Small Breed Dogs

December 8th, 2008 by Dog Trainer

For some, buying an older dog might be a preference for someone who doesn’t have the time to spend with puppy training. But if you decide to buy a new one, be prepared to start with some basic obedience training.

House training (or potty training)

This will take some time and consistency on your part. If you have a yard, be sure to take the puppy out first thing in the morning (first one up should do this if there is more than one person in the house) and then every hour throughout the day. If the puppy has an accident inside, a firm ‘no’ if you see him do it will be enough and immediately take him out to the yard (or “potty” area inside). When he goes outside or to “potty” by himself, give him a little treat and praise him.

Teach your puppy to stop biting

Biting is a natural stage that all puppies go through. Like babies, puppies go through a teething stage and want to bite anything and everything. They have very sharp baby teeth and can hurt if they start playfully nipping you too.

Keep everything of value out of reach (like shoes, kids toys etc) and just have a few “puppy toys” laying around. your local petshop should have plenty of differnt toys to choose from. If you keep your puppy occupied as much as possible, he won’t get so bored that he needs to be chewing things all the time. Try and keep your hands away from the puppy’s face as he will bite your fingers. Don’t allow him to do this or he will think it is okay. Give him something else to play with. Throw him a toy to chew on instead. This all takes time and patience, but eventually they grow out of it.

Puppy Obedience Training

Once you and your puppy have mastered the potty training and and gotten past the biting stage, the puppy should be old enough to start obedience training. If you have the time and patience, you can begin this in the home. If you feel you haven’t the time and/or patience, then you might consider obedience classes for assistance.

Whether you train your puppy at home or in a class, be sure to have plenty of treats ready and praise your puppy every time he obeys. Some training phrases you might start with are “stay” and “come”, then you can move on to other things to make your life with your new small dog harmonious for you both.

Puppy Leash Training

Depending on your puppy, this might be the easiest training course, or it may take more time. What I found to be the easiest when training my chihuahua puppy years ago, was to buy a little collar first and got her accustomed to that. Then later, I attached a fabric lead to the collar and started the training. She objected to being led at first, but she soon got the hang of it. At the end of each longer walk, I had a little puppy treat for her and soon she was trotting off very proudly with me.

If you don’t have a yard to practice in, try walking around the room, then later from room to room just for short periods to start. Give plenty of praise when she achieves the goal. When you are confident that your puppy is ready for walking outdoors on the leash, introduce him to the street, or park.