What training tips can anyone offer -I have an 8 week old cocker spaniel puppy?
Answers:
8 weeks is too young for him to learn anything much. As he is so young I gather youve not had him long. I would concentrate at this stage on developing your bond with him - if possible go away somewhere with him for a week or so where it is just you and him.
As you see the opportunity, praise him for anything he does that is in the direction of something you want him eventually to learn. EG, if hes not housetrained yet, praise him enthusiastically whenever he does anything outside. Once he has that firmly in hand, restrict praise to when he does it in the long grass or wherever you want him to go ie not in your flower beds or on the path etc.
Always remember once your bond is completely formed, he lives to please you. What you need to concentrate on is learning to communicate to him what it is you want. Develop the habit of talking to him a lot - you will be surprised at how much language he will eventually understand, far more than is commonly thought.
A word about punishment - it doesnt work at all unless it is done within 8 seconds of the deed you are punishing for. Best to reserve shouting and whacks for safety situations or you may risk losing your dogs confidence.
Sorry about the grammar my apostrophe key is broken. Good luck with your little dog, he will be a joy to you.
Start with crate-training. There are lots of great online articles about it. It will help with housebreaking your new pup and will also give your pup a private, safe place to hang out.
Most obedience classes will not take pups that have not been given all their puppy shots, so you will probably have to wait a while for that, but training classes not only help your pet to learn basic commands, they also help enable a great bonding time for owner and pup, as well as allow lots of socialization that your pup will need.
narrow your question down a bit matey, my wife showed cockers everywhere even at crufts when it used to be in london. edit your question and i'll answer again with more info.
number one before u let him do anything....make him look at YOU
dont take him near othe dogs.cockers are notouriously exitable,
dont use pain for punishment..COLD WATER.
but not yet he is to young.most importantly dont rush things GET INNOCULATIONS!!
If the pup is crying non stop at night and keeping you from sleeping, here a a tried and true tip: Put a penny in a jar and keep it by the bed. When the pup cries- don't holler for it to hush.Simply shake the jar a couple times. The sound will quiet her down.
A great chew toy- take an old sock and ball up a couple of peices of newspaper inside of it. Tie it at the end and throw it to the pup.
when you dogs jumps on you gently push the dog off and don't pay attention to him/her until he/she is sitting down properly and looking at you. they do it for attention, I did this with my dog and she never jumps on people anymore. make sure you praise it when it gets down.
Since you shouldn't join a kindergarten puppy traing class for another month at least, there are lots of thiings you can work on now. You can prevent food guarding behavior by getting down on all fours when you feed your puppy and stick your face right down as you pretend to "eat" his food. He should back off and not growl or snap at you if you want it. Also, especially if he's going to be around kids, get him used to being touched everywhere. I always did this while my pups were eating. Gently tug at ears and tail, play with feet, be a real pest. Anything a dog will tolerate while eating will be no big deal when he's not.
Get him used to having his feet handled now so nail maintenance will be easier when he's grown. I always started with an emery board and would file for a few minutes each day. When my dogs were grown, they often slept through their nail clippings. Handle his mouth, too so if he ever needs to have his teeth cleaned, you won't have to wrestle with him.
You can start laying the groundwork for obedience by teaching him to sit and to come to you when called. If you train with praise alone, you will never need food rewards!
Use his name a lot when you praise him, but not when you correct him. Keep training sessions brief, no more than 5 minutes at a time and end with a play session. I always recommend against tug-of-war but if you must, never let him win! You'll loose your dominent rank if you do.
If you need to correct his behavior, the most effective method I have found is to grasp him by the scruff of the neck and shake while firmly saying "no!' It's what his mom would do-I've seen it with other dogs, and he'll understand at once that you disapprove. Best of luck!
The first thing you should do is go to your nearest library where you will find many books on the subject. That will answer most questions you will have before you or the puppy need to know, For now be gentle with her never punish her If you think shes done wrong she's too young yet to understand. The one thing you can and should do is toilet train her, From experience I've always decided where I want them to go. Usually the garden then watch and wait, as soon as you see them squat pick them up gently and take them there. Stay with them and as soon as they do something praise them. If you also take the puppy there when it wakes from its sleep it will soon be asking to go. Usually mine cried at the door. If she does something now that you know you dont want her doing when shes older treat her gently but make her stop the behaviour. An example could be if she jumps up ignore her till she stops and as soon as she stops praise her.
I find the sooner you teach them manners the easier the basic training becomes. Decide if you will walk them on collar / lead
or not now and then in the case of a collar let them get used to it
Some just put a collar on and let the dog go. The pup reacts to the collar and you stop them when they do. Others leave the collar on for short periods. The time to start teaching commands begins later and you cant socialise the dog till it its three months
By then you will have read the basics in the book and you'll both be ready. If your serious about training ask your Vet about Puppy Classes and people will quide you. Try and get a specific breed book because different breeds often need different handling, It really does help. And go on the web you will find lots of help there. Most Pet Forums have great places for beginners and individual breeds
Sorry its such a LONG answer but its a BIG subject!
I wish you success and enjoyment with your new friend and welcome to the CRAZY world of 'DOGS'
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