Teaching your puppy new tricks can seem like a useless task. There are a few things to keep in mind which will make training your puppy to “act” on command much easier. It is important not to start too soon, but it is equally important not to wait to long.

As you may well know, potty-training a puppy requires constant effort on your part. The same goes for teaching a puppy new tricks. Puppies learn by repetition; the more they do something, the more likely they are to remember what it is you expect them to do. Don’t give up on your puppy too soon. Just because he isn’t catching on in the first few days of training, don’t assume there is no hope in him learning the tricks. Repetitiveness is the key; keep working on the same trick over and over until he has it mastered. Only then should you consider moving on to a new trick.

It is also important to reward your puppy for his efforts, even if he doesn’t get it right the first time. Your puppy will learn to associate treats with the desired action and will be more keen on “performing” for you if he knows he will be rewarded. As he is learning the new trick, you may want to gradually increase the size of his trick as his performance improves.

Try not to scold your puppy if he doesn’t perform the trick properly. Remember, he is just a baby. You most likely don’t yell at your infant for not walking when you think she should, so why would you yell at your puppy for not catching on to a new trick as quickly as you expect him to?

Keep these few simple guidelines in mind and you will soon find your puppy performing on command.  Remember to be patient and not give up hope; your puppy will learn new things more quickly as he gets older. We really aren’t that much different, you know.

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