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Your AD should be here, ask us how

Your AD should be here, ask us how

Your AD should be here, ask us how

BEFORE you can begin to successfully train your Shetland Sheepdog Sheltie puppy or adult dog, you need to keep a few things firmly in mind:

A puppy/ dog is a pack animal: his/her ancestors ran with a pack and followed an "Alpha" leader of the pack. So he/she is genetically programmed by God to be both a social creature and follow a dominant "Alpha" leader.

It's your duty, as Owner/ Master, to insert yourself into that "Alpha" leader-position immediately. If you don't, your puppy/ dog will make himself/herself the "Alpha" leader to fill the huge void in his/her life. The result is a puppy/ dog who WILL NOT obey and a master who is not very happy.

A dog's ancestors lived in a den (dog crate). A den which they kept free of waste and relatively clean. To make your canine more comfortable, you really should get him/her a wire crate to act as his/her den. A wire crate will enable him/her to see everything going on around him/her and feel part of the family/ pack.

While you're at work or away, it's a good idea to keep him/her confined to a small area or his/her dog crate. Make sure that he/she has something to chew on and a toy, as this will keep him/her occupied. You might also want to leave the radio on, as dogs are social animals and crave company.

You should teach your puppy/ dog as early as possible to get used to wearing a collar and leash . Follow him/her around at first without a leash and then call your puppy and get him/her to follow you. Add a collar and leash and do the same thing. Do not let him/her get away with chewing on the leash and treating it like a chew toy.

Try and do all your training with a collar and leash so that you're always in control. Whenever possible during your everyday activities, take your puppy/ dog along with you on his/her leash... while watering the flowers, cleaning the house, doing the laundry, etc. This will serve to develop a strong bond between you and your puppy/ dog. Your aim is to constantly reinforce your position as the "Alpha" leader in everything you do.

Always remember that dogs are extremely perceptive of body language...
They know when you are :
afraid
mad
happy
sad
indifferent

You should definitely use this to your advantage in the dog training process. This, along with your tone of voice when speaking to your dog, and pulling on his collar with the leash are all you really need to get your point across.

Hitting or striking your puppy/ dog is never necessary.  Dogs progress at different speeds when it comes to puppy/dog training and housebreaking depending on various factors. Among these are:
Type of breed.
Where he/she came from - breeder, pet shop, shelter, rescue, etc.
What type of owner he/she came from - if older than 12 weeks.

Be patient, patient, patient. Your patience will pay off in spades.  When it comes to house training your puppy or adult dog you have 2 options:
Crate Training or Paper Training.

The following pages will get you started on your way to potty training success:

Crate Training

Paper Training


Should you use food as a reward in your puppy dog training?

Your puppy/ dog would answer yes, but his mother would know better... A mother dog doesn't use food as a puppy reward. She uses her voice and touch for reward and punishment. Food treats breaks your puppy/ dog's concentration on the basic training task at hand. It's much better for you to use your tone of voice, facial expressions, and touch to reinforce and train the basics. And don't forget the absolute must have - a collar and leash.

Here are a few examples of good dog behavior:

Answers to his/her name
Obeys a command
Potties in the proper area

Some examples of bad behavior:

Nips
Bites
Doesn't respond to his name
Doesn't obey your command
Chews on furniture or off-limits property
Potties in the wrong area

Depending on the Breed, your puppy/ dog may be able to learn upto 150 during his or her lifetime...here are the essential words that you will need to teach your dog:

Sit
Stay
No
Heel
Up
Out
OK
Good Dog
Bad dog
Come
Down
Go
Stop
Bed

You should begin training with the "Sit" command.
To start the training: say "Sit" while gently pressing his/her rump down and holding a toy above his/her head. Go over this with him/her several times a day for 5 or more minutes. Soon you won't have to use the toy or press his/her rump down. Practice, practice, practice. And do be patient, some puppy/ dogs progress faster than others.

Use the "Stay" command to get your puppy/ dog to Stay in place while sitting. When he doesn't Stay, say "NO" and try again. Don't get over-excited when he either does or doesn't obey. Always keep on an even keel. Practice this command at each "Sit" command puppy/ dog training session.

You should use the "OK" command to break the "Stay" command. Never let him/her break the "Stay" command without your permission. If he/she breaks without your "OK" command, then start all over again. Your puppy/ dog has to learn that there are consequences to her actions.

"Down" is another important command. Say "Down" and get him/her to lie down and Stay in place until he/she hears the "OK" command. When just beginning, you may need to pull his/her front legs out from under him/her. This is a good command to use when you want your dog to stay in place for extended periods of time. You may want him/her to Stay in place for a period of time. The down position is much more comfortable than the sitting position. Remember, no break allowed until you give the "OK" command.

Give your puppy/ dog praise when he/she obeys and be stern and practice longer when he/she disobeys.

"Heel" is a command to teach after he/she has a pretty good grasp of "Sit" and "Stay." The beginning position is him/her sitting next to you on a collar and leash . Begin walking and when he/she lags behind or moves ahead say "Heel" and pull on his leash until he is beside you again. Remember to practice, practice, practice. It will definitely pay off.

"Enough" is a command to use when acceptable behavior has run its course. It is different from "No", because it is acceptable behavior.

"Off" is a natural command to use. In the beginning, you may need to use the "Off" command and physically move him/her away at the same time.
Teach your puppy/ dog to only eat when you give him/her permission. That way, he/she won't snap at other dogs or people when they come around while he/she is eating. Another benefit is this... your puppy/ dog won't eat anything and everything he/she comes across. You puppy/ dog will be trained to look for your "OK" first.

Put his/her food bowl down and say "OK". The next time wait a little bit longer before saying "OK." If he/she starts to eat without your "OK", then say "No" and take his/her bowl away. Put it down again and wait before saying "OK." Do this on a regular schedule until your puppy/ dog  gets the idea to wait for the "OK" before eating anything.

DO NOT EVER allow your puppy/ dog to nip or bite. Say "No" sternly and put him/her in a timeout in his/her dog crate if necessary. It does no good to hold his/her mouth closed, your puppy/ dog will take it as a game and a challenge.

Other tips:

Whenever your dog misbehaves, you can put him/her in the dog crate for a time-out.

It's perfectly normal for a puppy/ dog to need to bark every once in a while. As a social animal he/she needs to be able to express himself/herself. But it should not be excessive.  Practice your "Enough" command whenever it gets out of hand.

It is normal for a puppy/dog to sometimes eat his/her feces. This is your puppy/ dog's attempt to keep his/her area clean. It is your responsibility to help your puppy/ dog's to keep his area clean.

Some small breeds are really nervous and submissive and may urinate when excited. Take this into consideration and reduce loud noises and over-excitement on your part. If this is the case, you may want to purchase some washable dog diapers.

Try to get down on their level physically and verbally.

Be patient with your dog and don't expect him/her to obey overnight.

Remember that YOU have to always show that YOU are the "Alpha" dog. Think of your puppy/ dog like a child. He/she is constantly trying to test his/her boundaries. Your puppy/ dog expects leadership from you, if he/she doesn't get it, then your puppy/ dog will put himself/ herself in the place of leadership.

Don't just do these exercises occasionally, practice them often and have special blocks of time set aside for puppy dog training sessions.

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Basic Puppy Dog Training