4 Quick and Handy Tips To Help You Train Your New Puppy With Ease
Bringing home a puppy is an exciting time. However, sometimes it can get a little tricky to train the newest member of the family, especially if they get distracted easily. Luckily, you should have a much easier time training the little one using these four simple tips!
Safe chews for Rover.
Chewing on bones is your sweet pup’s favorite pastime, but you worry about these chewies splintering and causing tummy trouble. Instead, veterinarians say it’s a smart idea to offer your pooch wood chews, like olive or coffee tree roots like Wildfang’s Chewing Root Made of Coffee Wood (Buy from Amazon, $8.99), instead. The reason: Olive and coffee trees are close-grained woods, so they don’t splinter the way bones do when your pup gnaws on them. Even better: These options cost about half as much as bones and they last much longer!
This trick helps train your pup faster.
You’ve been trying to train Fido, but he always gets distracted during a session. He might learn better if you “sneak” in his training moments throughout the day. A 2017 study from the University of Lincoln in England found that puppies that had play sessions after training learned tasks 40 percent faster than those who rested after a session. To help your pup learn, give him commands — then offer an immediate reward — before doing something fun, like playing fetch or going for a walk. Your sweetie will learn in no time!
Take advantage of free pet first-aid.
Since your pup is outside a lot more this time of year, he might run into more mishaps, like ripping a toenail or getting a bee sting. To help treat these issues at home, download the free Pet First Aid app created by the American Red Cross (Available on iOS and Android). You can use the app to find veterinary advice for how to handle more than 25 common pet emergencies, including allergic reactions, eye problems and more. The app also tells you which warning signs indicate that you should seek emergency veterinary care — stat!
How do you get a picky pup to eat?
Sometimes your little one turns her nose up at her kibble and refuses to eat. So readers shared their tastiest ways to help boost her appetite:
53 percent this idea!: Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over her food, says Erica Banks. The strong-smelling cheese will entice her.
47 percent love this idea!: Ask her to follow a few commands first, says Pat Jones. She’ll think she’s being rewarded and will happily eat.
A version of this article originally appeared in our print magazine, First for Women.
