American Kennel Club - The American Kennel Clubs train your puppy right

Lead Editor: Amy Deputato

Copyeditor: Karen Julian

Consulting Editors: Babette Haggerty and Andrew DePrisco

Art Director: Cindy Kassebaum

Production Manager: Laurie Panaggio

Production Supervisor: Jessica Jaensch

Production Coordinator: Leah Rosalez

Book Project Specialist: Karen Julian

Vice President, Chief Content Officer: June Kikuchi

Vice President, Kennel Club Books: Andrew DePrisco

I-5 Press: Jennifer Calvert, Amy Deputato, Karen Julian, Jarelle S. Stein

American Kennel Club: Cynthia Beagles, Mary Burch, Aliza Burns, Gina DiNardo, Rebecca Mercer, Lisa Peterson, Daphna Straus, Dennis B. Sprung

Photographs by: AKC/Russell Bianca: 4; AKC/Lisa Croft-Elliott: 137; Alamy: 10; Gina Cioli/I-5 Studio: title page, 6, 14, 54, 56, 103; Mary Anne Coleman: 87 (bottom); Carolyn C. Corbett: 86 (bottom right); Penny DiLoreto (Puppies Dot Com): 87 (top); Shirley Fernandez (Fox Hill Photo): 11; Isabelle Francais: 7, 13, 18, 23, 25, 27, 29, 30, 31, 23, 33, 34, 35, 37, 41, 42, 53, 70, 72, 80, 81, 90, 91, 92, 98, 111, 122, 126, 129, 131, 141, 146, 149, 150; Tammy Hagen: 86 (bottom left); Jane Hufstader: 86 (top); Daniel Johnson (Fox Hill Photo): 44, 65, 71. 76, 78, 102, 106, 107, 119, 121, 123, 124, 127; Paulette Johnson (Fox Hill Photo): 58, 108, 117; Mark Raycroft: 9, 43, 63, 101, 133, 135, 138; Jerry Shulman: 66; Shutterstock: cover, cover inset, back cover (both), contents page, 8, 12, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24, 38, 40, 45, 46, 48, 49, 50, 52, 57, 61, 62, 64, 67, 68, 73, 74, 75, 77, 85, 88, 93, 96, 97, 100, 110, 112, 113, 114, 116, 118, 130, 132, 134, 136, 142, 143, 144, 145, 148, 151; Connie Summers (Fox Hill Photo): 55; Connie Summers and Paulette Johnson (Fox Hill Photo): 83, 89, 95, 128

Copyright 2012 The American Kennel Club and I-5 Press

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All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of I-5 Press, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in an acknowledged review.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

The American Kennel Clubs train your puppy right.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-1-935484-90-5

eISBN 978-1-620080-17-7

1. Puppies--Training. I. American Kennel Club.

SF431.A4364 2012

636.707--dc23

2012009035

Printed and bound in the United States

15 14 13 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Contents

INTRODUCTION

Yes, Theres a Right Way!

As the American Kennel Club slogan says, Were more than champion dogs. Were the dogs champion. Promoting responsible dog ownership means helping dog lovers learn the right way to train and care for their dogs. To find the right way, we dont need to delve into stacks of training books or surf a million dog-related websites on the Internet. We can find all we need to know just by paying attention to the dog in our life, our cherished family companion. When a puppy yips happily, when an adult dogs eyes glisten with loyalty and trust, and when a senior dogs tail involuntarily wags when his neck is rubbed, its about one thing. Love.

Undeniably, one of the most successful ways to train a dog is with loveand praise, patience, a little know-how, a lot of liver (a.k.a. rewards!), and more praise. In educating your puppy, you are teaching an intelligent, social animal how to please you and how to live among human society. The more a puppy understands what you expect from him, the happier and more secure he will feel and the more perfect will his behavior be!

The American Kennel Clubs Train Your Puppy Right will give you the foundation you need to train your new canine companion to become a happy, self-assured member of your family. Beyond providing chapters on socialization, house-training, and basic obedience cues, this book introduces you to the exciting world of AKC events, such as Rally, agility, and obedience trials. You will be amazed at the different ways you can become involved with your dog, such as taking an AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy class or trying out the Coursing Ability Test. Maybe youd like the experience of passing the Canine Good Citizen test on your way to training for therapy work and receiving the AKC Therapy Dog title. As the dogs champion, the American Kennel Club is dedicated to responsible dog ownership, and that includes providing you and your dog with educational programs, fun activities, and competitive events that will engage your family for years to come.

AKC President and CEO Dennis B. Sprung and Pomeranian Blue Moons Back in the USSR, RN (Lennon).

Welcome to The American Kennel Clubs Train Your Puppy Right. Whether youre a longtime dog owner or youve just gotten your very first puppy, we wish you a lifetime of happiness and enjoyment with your new pet.

In this book, youll learn about all the fun things you can do with your new dog. The American Kennel Club believes that this book will serve as a useful guide on the lifelong journey youll take with your canine companion.

Need help with house-training? Want to prevent chewed furniture? Trying to keep your new puppy from jumping on your houseguests? Train Your Puppy Right will provide the training tips and socialization skills that will get your dog off to a good start.

We also encourage you to find an AKC club that offers training classes in your area. Many AKC clubs offer classes, ranging from AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy to competitive obedience and agility; you can find clubs at www.akc.org/events/trainingclubs.cfm.

Once youve started training, why not try an AKC event? There is something for all dogs and owners, including AKC Rally, obedience, agility, conformation (dog shows), hunt tests, field trials, and more. Plus, tens of thousands of dogs earn Canine Good Citizen certification each year by demonstrating their good manners at home and in the community. We invite you and your puppy to become involved in AKC events, too! Learn how at www.akc.org/events.

Finally, we encourage you to connect with other new dog owners on the AKCs website (). Happy training!

Sincerely,

Dennis B. Sprung
AKC President and CEO

CHAPTER 1

A Puppy of Your Own

Congrats! You are nowor soon will bethe proud owner of the cutest puppy in the world! Lets face it, puppies are cute. They require a lot of love, patience, and understanding, just like all babies. Before you chose the breed of dog for you and found the perfect puppy, we hope you did your homework. If youre an A student, then you researched your breed on the AKC website (www.akc.org) and contacted someone from the national parent club to lead you to responsible, reliable breeders in your area. If youve found a good breeder and already picked out a puppy, you should be getting regular reports from the breeder about the first weeks of your puppys life. Before the puppy is ready to come home with you, the breeder will give you information on his temperament, how he interacts with his siblings, and other tidbits about his personality. You may receive weekly photos of your puppy so you can see how quickly hes grown from a tiny teddy bear with closed eyes to an irresistible little pup whos bursting with energy and ready to meet you and see the wonderful world.