Pug Puppy Training – The Basics
If you recently got a puppy, you’ll need to start the Pug Puppy training immediately or as soon as possible so you can take advantage of the pup’s energy and eagerness to learn. Pugs are very smart dogs; despite the rankings they have in “the intelligence of dogs”, they always manage to surprise their owners. That’s why we know you won’t have any trouble with Pug Puppy training. In this article you’ll learn:
- All the basic training that your pup must master to behave properly.
- How to praise a Pug Puppy to maximize his training.
- And more vital things about Pug puppy training.
When you finish reading this article, training your Pug puppy will be a piece of cake (if you follow our tips, that is). Finally, we’ll show you the best items and goodies you will need to enhance your pup’s training. Are you ready to raise a good boy or gal? Let’s get right into it!
AKC – American Kennel Club
Pug Puppy Training: Commands, housebreaking, and rules.
When you get a Pug puppy from a top-notch well-reputed breeder, sometimes they will come with basic housebreaking. If that’s not the case, you’ll need to start Pug Puppy training immediately, or else he’ll have a lot of accidents. The two basic things to teach your Pug for him to behave inside the house are potty training and the “leave it”/”no” command.
Potty training
Pug puppies have small bladders, so they will need to use the bathroom regularly, usually more than 10 times per day. This will drop considerably as they grow. Still, since they will pee and poo a lot when they’re puppies, this is the right time to settle the rules because you’ll have a lot of opportunities.
To do it, you will need:
There’s one thing to teach them at this age; where to pee when they’re inside the house. You’ll need to show them a designated area for them to use as a bathroom. You’ll have to place a few pee pads inside the playpen and start supervising him. Whenever you see he does a peeing motion or else, you carry him while saying “bathroom” to the spot where he should do his business.
It’s important that you do it in a neutral-dominant voice, so he knows this is a command. If he succeeds, praise him with a “good boy!” and a treat. After a while of repeating this, he’ll know that peeing in the designated area means treats, love, and attention; thus he’ll do it automatically to receive his reward.
Leave it command
This command is very useful when you go out with your curious puppy if he’s biting something he shouldn’t or similar situations. You’ll need:
- A harness
- A leash
- And treats
You can either wait for a “leave it” situation to present or you can simply use one of his toys and train this in advance – which is what we advise. Put your pup’s toy or a little bit of kibble in front of him while he wears a harness with a leash. If he goes to get the toy, sit him back while saying “leave it”, and praise him if he ignores the toy for at least five minutes. You can also pull gently off the leash to make him retreat.
Rules
There are a few rules that you can set in your house that will be very useful to keep your Pug well-behaved and healthy when he’s old:
- No jumping
- Jumping on top of furniture/bed
- No biting or chewing
- Peeing outside (if you have a garden)
- Not to beg
This will make your life easier. All you have to do is to teach forbid them from doing those things and keep those rules forever. If you let him on top of your couch for one day, he’ll want to do it the next, and the next after that. If he’s biting or chewing on stuff, get him some chewing toys. If he begs, ignore him at all times or put him in his playpen while you eat, and never ever give him human food. Those rules are easy for him to grasp; it’s actually easier for you to break them!
Basic commands for Pug Puppy Training
These are the top basic commands and how to teach them:
- Sit: Gently make your dog adopt a sitting position while saying the command “sit”. Immediately after, praise him and reward him with a treat. Repeat until he does it on his own.
- Down: From a sitting position, tell him the command “down” and gently pat his back and the floor under him until he lays down. When he does, immediately reward him. Repeat until he does it on his own.
- Stay: Tell your dog to sit. Move a step back and tell him to stay. If he stays in the same place, walk towards him and reward him with a treat and praises. If he moves, tell him to sit again, and repeat. Increase the distance you walk away until you know he gets it.
- Come: After he learns the first two, tell him to sit, then to stay while you walk away. When you’re away from him, tell him the command “come” in a rather excited manner. If he comes, give him a treat and repeat walking further away each time. If he doesn’t take the command, walk towards him a little bit and repeat.
CKC – Canadian Kennel Club
How to reward good behavior during Pug Puppy Training
When training a dog, the most useful method to use is positive reinforcement. Always avoid a negative reaction. If your Pug makes a mistake, forgive him, take a while if you need to, but never react badly. If you yell, scold, or say bad things to your Pug, he will get depressed without understanding what he did wrong!
Instead, clean up his mess, and move on. When he actually does what you want him to do; that’s when you need to praise him with all your love!
Here’s how to do it in two simple steps.
- Right after your Pug does something good, praise him vocally with “good boy” or “well done”. Also, you can scratch his back or rub his belly.
- If you have them, a treat will enhance his learning. Still, if you don’t have them at hand, praise will do. If you take too long to do it, the learning window will be gone.
After a while repeating this, you can skip the treats, and go straight to praises and love.
Common misconceptions on Pug Puppy Training
Some people believe that training a Pug is hard because they’re not the brightest dogs. Still, as Pug owners, we know for sure that those people couldn’t be more wrong. They are very smart dogs; they suck at focusing though. That’s why you’ll need to let them know you have treats on you if you’re planning a training session. You’ll have their full focus on you!
Yes, Pugs are not that smart when compared, for example, to a Border Collie. Still, that breed is a working breed. Pugs learn commands and things purely because they are emotionally aware; they will read how you feel accurately. If you’re happy with them, they will know it, and if nailing their training is what it takes then so be it.
Finally, as we said above, negative reactions are not good with Pugs – or with dogs in general, actually. This can trigger aggressive behavior and more undesired personality traits, like anxiety. Pugs are more sensitive to those things, meaning this will hamper their lifestyle, affecting even their lifespan. If they make a mess, take them to their playpen and leave them alone for a while. This is the most recommended version of a “scold” for Pugs.
Frequently Asked Questions – Pug Puppy Training
Pugs are ranked 108 in the Intelligence of Dogs. This means they will take at least 40 to 80 repetitions to learn a new command. Still, you’ll need to keep their training sessions short and fun.
They should last something between 10 to 15 minutes. Also, they should keep your Pug entertained. If he gets bored, make sure to regain his attention and that he never associates bad things with his sessions.
Clicker training and positive reinforcement are the best methods of training for Pugs. The clicker is really helpful to get their attention, and praise and treats are the best way of rewarding him. Make sure to pick his favorite treats to enhance his motivation!
Conclusion
Training your Pug at home will save you a lot of time and money – trainers are a little pricey nowadays! Still, you must only try this at home if you know you’ll have the patience to do it because you will need it. Another thing that’s key –and most people forget- is consistency in their training. If your pup seems to forget his training sometimes, you can repeat a few training sessions so he remembers what’s ok and what isn’t.
Training your Pug is the best way of ensuring his safety as well (especially when you go for a walk!), so make sure to take your time while doing it.
Are you ready to teach a good boy or gal some manners?
