You’ve thought about adopting a new puppy or an adult dog. Preparations have been made, including shopping and planning where they will sleep, hang out, and eat. And finally, your big day is here, your adorable, fluffy canine family has arrived.
Welcome to the transition period where a lot of learning takes place. Learning is just another word for training. Whether you are saying welcome home new puppy, or you’ve adopted a shelter dog the moment you bring them home learning, thus training is going on.
I often get asked what is the best age to begin training my new puppy or rescue dog? You might be surprised by the answer. You should begin training them right away. Why? Because learning starts from the moment you bring your new puppy or rescue dog home. They are learning how to interact with you and their environment, so training is going on. It’s just a question of whether they are learning what you want them to learn or learning inadvertently from happenstance.
Beginning to train your puppy or adult dog as soon as you get them can help prevent unwanted habits from developing into behaviors that are more difficult to work with later. This includes things like barking, puppy nipping, jumping, walking on a leash and taking things around the house which do not belong to them. While your puppy might do some of these things, even when you begin your training early you will be able to work with them through positive reinforcement methods to teach them what you would like to do instead of what they are figuring out to do.
As a certified professional dog trainer in Manhattan on the Upper Eastside, I can say with certainty there is no better way to welcome home a puppy or rescue dog than by starting them off right with positive reinforcement dog training. And if you are living somewhere else, hiring a local certified dog trainer is best because each city or country area offers different challenges to pet dogs.
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