What if my puppy doesn’t obey?
Cues are not commands, and the expectation for a dog to “obey” is somewhat outdated. If your puppy doesn’t follow a cue, consider these possible causes:
• The puppy is distracted • The puppy is confused • The puppy does not understand how to respond to the cue in the current location or environment • The puppy does not understand how to respond to the cue on this surface • There is a competing motivation (something else has the puppy’s attention) • The puppy is too tired or is over-excited
Any of these causes can be remedied by meeting the needs of the puppy at that moment to help him be successful, or simply by pausing the training session and trying again later. Young puppies need plenty of guidance and grace from their people, as well as consistency so they can trust and learn as they mature.
Puppy Training Benefit #1: You Can Better Communicate With Your Puppy
One of your main goals as a dog owner is to establish a connection and bond with your puppy. After all, there’s a reason why dogs are considered man’s best friend.
But all of this starts with the right bond. The more time you spend with your dog, the more you’ll learn about each other: You’ll get to know their personality, and they’ll get to know you as a fair and trusted leader.
This increases the potential for a more trusting relationship between the two of you, which leads to a lifetime of companionship.
Training your puppy can create more powerful and better bonds because it helps you understand their needs more intuitively—and vice versa. Obedient dogs pay more attention to their owners, which reduces relationship stress.
Training your puppy with basic commands also opens a world of new opportunities so that you can take him anywhere you go. A strong relationship and training base allows your dog to be more secure when interacting with you and their surroundings.
This way, you’ll have more chances for adventure and memories together—which is undoubtedly one of the best things about having a dog.
Puppy Training Benefit #2: You Have More Control and Safety Over Your Puppy
A trained dog is an obedient dog, and an obedient dog will always respond to commands and react accordingly. So if your dog is ever exposed to potentially dangerous scenarios, you can best protect them with key commands, like “stay” or “come.”
For example, if your dog gets out of the backyard and makes his way to the street, you can successfully call him back away from the traffic.
Obedience training teaches your dog to listen to you in these situations. In fact, well-trained and socialized puppies who attend training classes have improved obedience, which means that they’ll be easier to train and better listen to commands.
Your Complete Puppy Training Schedule By Age
Ask any dog lover, and they’ll tell you with some certainty: Their dog is better trained than others’ dogs.
Unfortunately, this might be far from the truth. While it’s natural for dog owners to think the best and highest of their four-legged companions, being well-trained is more than just knowing basic commands or having a polite personality.
Training your puppy is a core skill that takes months for both owners and pets to perfect. The amount of work you put in will reflect on how much your dog learns too.
This is why many pet owners opt for expert training. In this article, you’ll learn when to start dog training—and why you should train at all.