I have been around dogs for many years. I show my Labradors, I am a member of the VCA and Vice President of my local Kennel Club, I am also Assistant Show Secretary of the same. I also build the website for our club. I have bred a couple of litters of puppies, but most of all I have bought in many puppies to show. These puppies have had vigorous training. Not only with my other pets but with my children.
I also work at a Dog Boarding Facility, a Cat Boarding Facility and have just reopened my Dog Grooming Business. So I have some credentials before I begin to tell you how to train a puppy.
**Note: Some breeds are bred for specific purposes, their instinct can be stronger than training. You will never be able to train a Kelpie not to chase as you will not be able to train a Fox Terrier not to hunt. That is given the opportunity they will revert to their basic instinct no matter how much you teach. Research your dogs breed, be educated on it's genetic makeup.

Some basics............

A Pup is part of a pack, pack animals behave in a certain way, there is the top dog (Alpha) then everyone under follows. In domestication, humans are the Alpha.

You are the Alpha, what you teach to a puppy under 6 months will mold it for the rest of it's life.

A puppy has a short term memory, appx 5 minutes. Any training after 5 minutes is lost.

A puppy best responds to favorable reward, the best training is achieved by positive response to good behaviour.

Don't expect too much from a puppy too soon, if your puppy is not responding to you, back off, take a deep breath and look at the puppy from it's point of view. It is a baby. If it is doing something wrong then YOU are at fault as you have not been patient and taught it properly, go back to basics. One step at a time. Rome wasn't built in a day.

A puppy does not have any control over it's bladder/bowel till 12 weeks at least. It's bladder and bowel just isn't developed. End of story.
Rubbing it's nose in it's poop and pee only builds resentment and distrust in the pup to you. End of story. (I detest people who still do this. Just like the cane in school in the old days.)

Puppies sleep a lot, they need their own space, a place to get away from noise. When they are sleeping, that's when their bladder and bowel amonst other things are growing. A lot develops in a puppy after birth, unlike humans.

Pup should also be wormed during this growing, those nasty round worms are always passed from mother to pup in the womb. De fleaing is good too, mothers flea treatment is long gone from your new pup.

PUPPY TRAINING, Basics..............

1. Socialization, socialization, socialization, the 3 most important things you can do for any pup, with humans, kids and other dogs. Enroll in puppy pre school, it's good for pup and good for you.

2. Introduce your pup to all the noises in life that you expect it to experience, vaccume cleaners, kids playing, the broom, mop, music, and wait for it....birds. A good breeder will have already developed the basics in pups life, I do. Kids, other dogs, cats, music the vaccume etc. If you are not so lucky then you need to do it. Teach puppy that these things are a normal part of life, nothing to be alarmed about and nothing to react to. If your puppy reacts to any of these things then you have to reverse what has been instilled in it's brain. It has learnt to react to them. You have to teach it not to.

3. Basic training. It can begin at 8 weeks when you bring pup home. This is the best time. Train for toilet, train for the lead, train to come, train to sit. Short bursts, no more than 5 mins x 4 times a day. You are setting up the basics for the rest of it's life, hopefully with you and not to be rehomed because it is unruly at 6 months old.

Puppy training explanation in another thread.

That's fantastic advice, and I agree with everything you've said!

When Riley was a puppy we really made a point to socialize her and that has greatly paid off.

Since we recently adopted an older Weimaraner we realized immediately that we needed to step up on the training in order to incorporate her into the pack and make sure that she knew who the pack leader is (she tried to be dominant in the beginning but we quickly squashed that).

Training is so important with dogs, the way that their mindset works in regards to the pack, they do look for guidance from the pack leader and training is the key to being well mannered around other humans and animals.

Thanks so much! That is exactly what I needed this week!

No probs with the advice, I have been training mine for years, it is hard work to begin with but the rewards at the end are great, you have lovely mannered dogs that you can walk anywhere.

I guess you will be wanting the next steps. Puppy pre school do show you the basics, sit, come and stay. Over here we even get a certificate to say we passed, well the dog does

SIT: Get a small piece of strong smelling food, cheese is great, holding it in your hand so puppy cant grab hold of it, put your hand in front of your pups nose, then slowly lift your hand up towards the top of pups head, it will automatically move it's head backwards, you can gently push pups bottom to the ground when it is in this position, if it hasn't done so automatically, once it is sitting, say the word SIT (keep the word down for laying down) immediately offer the reward. You can do this repeatedly for about 5 mins.
4 or so times a day. You will be surprised how quickly it will pick this up and automatically sit when you say the word. Do the same when feeding time comes round. Pup will then sit for it's food too instead of jumping all over you when you have a bowl full in your hand.

Next step, we can do either come or stay. I think come would be better first.

This is too easy and pup should pick it up very quickly. This is where basic training when they are so young pays off later. They are most willing to please at this age, also very eager for food or praise reward. A pup has been used to living within it's litter, all need to feel wanted, basic pack behaviour. No pup likes the feeling of being shunned or rejected by other members of the pack.

'Come' can be very rewarding for puppy, for it only has YOU now, no more litter mates, so who wouldn't want to feel wanted and accepted by it's ALPHA. Take advantage of your position, power and control over not only affection but food. It is now that you will instill in puppy that YOU are the ONE. Train it now to prevent problems later on. Pup may try you out when it gets to be a juvenile, but inside it will always know that YOU are the top of the food chain and YOU are the ALPHA.

You put pup into the sit position. Give the reward as before.
Now make sure you have some strong smelling food in your hand, walk away from pup. If pup follows you that is ok. As you are walking away, say the pups name and the command 'COME' as soon as pup is at your feet give the reward, also give much prasie as you do so.

Try this out in your yard, where pup can easily be distracted. Get it's attention by doing the 'SIT' command then follow on with the 'COME' command. Do not hang out with the reward, give it as soon as pup is near you. Pup will soon pick up that coming to YOU is great. Make sure you pat pup and speak in an encouraging light tone of voice.

A note on training from someone who has to train.

I show my dogs, training starts as soon as I get the puppy. Not just basic sit, stay, etc., my pups have to learn how to trot in the ring, stand in a certain way and hold their head up as they do so.
They also have to learn not to sit, but to stand. They have to stand and let a judge touch them all over, my male had to learn that touching his privates was a part of his life. That is one thing a judge touches as you cannot 'Conformation' show a dog that is neutered. They must have two decended testicles. I have show trained quite a few dogs. It takes time, at least 10 minutes a day, 4 times a day till they are at least 6 months old. This is probably why my dogs are well mannered, I have put the time in. I only have to say in a stern tone to them to 'LEAVE' and they will not touch. Training depends on how much you want to put in and what you want from your dog.

Ellie my most beloved Labrador is a true GEM. In fact she is brilliant. I can walk her down the street without a lead, I can take her anywhere and just call and she will come to me, sit, stay, leave. I can click my fingers and get her to do what I want, if I want her off the couch I only have to move my hand and she jumps off. I have been asked at least 5 times in her life if I would sell her. NO WAY. I painted her on canvas as much is my love for her. How did I get her like that. TRAINING, TRAINING, TRAINING.
Plus a lot of love, heaps and heaps of it. She is dedicated to me as much as I am to her.

I never said before on here as I know a lot might be slightly alarmed, but I CAN leave Ellie alone with Peggy. I do. Ellie is 7 this year, Peggy has been with me for 1 year and before that Manau.
I leave Ellie and Peggy together in the house alone if I am outside. Only time I don't is if I am away overnight.

I am in awe! Ellie is the kind of dog I want. I am working alot with Lucky and she has learned to sit if she wants something. At 3 months I think that is pretty good. Here is a question for you though. She sleeps on a small utility room at night. (6x10) She was going thru the night without "messing" in there. I also put her in there when I leave, which is not very often. Maybe 2 hours a day. The last 2 nights she has "messed" in there. What in the world. I take her out about 9:00 before she goes to bed. Seems like we are regressing. What do you think? Thanks!!!! Jessalyn ps give Peggy a kiss!

3 months is very young for a pup to be fully house trained, you have been blessed with good house training till now. Yes sometimes they will regress a step then go two steps forward then one back. It won't be till pup is appx. 5 - 6 months old to be fully house trained.

What time of night are you feeding? If you feed too late in the day, it hasn't been digested in time for your last outside visit for the evening. I would try feeding an hour earlier if you can.
Or give a really big meal at say 3pm then only a light biscuit snack at 6pm. I wouldn't feed a pup after 6pm.

There is an old rule, a pup can hold it's bladder/bowel for as old as it is. So 3 months, 3 hours. 4 months, 4 hours. Although I find most can go about 2 hours. Pup doesn't fully develop in that area till 3 months of age. That is there is no signal to say, hey, I might need to go. When it has to go, it has to go.

I have given Peggy that kiss. She luvvvs them. Oh you can visit my website on the dogs if you want. There is no forum or anything off there, no advertising or links to anywhere. It is just a website on the Labs.
www.zushrobrenlabradors.com

Thanks again! We will work on the rest tomorrow! I will go to the website. J XO's to Peggy

I loved the website! What fine dogs! I especially loved Ellie's photos! Those sweet babies! The lady I got Lucky from wants me to consider breeding her with one of her males. I am very tempted, but have no idea what I would be getting myself into! LOL ps Your painting talent amazes me! You really got the face down pat!