Puppy training and play
Training and play are key to your puppy’s healthy development. A well-trained and obedient puppy is more likely to become a well-balanced and happy adult dog.
The many reasons to train your puppy
A well-mannered dog is everyone's ideal, but it doesn't happen by accident. Teaching your dog to navigate the world around them takes consistency and creativity. Young puppies' brains are prime for learning—manners, house training and safety skills. Play and repetition work far better than fear-based training methods.
The benefits of puppy training are exercise, cognitive growth, and safety. Physical activity expends excess energy. Your puppy's cognitive skills are still developing, so play that requires reasoning teaches problem-solving and memory skills. And it's fun to watch a puppy figure out a problem! It all counts as mental stimulation, and can be as tiring for them as physical exercise.
As you play with your puppy, you're also teaching them how to play. Biting, nipping, herding and jumping can be dangerous if fragile adults or young children are present. Puppies learn this through socialisation and playtimes. Play sessions and training help your puppy learn your expectations. Commands such as sit, lie down, and wait make for a peaceful co-existence. And a reliable recall skill may save your puppy's life in the future.
The keys to a good training session
- Reward good behaviour—with praise, affection and treats
- Keep training sessions short and frequent. Puppies have short attention spans
- Start early and be consistent. Repetition works
Puppy training classes allow your puppy to learn socialisation and gain new skills under the supervision of a professional. Never hesitate to ask for help if you have questions or need expert advice.
Your puppy will not immediately remember everything they've learned; it takes patience. Be sure to use positive reinforcement, meaning rewarding their good behaviour—it works best.
Training treats can be low-calorie tasty meat treats, given individually—remember to adjust their meal portion to avoid excess calories—praise and affection, or a couple minutes of play with their favourite toy.
Discover the right food for your new companion
Answer a few questions about your dog to discover a personalised food recommendation.
Teaching your puppy the basics
Training a puppy means progress, not perfection, in daily training sessions. Puppy training games teach puppies the basics in a fun, exciting way. Obedience training teaches sitting, lying down, staying, heel, and coming when called, including crate training and house training. How you present them sets the tone for the session. A friendly voice tone encourages keen attention.
Our Puppy Growth Programme nutritional recommendations
Our products are designed to accompany your puppy’s growth, helping provide meaningful benefits thanks to specifically chosen nutrients for each stage of life.
Tips when playing with your puppy
Training your puppy to understand a basic set of everyday commands can make them more comfortable in social situations and easier to handle. It can also keep them safe in busy or dangerous places, so you can confidently take them anywhere and meet anyone. The following tabs cover some of the essential everyday commands you will need:
Toys should be the right size and safe for your puppy. A Golden Retriever puppy may accidentally swallow a toy made for a tiny Yorkie, and the Yorkie may not pick up or carry a toy meant for a large puppy.
A puppy that bites, jumps and nips needs to be discouraged. When it happens, stop playing for a few minutes and resume when they have calmed down.
How much exercise and play your puppy needs depends on age and breed. A Bichon Frisé or Basset Hound doesn't need as much as a Border Collie or Retriever. Watch your puppy for signs of fatigue and adjust playtimes accordingly.
Games to play with your puppy that also teach skills
Remember that mental exercise is as exhausting as physical exercise. Puppies need a good amount of both to be balanced and socialised dogs. Bored puppies might pick up unwanted behaviours or develop anxiety or phobias.
Play Hide and Seek
- Put your puppy into the sit/wait position
- Let your puppy watch you hide the treats or toys
- Return to your puppy and release them with the 'find it’ command
- Reward and praise when the treats have been found
- As your puppy gets better, make the hiding places harder with more items to find
- For a change, have your puppy find you by hiding and calling their name until they find you
The cup game
- Put a treat under a cup on a flat surface
- Let your pup sniff it out
- Praise success
- Change the game by moving a couple cups around, so the puppy must use their nose to sniff out the treat
- Praise success
Tug of war
Many believe this game teaches aggressive behaviour or dominance. That is not the case. It teaches your puppy self-control, the ‘leave it’ or ‘drop it’ command and emotional control.
- Use a tug rope or item your dog likes to pull
- Hold one end and let your dog pull the other end
- The rule is no teeth can touch your skin. If it happens, stop the game until the dog calms down
- Repeat. Praise success
Pass the puppy
This game teaches your puppy social skills, retrieving and coming when you call their name.
Play Pass the Puppy with two or more people. Have everyone sit on the ground with enough space in between you for the dog to travel a short distance.
- One person calls the dog by name using the come command. Reward success. Cuddles work too!
- The second person calls the puppy the same way, rewarding and praising success
- The game continues with everyone calling the puppy and rewarding arrival
Games that encourage independent play
Not all training games need to involve you, though it’s important to keep that pet owner-puppy interaction as well. Puppies should be able to entertain themselves when alone.
