 Training Goals.
If you think your little puppy is too young to learn, think again.
Puppies are capable of learning at a very early age as demonstrated
by their ability to establish pecking order between six and eight
weeks of age. Start showing your puppy how to please you as soon
as you bring him home. Puppies are like modeling clay and it's
up to you to model their behavior. Remember, intentional or not,
you are constantly teaching your puppy. This is an important
concept to use during this formative stage as you're establishing
routines with your puppy. If you don't want your adult dog sleeping
on the sofa, don't let your puppy sit on it. If you don't want
your dog begging for your food, don't start feeding him table
scraps. Dislike aggressive behavior? Don't teach it to your puppy
by playing tug of war games. Unless you want to confuse your
dog about biting behavior, don't let your puppy "teethe"
on your fingers. Use common sense and ask yourself before you
do anything with your puppy: is this behavior that I want to
encourage? Remember, your puppy's overriding goal is to please
you. Give him the opportunity to succeed by showing him what
you expect from day one. It's much easier to teach a puppy how
to behave now than to retrain an adult dog later. And please
— never, ever hit a puppy. The only thing it teaches a puppy
is aggression and fear of his owner, and has no role in a responsible
training program.
Elaine's Poodleville
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