Puppy Training at Seven Weeks

Housetraining

• The first step in training any puppy, no matter his age, is to establish house rules by housetraining him. Both the Humane Society of the United States and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals recommend taking a new puppy outside at least every two hours for at least the first few months after he’s been adopted. A puppy’s bladder is small and needs to be emptied much more frequently than an adult dog’s bladder. Because of this, puppies should be walked immediately after they wake up, eat or drink. Without having instant access to an outdoor toilet, they will certainly go potty indoors. Housetraining a puppy successfully can take weeks or months and usually depends on the dog’s personality and intelligence.

Showing Leadership

• It’s common for dog trainers to tell owners that their dogs will never obey commands unless the dog being trained sees the person giving the command in a dominant position. When dominance training includes physical punishment or verbal abuse, especially with young puppies, the dogs being trained can quickly develop anxiety and phobias as a result. A more gentle way owners can establish leadership is by turning their backs and ignoring the puppy anytime he misbehaves, such as jumping on visitors, biting or barking. If the behavior continues, a trainer will usually put the puppy in a quiet room alone with a chew toy so he doesn’t get overly bored or destructive. After ten minutes, the dog is released. This method teaches puppies which behaviors are not allowed in their home.

Controlling Diet

• Owners and trainers help teach pets who’s the boss by feeding puppies on a schedule. A key rule when training a puppy is to never leave a bowl of food down for the puppy to eat on all day. Instead, owners make sure they are at home every time their puppies are fed and that they immediately take the dogs for a walk afterward. When training a puppy, an owner should also hand feed him for several weeks. If the puppy acts aggressive or growls while eating, it is common practice to immediately take the food away, wait five minutes and try hand feeding the dog again. Feeding on a schedule or hand feeding a puppy teaches the puppy who controls his food.

Praise

• It is important for owners of young puppies to show patience and remember that accidents do and will happen. Constantly scolding a puppy runs the risk of turning him into a timid and nervous pet, according to tips provided by the Humane Society of the United States. Dogs develop their behaviors based on what is expected of them, and praising a puppy helps teach him what behavior is expected. Whenever a puppy does something a trainer wants, the trainer will pet him, call him a good boy and give him a tasty treat or playtime with a favorite toy.

Socialization

• Owners can socialize a puppy by taking him to a dog park or arranging a play date with a friend’s dog soon after adoption. This is critical to his behavioral development. Properly socializing a 7-week-old puppy helps him learn social hierarchy and understand who his master is. It can also help prevent puppies from growing into nervous and anxious canines.

   

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