What To Teach A Dog Based On Age
When you adopt a dog, we want it to know where to pee, to respond to our call, not to yank on the leash, to be able to give the paw and a myriad of other things. In our obsession with achieving all of this, we can stress our dog by wanting to teach him everything together and come to the conclusion that the sooner he learns it, the better.
However, it must be borne in mind that a puppy is like a child. We cannot teach a child to speak until he is ready. Therefore, puppies also need their time and there is an age to learn everything. How to know?
We at My Pets have prepared a guide so that you know what you can teach your dog based on his age.
Guide to educating a dog based on age
Let’s see what we can teach a dog based on its age:
Puppy just arrived
While many believe that it takes a long time to educate a dog, this is not the case. The truth is, the best time to start learning certain things is when he’s still a puppy. Of course we shouldn’t insist on teaching him to paw, for example, but essential things.
These little essential things will make living together easier. Additionally, they will delve the puppy into the world of learning and obedience. We talk, for example, of always doing his business in the same place, of staying alone in the house without destroying everything, of not biting and respecting other people’s objects.
Three months
This is the age recommended by vets to start getting him out. Before that happens, however, it would be good for the dog to learn, at least, to recognize your call and respond to it, but also to stand still and walk next to you, neither behind nor in front.
Before you start walking it on the street, it is equally important that the dog is comfortable with the collar. If you let him out for the first time without first getting used to the collar, he will probably try to take it off and won’t want to walk or, even worse, he may be able to slip it off and thus escape and be involved in an accident. How to do it?
At home, put the leash on him even if you don’t take him anywhere. As it is small, we recommend using a harness, as it will avoid jerking and damage to the neck. You could put it in his house so that he gets used to it little by little, and so the day he comes out he won’t see her as an “enemy”.
Six to eight months
At this age, the dog’s brain is well developed to absorb any kind of education. This is the perfect time to start teaching your little dog everything you would like him to be able to do. For example, you can teach him to give the paw or stand on two legs, to understand the command to bring and leave, or any other. In any case, remember: always through positive reinforcement and with a lot, but a lot of patience.
Some tips for educating your dog
As in any teaching, the process of educating a dog also has its steps and needs based on the theme. Eg:
Always use positive reinforcement. If impatience leads you to yell at your dog, you will get the opposite of what you want. Any small success is achieved with love, perseverance and affection and, of course, you will have to reward the animal.
-Do not exceed with time. Dogs cannot concentrate for a long time, so it is better to do several sessions of a few minutes rather than trying to teach them something for an hour in a row. What’s more, they’ll forget it after two minutes.
-Be positive. If the dog does not learn, it is not his fault, but ours. There is something we do not do well and to find out, we will have to think like a dog. Let’s put ourselves in his shoes, think like him and we will be able to understand what our dog needs and what we are not giving him to learn.
Above all, remember to define very well what you will teach your dog based on his age. Do not anticipate or delay, each teaching has its exact moment. And, of course, remember that nothing is achieved with scolding and screaming, you will need large doses of love, patience, perseverance and affection. Positive reinforcement, along with these qualities, always works.
