Dog training video | First Step to Training Your New Puppy

In this comprehensive guide, I'll take you through the foundational steps of obedience training with a German Shepherd puppy, highlighting techniques that I've found most effective for training any new dog. The session begins with the basics of handling food for training, followed by a detailed demonstration of using a food lure to encourage your puppy to follow a straight line. This technique not only engages your puppy but also lays the groundwork for more advanced commands.

To kick off each training session on a high note, I'll share my personal method for getting puppies excited about training. Using enthusiastic phrases like "Are you ready to train?" boosts their eagerness and speeds up the learning process.

Next, we'll progress to more complex maneuvers, teaching your puppy to follow the food lure through six different positions relative to the trainer. These include lateral movements (left and right in front of you), heel positions on both sides, a center position, and a backward follow, which serves as a precursor to the recall command.

A key focus of the training is the timing of praise and rewards. Effective praise during the lure followed by rewarding your puppy at the end of the movement encourages them to re-engage with you, fostering a dynamic where the dog feels they are leading the session. This approach significantly boosts their motivation to train.

Additionally, we'll integrate sit and down commands within each position and movement to generalize the training, ensuring your puppy adapts to a variety of commands seamlessly. To conclude each session, a clear "all done" signals to your puppy that the training is over, helping them distinguish between training and free time.

Throughout the first week of training, I repeat these exercises about 35 times. Repetition is key to reinforcing the training and ensuring the puppy grasps and responds to the commands effectively. My approach emphasizes engagement, repetition, and positive reinforcement, aiming to establish a solid foundation in obedience and behavior for the puppy.

This video serves as a step-by-step guide to beginning your puppy's training journey, emphasizing patience, consistency, and the importance of making training an enjoyable experience for both you and your puppy.