No Punishment

Never punish your pup. Punishment as a training aid does not work and neither does it motivate your puppy to please you.

You should train with positive reinforcement and treats. Any negative stimuli should be limited to using the word “no” and blocking (using the hands) the puppy’s negative actions. Hitting and physical abuse of any sort are unnecessary for a young pup and should not be used unless there is a major problem.

Be consistent and make sure the timing is right

You need to be consistent. If you praise him for a particular action, do so every time. Next, remember, timing is everything. Coordination of your movements and corrections should be directly related to the puppy’s action. It is important to make him understand that the corrections given are a direct result of his behavior. For example, if a puppy is given the command “come” while in another room chewing on a toy, he is unlikely to respond. If he is not brought to the trainer on the command immediately, he will learn the word “come” is synonymous with “ignore.”