Here are a few tips on how to train your pup into a well behaved dog.
Toiled Training
You should expect toilet training to take about a year, with most of the work done in the first month. After that month or two there will be accidents once in awhile.
1. Confine your dog to a small, easy to clean room in your house. Kitchens work nicely. You can use baby gates and cardboard boxes as barriers. There should be a corner for a pee pad or some newspapers for your pup to use as a washroom. It should be a room where you spend lots of time.
2. Catch them before they do it. Pups go to the washroom when they wake, after they eat, and after they play or run around. Take your puppy outside the second he wakes up. That means you have to be fast when he hears you to scoop him up and usher him into the yard. You should take your pup outside once an hour when you are home, making the time longer when the pup grows older.
3. Learn the squat. Your pup will make a distinct posture when he is about to pee.. and you can usually grab him and put him on the pee pad if he is not there. Also, if your pup wanders off in the middle of playing, you can bet he is looking for a place to go.
4. Praise him when he does it where you want him to. Ignore it when he misses. There is no use scolding a young pup, just reinforce the good behaviour with lots of excitement, and he will catch on. You can also repeat a phrase when you want him to go… but pick the wording wisely. You will end up saying it a lot, in public.
Biting
This is where a deep voice and a firm NO is required. Consistently.
1. Stop your pup when he bites, look him in the eye, and say “No biting!”. At first the bites won’t hurt, but don’t ignore them. Soon enough their little teeth will do lots of damage.
2. Have a toy to swap for your finger. Take your hand/foot away and shove a toy in his mouth.
3. When your pup is biting your finger, gently curve your finger so the tip is pointing towards the roof of his mouth. This way it becomes very difficult to get a good grip, and he will become disinterested. Do not offer your finger up like a bone. Ever.
4. When your pup is older, and has fully grasped no biting.. you can stick your fingers in his mouth and say “Gentle” in a cooing voice. This is especially important if there are young children around. Your dog should learn to sense fingers and release any force in his bite. He should avoid hurting you at all costs. If he bites, squeal. Squealing like a pig is a good way to tell him he hurt you.