What are the most important things to teach your new puppy?

Most puppy owners are eager to work on things like sit and stay.  I want the  focus to be on socializing that puppy (teaching the puppy about sights, smells, sounds, people, and other dogs), teaching the puppy not to jump up or nip at your heels, and teaching the puppy to pay attention to you when you say its name.  If I had a puppy, my puppy would:

1 - Never see the inside of a food bowl:  All food would come either from me for sitting, looking at me when I say its name, or coming when called.  Any food I wasn't using for training would go into interactive feeding toys for my puppy to figure out.

2 - Go with me to a new place every single day:  No matter how tired I was, my puppy would go to the vet's office to say hello, a Home Depot to see sights and sounds, a children's playground, or a shopping center every single day for the first few months of its life.  I want a puppy that is not afraid of new experiences.

3 - Get fed for sitting from as many people as I could possibly find.

4 - Be crate trained and trained to stay alone comfortably.

Sure, there are other things I would teach and we would do a lot of training, but these are the things I'd focus on for the first couple of months of that puppy's life! 

Cara, Austin Dog Trainer

Comments

[Tom Kelly]

Great point. What most people seem to forget is that training your dog is not only advantageous to you and to the other people and pets your dog will be around, it is also very good for your dog's health and state of mind. Obedience training is a way of helping your dog learn to cope better with his/her surroundings. It makes their life easier and makes them easier to live with. It also gives you more time with your dog in a way that not only increases your communication, but also builds the bond between you.

[Brian]

This is a great article. All too often, proper socialization of a new pup seems to be neglected while basic obedience commands take center stage.

Thanks for posting this.

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[Danielle Chua]

Physical contact also important in socialization skills.Start off with picking up your puppy and touch him with love and care. You can start by carrying him like carrying babies where his back is facing your lap and touch him thoroughly ( Make sure he is in comfortable position). Initially he might be struggling and trying to get away does not get panic and pushing him too hard. Try to reassure and comfort his by rubbing his tummy and talk to him gently (say something that praising and rewarding) until he feel comfortable and relax when you carrying, wrapping and touching him. Try to reach every part of your puppies, from his tummy to his legs and toes. Primarily he might not feel comfortable for you to do so, but as time goes by he will slowly start to enjoy by nipping your finger in playing and squirming around when you are touching him. Besides you, make sure everyone in the family get the time to play around of massaging him. Practice this until your puppies will stay there calmly and willingly for you to touch around without hesitation. Then your dog training is successful half way.