Tips for Training Your New Puppy

From the first day you bring your pup home, you'll train them and teach them right from wrong. With so many important things to teach them, how are you supposed to know where to start? Many people wonder when the right time to start training their puppy is, and honestly, the answer is now. Start setting your puppy up for success today, and you'll be able to reinforce those habits for the rest of their life. Here are a few tips from trainers that will help you figure out what your puppy needs to learn, and how to teach it to them.

Start with Routines
It's important to start training your puppy on the routines that they'll be keeping in the coming weeks. Teach them where their food and water dishes are, and keep them in the same places, and feed them at the same times each day. Teach them where they'll be going to the bathroom, and always take them to the same place for continuity. Most importantly, continually train them about their bedtime. Keep their PetCot bed in the same place so they know where bedtime happens, and then be sure to reinforce what time they wake up and what time they go to sleep. These routines will be just as valuable for you as it is for them.

Teach Words
The next step is to start reinforcing words in their vocabulary. "No," means stop what you're doing right now. "Good," reinforces that what they're doing is exemplary. These two words are generally introduced around 2-3 months old, and should be used when necessary. There are many other words you will want to add to their vocabulary like sit, stay, down, off, come, don't touch, drop it, go lie down, etc. These words should only be taught after "no" and "good" have been learned well.

Treat Training
While using treats can be a great incentive for your pup, it's not the most effective way to reinforce good behavior, or stop the bad. Treat training, in essence, is based solely off your pup wanting to eat or not. Suppose he goes running out the door after a squirrel, and even though you're tempting him with a treat, he wants to chase the squirrel more than eat a treat. Not only does that reinforce bad habits of not listening to you, but you're showing that if he doesn't want a treat he doesn't have to listen. It would be much more efficient to implement a training based on respect over treats.

Keep in mind that training with treats is not a bad thing, but it shouldn't be your sole method of 'bribing' your pet to obey you. Treats are initially used to help reinforce good behavior, and direct the pet to what you're wanting them to do, but as your training goes on, you should be weaning them off the treats and guiding them to do what you've asked solely based on the command and authority.

Respect Training
If your dog hears your words, understands them, and still chooses not to obey, this could be a sign that they don't respect you. It's important to establish respect in the relationship, not because you HAVE to be in charge, but because you can protect your pet better when they obey. If they are running out into the road, but don't listen to you when you say "come," they are in danger of running into oncoming traffic.

PetCot Beds Help You Train Your Pup
There are many important commands you will establish with your new furry friend, and our beds can help you to reinforce some of those commands. Many trainers use our PetCots to instruct dogs of all ages in the "place" command. Our pet beds aren't just used for training, though, our beds are kept in households all over the country to give your pet a great place to sleep, relax, and stay put when need be. You can order yours today on our website, www.PetCot.com.

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4 Essential Commands To Train Your Dog - Part 1

Everyone enjoys watching dogs do fun tricks such as shake and roll over, but it's the essential tricks you teach them that are the most meaningful. Proper training of some essential commands can prevent your dog from getting in some very avoidable predicaments - such as being hit by a car, attacked by another dog, or becoming lost. The Petcot Company wants to share some of the basic commands you should teach your dog to prevent any mishaps.

Sit
This is the most basic command that can be taught, and is also a great starting point. Start by working with your dog in the privacy of your home where you are more likely to have their full attention. Sit next to your dog and hold a treat above their nose. As you say "sit", move the treat directly over their head toward their hind end. They should lower their hind end as their head raises to try to reach for the treat. Once their bottom is sitting give them the treat and praise them for "good sit!" For smaller wigglier dogs, you may have to guide their bottom to the floor, do this gently and immediately praise them as soon as they sit. Repeat this multiple times a day. As your dog begins to respond more quickly, start to request them to sit without treats, just praise.

Down
Teaching your dog the down command may be a little harder than sit, especially if the dog is younger and more playful. However, it's an extremely important command for them to know and respect. From the sit position, this will be a somewhat easy transition for your dog to grasp. Once they're in the sit position, hold a treat in front of their nose and move it towards their feet while saying "down". Hold your palm loosely closed with the treat secured so your dog can smell it but can't get it. Let your dog follow the treat all the way to the floor and rest your closed hand on the floor until they lay down. Once they lay down give them the treat and praise "good down!" Repeat this multiple times a day each day until they lay down without having to follow your hand.

Stay
If your dog has the sit or down command mastered, either of these positions are a good place to start. Have your dog sit or lay down, then slowly back away a few steps. If your dog stays positioned, praise them ("good stay!"), and keep backing up. The instant your dog gets up to come to you, walk back to them and say "sit, stay" and start over. Work up to walking 10 feet away and them staying seated for 20 seconds, then 30, then 60 and so on. Once they've mastered that distance and length of time, move further away. Soon you should be able to leave the room and your dog should stay where they were told to "stay."

Come
It's important to familiarize your dog with the "come" command as early as possible to avoid a detrimental mishap. Keep positive associations with the command so that no matter what has your dog's attention, when you say "come" they obey. Have a friend help you with this training. While you are sitting across the room from your friend, have them lightly restrain your dog, and then excitedly repeat "come Fido" until you have the dog's attention. Once they run to you praise them verbally, give them a treat and take a minute to play tug-o-war with their favorite toy as reward. Practice this back and forth so they associate "come" as a very good thing. Once you feel comfortable with their response, start adding distractions into the training.

While training these essential commands to your dog, it's important to remember that these will likely take some time for your dog to learn. With lots of patience, repetitiveness, and positive reinforcement, you can succeed in training any dog these basic commands. While it's best to train them as early as possible, don't let that stop you with your older dogs - after all, old dogs can learn new tricks too!

Don't forget that every good dog deserves to be pampered. Check out our website today to get your dog an elevated dog bed. Your dog will love the comfort it provides. You will love the minimal maintenance it requires. With a premier raised dog bed you can spend less time cleaning dog beds and more time training these essential commands. Happy training!

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All About Puppies!

Roly, poly puppies can make any day immediately improved. Their funny attitude towards life, their sense of adventure, and their love of cuddling are just a few reasons we love them so much. March 23rd is Puppy Day, and here at PetCot, can't think of a better way to celebrate than by sharing a few fun facts about these lovable balls of fur.

The Humane Society Animal League for Life claims that there are at least 70,000 puppies born in the U.S. every single day!

Like humans, puppies aren't born with teeth, however, they also aren't born with hearing, vision, or the sense of smell. They tend to open their eyes and begin to hear around two weeks, and their sense of smell comes in around three weeks.

Did you know that a puppy needs between 15-20 hours of sleep a day?

When a puppy is first born, they spend 90% of their day sleeping and the other 10% eating - sounds like a pretty amazing life to us!

Did you know that a dog's smell is 10,000 to 100,000 times better than a human's? It may not start until their three weeks old, but when they can start to smell, it makes up for it!

Because puppies are in the womb with and born with other puppies, they have a need for constant companionship, otherwise, they'll get lonely. 

By the time your puppy reaches the age of one, they are considered an adult. In human years, this is the physical equivalent of being 15 years old.

5 Commands Your Puppy Should Learn

Come

You'll want your pup to learn how to come when you call to them on the first command.

Heel

This means that your pup should learn how to walk next to you and keep stride. Stopping when you stop, walking when you walk, and not walking ahead or behind you.

Sit

Whether you're cooking in the kitchen and don't want your dog under foot or you're at the park and you've stopped to talk with someone - the sit command is one of the first and most basic commands your pup should learn.

Stay

This command can be vital, especially when your pup gets into situations where they need to stay in one place. Start training them when they are young, and do it in a quiet place where they can focus.

Lay Down

Teaching your puppy to lay down teaches them to settle into a spot that you've directed them towards. It's also the first step in teaching them fun tricks, like roll over.

Celebrating Puppies

If you're celebrating puppy day by bringing a new pup home - we're so excited for you! There are many fun-filled days ahead - but also plenty of training days, and you'll need the right tools to get you started. If you haven't picked out a pet bed for your new puppy, we would love for you to consider our raised pet bed. It's a great place to let your puppy relax, and to give them a spot to call their own. Not to mention, our puppy beds are great because they are easy to clean if they have accidents and resistant to chewing with our special chew guards. Visit our website to learn more about our premium raised dog beds for Puppy Day!

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Four Commands Your Puppy Should Learn

You've made the bold new step for your family by adding one more - only this one has four legs instead of two! As cute and furry as this new addition is, they also whine all through the night, have too many accidents on your carpet, and have started chewing up your shoes. It's time to start your new mission: train the puppy.

At The PetCot Company, we know how much of a commitment a new pet can bring to the family, but we also know how much joy and laughter they can bring as well - which makes it all worth it. Here are four commands your puppy should learn right off the bat, and how our PetCot beds can aid you in your mission.

SIT

This is generally one of the first things you'll want to train your puppy to do, and it can generally be one of the easiest. You can make it the easiest by holding a treat above their nose and raising it up and  back which should cue your pup to sit naturally without having to push their tush down. As they begin to sit, say the command "sit", and when they do, don't forget to praise them and give them the treat!

As they become familiar with that command, begin saying it before they've completed the action. You'll probably have to complete the process many times, and practice it several times a day for it to become natural.

STAY

Teaching your pup how to stay teaches them self-control, and will be an invaluable command as they get older. You can start by showing them a treat and asking them to sit. From there, you will ask them to "stay" and take one step back. If they stay put, you give them a treat and start over. This will be a step by step process - literally! As they become comfortable with one step, you can increase the number of steps until they will stay for long periods of time.

Don't forget to teach them a release command. In many situations you will want your pup to stay until called back to you, so decide on a hand motion and/or verbal command that will signify that they can be released from staying.

You can also use the PetCot bed as a further challenge for staying. Many pet owners use the "place" command to communicate with their dog that they should go to a designated spot (like a PetCot), and then they should stay until released. This is more advanced, though, and should be used after they've mastered the easier commands.

COME

This command is an important one because there are most likely going to be times when you drop their leash, leave the door open too long, etc. Start by putting their leash on them, and when you say "come" give the leash a little tug so they will come. You can then reward them for their obedience and then try it all over again.

LEAVE IT

This command can be invaluable since puppies are generally very curious. While you may be able to control your pup while they are small, as they grow up and get larger, you won't be able to control them as easily when they try to eat something they shouldn't, chase after squirrels, or even try to dig around in the trash. Teaching your pup to "leave it" can be a little more of a challenge for them, but there are some great Youtube videos to give you a head start.

Give Your Pup a Place

Every new furry friend needs a place that they can call their own. While it may start out as a kennel, eventually you'll probably upgrade them to a "toddler bed" - like a PetCot! Our premium pet beds are ideal for providing a place for your pet to call their own, and a perfect spot to relax after a day of training! Visit our website to learn more about the sizes and colors available, and if you don't know what size you need, check out our past blog: Which PetCot Is the Right Size for YOUR Pet?

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Important Steps for Training Your New Puppy

Every roly poly puppy is a big bundle of energy, and sometimes that energy needs to be directed into good habits. From the first day, you bring your pup home, you'll train them and teach them right from wrong. With so many important things to teach them, how are you supposed to know where to start?

Many people wonder when the right time to start training their puppy is, and honestly, the answer is now. Start setting your puppy up for success today, and you'll be able to reinforce those habits for the rest of their life. Here are a few tips from trainers that will help you figure out what your puppy needs to learn, and how to teach it to them.

Start With Routines

It's important to start training your puppy on the routines that they'll be keeping in the coming weeks. Teach them where their food and water dishes are, and keep them in the same places, and feed them at the same times each day. Teach them where they'll be going to the bathroom, and always take them to the same place for continuity. Most importantly, continually train them about their bedtime. Keep their PetCot bed in the same place so they know where bedtime happens, and then be sure to reinforce what time they wake up and what time they go to sleep. These routines will be just as valuable for you as it is for them.

Teach Words

The next step is to start reinforcing words in their vocabulary. "No," means stop what you're doing right now. "Good," reinforces that what they're doing is exemplary. These two words are generally introduced around 2-3 months old, and should be used when necessary. There are many other words you will want to add to their vocabulary like sit, stay, down, off, come, don't touch, drop it, go lie down, etc. These words should only be taught after "no" and "good" have been learned well.

Avoid Biscuit Training

While using treats can be a great incentive for your pup, it's not the most effective way to reinforce good behavior, or stop the bad. Biscuit training, in essence, is based solely off your pup wanting to eat or not. Suppose he goes running out the door after a squirrel, and even though you're tempting him with a treat, he wants to chase the squirrel more than eat a treat. Not only does that reinforce bad habits of not listening to you, but you're showing that if he doesn't want a treat he doesn't have to listen. It would be much more efficient to implement a training based on respect over treats.

Keep in mind that training with treats is not a bad thing, but it shouldn't be your sole method of 'bribing' your pet to obey you. Treats are initially used to help reinforce good behavior, and direct the pet to what you're wanting them to do, but as your training goes on, you should be weaning them off the treats and guiding them to do what you've asked solely based on the command and authority.

Respect Training

If your dog hears your words, understands them, and still chooses not to obey, this could be a sign that they don't respect you. It's important to establish respect in the relationship, not because you HAVE to be in charge, but because you can protect your pet better when they obey. If they are running out into the road, but don't listen to you when you say "come," they are in danger of running into oncoming traffic.

PetCot Beds Help You Train Your Pup

There are many important commands you will establish with your new furry friend, and our beds can help you to reinforce some of those commands. Many trainers use our PetCots to instruct dogs of all ages in the "place" command. Our pet beds aren't just used for training, though, our beds are kept in households all over the country to give your pet a great place to sleep, relax, and stay put when need be. You can order yours today on our website, www.PetCot.com.

Taking Comfort and Care to a New Level for Pets!

Follow ALL Our Social Media Channels!

Facebook

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