Only a cute puppy can make lockdown feel less stressful! The lockdown was an excellent opportunity for many animal lovers to welcome a new furry baby to their family. As a result, many decided to adopt or buy and were not aware of the struggles with a pandemic puppy. In the present times, pet parents can bond more with their new puppy, but training a puppy takes tremendous effort, more than what most people expect. Initially, it is preferable to consult a professional trainer. Still, you may find it challenging to hire a professional trainer to train your pandemic puppy as all are already booked or hired due to the high demand.

We are here to provide some valuable pointers to train your pandemic puppy.

When and why Puppy needs to be trained?
As a pet parent, you can start training your new puppy from the moment you bring him home. However, you can expect your new puppy to learn and follow simple commands like “sit,” “come,” “stop,” “down,” and “stay” at 7 to 8 weeks of age. Usually, many pet parents give their pet professional training at six months of age. Whatever your puppy learns during this early stage could not be eliminated or molded later in his lifetime. Hence, It is crucial to ensure that your puppy gets trained at the right time, as any delay in his training could prevent him from learning well-behaved manners.

Self-train your pandemic puppy at home

-To begin your puppy training at home, use the food luring method to cultivate positive reinforcement in your puppy. You can use some favorite toys or food treats to motivate your puppy to follow your command and get rewarded, praised after correctly responding to your commands.

- In a day, dedicate at least 15 minutes to train your puppy. You can keep three 5 minutes sessions throughout the day at a different location of your house for positive results.

- To help your puppy socialize and not behave aggressively whenever he sees other animals or humans, create a safe zone for him. Whenever you play or spend a happy time with him, make use of a mat or cushion to help him psychologically understand that the mat or cushion symbolizes a safe and comfortable place.

- A pet parent can give crate training or separation training to their pet by using gradual exposure therapy, where you initially start leaving your puppy alone for 30 seconds then gradually increase the time duration. This way, your dog can learn to be independent and not have any stress or anxiety when you are away from him.

Virtual Training lessons
-Many dog owners have taken help from online and live virtual dog training classes to train their pandemic puppy with positive reinforcement at home. These virtual training classes are cheaper than hiring a professional trainer and have mixed opinions from dog owners as some find it helpful while others don’t. These live classes are effective if your dog is fearful or doesn't socialize, or you wish for limited exposure as they occur in a controlled and comfortable environment where pet training becomes effective. Whereas, some owners claim this as a waste of time as usually their dog hides or runs away. However, In the end, it depends on your dog’s adaptive skills and your patience to determine the effectiveness of the virtual classes.

Day-training program
Many pet industry experts offer Covid-friendly day training programs where you can get your pandemic puppy trained with positive reinforcement, step programs, and individualized programs while ensuring limited exposure. An individual would drop his dog or puppy along with daily essentials to the location, where the professional trainer safely trains to meet the goals described by the owner and sends live updates or videos of the progress. The dog owners have given positive feedback to these programs as they could see the desired results in their dogs.

Thanks,
CuddlyTails team
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