aim is to have your new dog trained as quickly as possible, to avoid a mess in your home, and to get your puppy into good habits.

●      Start by getting your puppy into a regular feeding schedule, and taking away food between mealtimes. This helps them to form a routine that ties in with their toilet breaks.

●      Puppies usually need to poop straight after eating; at some point between five and thirty minutes following a meal. Take them outside and allow them to do their business, then give a reward. They’ll start to understand that going to to the toilet outside is the correct behavior.

●      You’ll also need to take your puppy out first thing in the morning, just before bedtime, and every time they wake up from a nap. Use the same part of the garden each on each occasion. 

●      Look out for cues that they need to go – such as circling, whining, and sniffing – and react quickly by taking them outside. If they do have an accident, never punish them; particularly by putting their nose in the mess. Just clean up and give plenty of praise when they next get it right.

Note that this can be a long-term process. Most puppies will be house trained within around six months, but some could take up to a year. If you’re having issues with toilet training, always remember; be patient, persistent, and positive!

Quick Tips for Training a Puppy

●      You’ve probably noticed a theme throughout this article; positive reinforcement. It’s the highly-effective foundation of any good puppy training technique and can be applied to any behavior you’d like to encourage in your dog.

●      Conversely, punishment is never an effective training tool. It causes fear in your puppy, which can lead to unwanted behavior and undue distress.

●      Always have treats ready, particularly in the early phases of a training regime. You might also want to use an alternative to edible treats, such as a clicker.

●      Patience is everything! Investing time now will pay dividends in the future.