Train Your Dog Month

by Jenn Smith January 20, 2020

New pet owners that received pets as gifts over the December holidays may be thinking "Now what?" January is Train Your Dog Month as a helpful way to help new pet owners get their bearings on how to train puppies. Here are a few tips to get started.

Bringing home a new dog is like bringing home a baby for the first time. The new dog will need to learn to like types dog foods; other companion animals; and their new environments. It is best to wait until the dog is at least 7-8 weeks old to train them.

For the first few weeks, dogs will need to be introduced to other animals slowly. Proceed with caution to make sure neither pet freaks out. If the pets do not like each other at first, separate them; and try again at a later time. After some time, the new dog may be able to play with other animals in a fenced enclosure or at local dog parks. Having a fenced-in area will help the new dog learn the confines of the home and where to not go to stay safe. Being fenced-in will also make it easier for dog owners to teach dogs basic dog commands such as "sit," "stop," and "go."