How should I approach training my Puppy?

i've heard something about a crate method but I don't want to put it in anything that resembles a cage, I will just have a bed for it next to my own. And what exactly does this method succeed in doing?Also, I have a woolly rug next to my bed. Whilst it's still being potty trained should I put it away, because it will be hard to clean poop off it?How should I train my pup?

Crate training works wonders. Really, the dogs don't think of it as a crate, they view it as their personal den.I'd use crate training. Honestly. It is great. You should use positive reinforcement also. Are you planing on attending obedience classes? I highly recommend it.Good luck!

crating is an extremely nice way of potty training i found. Dogs are den animals, meaning by nature they like tight, enclosed spaces like a crate and they would not normally spoil their sleeping/eating area. the idea is the dog sleeps in the crate at night so he doesn't wonder around the house and possibly have accidents. you are supposed to take him out of the crate maybe once/twice during the night so he can go potty. This way he learns exactly where he is supposed relieve himself.

Dogs do better in crates because they don't pee/poop where they sleep. If they sleep in a room with you, they'll go over in a corner or something. Some dogs sleep all through the night though with no problem, my dog did. Dogs also like having a crate because it's like their little "den," somewhere they go to feel safe and stuff. Kind of like having your own room is to you. Crates also come in handy when you can't watch the puppy or when you're not home, so they don't pee/poop in the house when you're not looking or can't get into something.You can use the crate just to potty train and then get rid of it, or just keep it for the dog. I didn't crate train my dog because he did fine with the potty training and there was always someone there to watch him and take him out when he needed to go out. I've heard crate training can make potty training pretty easy and you can train them within like a week. My dog took almost 2 months before he had no accidents. If I got another puppy, I'd definitely go with the crate training. & I'd definitely put the rug away, haha.

use treats, say the command clearly and the force the action upon him, but dont be mean. be stearn, but gentle. reapete this until the dog performs the action by itself upon command. it should learn fairly quick. good luck

You can buy special potty training pads that smell a certain way and make the dog wanna pee on them. Put the pad by the door to the yard you'd like him to pee in. After about 2 weeks, take the pad away. When the dog has to pee he will automatically go to the door.

You'd be better off buying a book really.But it takes a lot of patience and consistency at first. (It's really worth it though. Our dog was well known in our area for how *good* he was. And I used to feel very proud of him).They find hand signals easier to understand and latch onto, you need to make your displeasure very obvious, without being cruel and rewarding with favourite treats really helps.And dogs will not understand sulking or mardiness.

Hi. I also have a puppy who is 14 weeks. We have made a puppy proof room that whilst he is a puppy its his, if i go to work (3 Hours a day) i leave him there, he is there all night, if he is getting over boisterous he goes there, he eats there. When i know i can keep an eye on him he has the run of the downstairs. I have young children so i have to have him supervised at all times. He doesn't bark at night, he has the odd accident which you can expect after 8 hours. he never messes in the house during the day. It really the same as a cage but much bigger, i brought him a cage but i couldn't do it. I would definately not let your puppy sleep in your room, you are setting yourself up for bad habits and no sleep. I hope this helps

Letting your pup sleep in a bed beside your bed will NOT work and I guarantee you this. Your pup will puts its two little paws up on the side of your bed let out a cute little cry and give you the most adorable look in the world and you will give in. Pup is in the bed beside you. This is bad for 2 major reasons 1. Pup will definitely wee in your bed so to avoid this you will have to get maybe 1 or 2 times during the night to let pup out. Secondly you have just invited your pup to sleep with you. In dog world the head of the pack sleeps in the best place. You are giving your pup the very wrong idea about where they fit in with regards to the human pack they have just joined. After a while of this sleeping in your bed your pup will start to exhibit behaviour problems such as aggression or being very territorial around your bed, their food or toys etc...because they think there the leader.Sleeping with your dog is nice but I would only do this when the dog definitely has a clear idea of where they fit in the Human pack. If you don't choose to crate the pup the next best thing would be to corner of an area where the floor is preferably wood, tile etc... and cover the floor with newspapers or wee wee pads. Put pups bed in their with toys so they don't get bored. After awhile you will be able to take up the floor coverings because you will notice that pup always goes to the same place on the papers and you can just cover this spot. After awhile you can start moving this piece a small bit at a time towards the back door and then outside. Your pup will get the message.Make sure the second pup wakes take him outside cos he will need to pee straight away.Best of Luck. Consistency is the most important thing you need to be.You are not breaking the dogs spirit or hurting the dogs feelings by being the leader. A dog wants to be lead. If the dog feels that you are not up to being leader they will take your place. This will cause the dog to become very stressed and unhappy. They would rather follow then lead.

If you put your puppy in a bed, do you really expect it to stay in there?It won't, that why people use crates.Introduce him to a crate by leaving the door open, feeding him in there and putting toys in there. The first few nights he'll yell and bawl to be let out because it's a battle of wills which you need to win.Having your dog with you all the time is not a good idea. At some stage you are going to have to leave him on his own and if he isn't used to it from a young age, you'll have problems with separation anxiety when he's older.Crates aren't cruel, they stop a puppy from killing himself - chewing on wires & electrocuting himself, getting in cupboards and poisoning himself even climbing out of a window and falling off - puppies will do all those things left to their own devices and no-one can watch a puppy 24/7

Lots of good answers here. And I agree with all the pro-crate arguments. It isn't cruel unless the crate is too small for them to be comfortable, so obviously don't use a little carry crate. The puppy will be pretty comfy if you put the crate next to your bed and you shouldn't have to deal with too much whining. Just make sure they have a toy or two and if you have an article of clothing that smells like you, throw that in there to calm them down. You can even do this with mature dogs, although it's much noisier. We just had to start crating out Jack Russells after a couple of fights. Yeah, they're small, but they're pound-for-pound one of the toughest, most athletic dogs around. And when they fight, there's a good chance that you're going to be visiting the vet. So now they are crated all the time except for their walks and several potty outings. They adjusted very well to the new arrangement and now jump right back into their 'dens' when we bring them back in. If you do decide to crate train your puppy, pick a wire one so that your pup can see you and get plenty of fresh air, but put something on top so that they get that sense of the safety of an actual den. You may think of it being hard and cold in comparison to the plastic, but your puppy will be happier with the setup. Just put a nice comfy bed in there and that should be perfectly fine.As far as other training goes, I like the clicker method for training commands. Basically, you give a click and a treat and the dog associates the click with reward and you can give fewer and fewer treats, and use just the click to affirm the correct response to your command. Praise of course should always be given. If at all possible never yell at your dog. You can however use a different voice when correcting. I personally like growling at them when they aren't listening. It really seems to get their attention, which is what you want. Attention, not fear and not yelling.