{"id":1607,"date":"2023-09-19T06:35:53","date_gmt":"2023-09-19T13:35:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.baysideanimalhospitalonline.com\/blog\/?p=1607"},"modified":"2023-09-05T06:38:24","modified_gmt":"2023-09-05T13:38:24","slug":"back-to-school-puppy-training-basics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.baysideanimalhospitalonline.com\/blog\/back-to-school-puppy-training-basics\/","title":{"rendered":"Back to School: Puppy Training Basics"},"content":{"rendered":"
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It\u2019s that time of year\u2014the air is getting a little crisper, pumpkin spice lattes are on the horizon, and the kids are back in school. It\u2019s also a great time to get back to the ABCs and 123s of puppy training. At Bayside Animal Hospital<\/a>, school is back in session, and we have plenty of puppy training tips for you to review.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Puppy Training 101<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When embarking on a puppy training (or really anything training) journey, it is important to understand positive reinforcement. Positive reinforcement means rewarding your student immediately after a behavior occurs. This increases the chances that it will be repeated in the future. This type of training has been shown over and over to be a very effective way to train your pet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For most puppies, food is a great reward. Play, attention, and\/or toys can also be a great reward. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keeping positive reinforcement training practices in mind when engaging in teaching everything from basic commands to housebreaking<\/a> to crate training<\/a> can help you to create consistent responses from your puppy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In essence, you want to reward the behaviors that you do want (positive reinforcement), ignore the behaviors that you don\u2019t want so they go away (called extinction), and when those things aren\u2019t possible, you need to change the environment and situation so that they are possible. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Note About Socialization<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One of the most important things that you can do with your puppy is to ensure appropriate socialization. Many owners interpret this as getting out and meeting other puppies, and, while this is part of the process, it\u2019s not everything!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Puppies have a window between three and fourteen weeks of age known as their socialization window. During this time, their brain is very open to learning about new experiences and being sure to expose them to many different stimuli can help to increase confidence and minimize fear and anxiety. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

During your puppy\u2019s socialization window<\/a> be sure to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n