YOUR STUDENT
The young pup is very much like a young child: he would much rather play than to go school. You will have to get and keep his attention. And you will have to win his confidence. These are important reasons why there must be no distractions during the training lessons. Furthermore, since the pup has a relatively short attention span, the lessons should be kept to a minimum; fifteen minutes twice a day will be adequate.
The pup needs security. He's going to make mistakes and become confused during the training. He must be made to feel that his failure to execute a command with precision the first few trials will not affect his relationship with you. He'll have to work for your approval, but let him know he's not going to be banished if he fails to get 100% on his first test. Give him boundaries. When he knows that a certain response on his part will evoke a specific action from you, his security will be bolstered. But his response to a command must always yield the same action from you. Switching your praise technique or manner of reprimand will undermine his security, as well as confuse him.
Some dogs learn more readily than others. Very often their ability to learn is affected by behavior. Shyness, aggressiveness, stubbornness—these traits will be factors in the pup's progress. If your pup falls into one of the following categories, you'll have to adjust your teaching methods:
The aggressive pup
The aggressive or bold puppy is sure of himself. He'll enter the lessons with a "show me" attitude and will be constantly testing you. He needs to be reined in and kept under control, but not cowed. Bold as he is, he'll want to please you. And as long as he does, he can be trained.
The shy pup
The shy pup is more of a problem. He hangs back, cowers and shivers, especially when you reprimand him. He requires careful handling. Keep reassuring him, building up his confidence and security. It's best to ease up on the disciplining of the shy pup. Be very patient with him, give your commands in a clear voice, and be lavish with the praise. The shy pup needs all the confidence you can give him.
The stubborn pup
This fellow simply refuses to cooperate. He balks, sits down when he's supposed to heel and vice versa. You'll have to be firm with him. Make him work. Find some way to arouse his interest and curiosity, but don't give into his stubbornness.
The backward pup
Don't confuse the backward pup with the stubborn pup. The backward pup doesn't seem to know what he's expected to do. He gets all mixed up and confused. This is the time when the three "P's" of training need to be applied in force; they are patience, perseverance and praise. Use them liberally, working all the time to build up the backward pup's confidence. Give him more time to learn his lessons, not by lengthening the daily lessons, but by extending the semester. Where the average pup can learn to execute all the basic commands in three weeks, the backward pup will need four to five weeks. But stay with him, he'll catch on.
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