Want to subscribe to our blog?

4 Tips and Techniques For Positive Puppy Training

Written by Adaptil, published on April 18, 2023

Share on:

How is your pup's training coming along?

To see success when training your pup, it's important to keep your training sessions together positive; adopting training techniques that include positive reinforcement to communicate to your dog that what they have done is correct, and that they should do the same thing more often!

Not only does this help your puppy's basic training and increase their confidence in everyday situations, but it is also a great way for you to bond.

1. Use Rewards Your Pup Will Enjoy

You don't need to have only one reward for your pup. Rewards can include play, fuss and attention, their favourite toys, their ball, food or highly valuable treats - essentially, anything puppy-safe that they will want to work for! It's a great idea to have little puppy treats cut up in your hand or pocket to reward your pup whenever they perform as you want them to - such as keeping calm in the car or coming when called. Be sure to mix up food and non-food reward of course; it's important to use a variety of positive reactions to avoid over-feeding and keep your pup at a healthy weight!

2. Use Markers As A Cue For Good Behaviour

Thinking about using a marker word or sound to show your pup the exact behaviour that they just performed is good. This is a great way to help your pet understand why you are rewarding them! You could also consider using a clicker as a marker. Just make sure you say your marker word or use your clicker as soon as possible after your pup behaves, so they understand what the praise is for. Easy

If you're going to provide a reward too, make sure that you say your marker first and then provide the treat. Don't provide the treat first as providing it afterwards has been proven to deter learning - your pup would be distracted by their delicious treat and ignore the marker!

3. Keep Training Fun And Positive

Never punish your doggo - this can hinder training, cause fear and damage your friendship. Your dog will want to please you and learn what to do; giving your dog love, patience, and reward for positive behaviours will help them learn better than any form of punishment. If your dog finds training fun, it will help them learn faster too. You can use ADAPTIL Junior to help support your pup with learning.

4. Teach Your Pup To Respond To Their Name And Come When Called

Once you've chosen your pup's name, they'll need to learn this. Simply say your pup's name and, at first, give them the reward immediately. Then you can progress to saying their name and giving them a reward when they look at you, step towards you or come to collect their treat. Your pup will soon get used to their name and settle into their new family. Next, you can start training your pup to come when called - this is an essential part of puppy training to avoid potential dangers and keep dogs under control. Choose the word you'd like them to respond to such as 'come' or 'here' and reward them whenever they return to you!

5. Repeat Training!

It's important to be consistent with your pup to help them learn and there will be times when you are rewarding them multiple times a day. Their training may take a while to make an impact and will need to be repeated often to help your pup learn and grow into a well-behaved doggo. Give them a reward every time they use the toilet outside, are quiet when they would usually be whining or barking, and every time they come when called.

Positive reinforcement is the best training technique to demonstrate to your pup how they need to behave. When attending a puppy school or seeing a behaviourist, walker or trainer, you should try and find a school or person who also believes and only follows positive training techniques. This will show that they are up to date with training research and methods and are aware that this is a quicker, stronger, and more efficient way to train the newest member of your family!

Following our expert tips will help to ensure your bond with your dog goes from strength to strength.

Make sure to join our community for weekly advice from our dog behaviour experts as well as product offers and competitions. 

Related Posts

19 Ways to Comfort Your Dog in Stressful Situations

19 Ways to Comfort Your Dog in Stressful Situations

Helping your dog cope with stressful situations is key to forming a strong relationship...
Read More
Dog Anxiety – 4 Things Every Owner Should Know

Dog Anxiety – 4 Things Every Owner Should Know

New puppy owner or long-term pet parent? There are 4 things all owners should...
Read More
Happy Dog Expert: Help A Dog With Grief

Happy Dog Expert: Help A Dog With Grief

Dogs can grieve, though not always in the ways we expect. Here we explain...
Read More
Traveling With A Puppy In A Car

Traveling With A Puppy In A Car

At some point in their life, you're puppy will have to jump in your...
Read More

Subscribe to our blog to benefit from our tips and tricks

Legal notice The information collected is intended for Ceva Santé Animale and the group in order to manage your requests. This information can be shared with service providers in order to organize their management. In accordance with the General Data Protection Regulations, you have the right to access, rectify and limit the processing of your data. You can also, in certain cases, object to the processing, withdraw your consent and request the deletion and portability of your data. For any request in relation to your personal data, please visit this page.