Dog Training - The Biggest Mistake You Can Make With Your Puppy

Is there anything more exciting than getting a new puppy? Everyone is so happy and wants to spend time with the puppy. The puppy then needs to be taught to go outside to pee and poop. The puppy needs to learn that the carpet is not grass. The puppy needs to be taught that chewing on the furniture is not acceptable and most people like their dogs to know at least a few commands like sit, stay, come and walk on leash.

It's at this point that the new puppy owner will seek out some information. They quickly find out that trainers all have their opinions about what is the best way to train. Some of the advice is really good and some of it is really bad.

Some really bad advice is when anyone tells the new puppy owner to keep the pup indoors and to not expose the puppy to much. This is the biggest mistake anyone can ever do with their new puppy. Let me explain why and what you should do.

The best thing you can do for your puppy is socialize it. A puppy has a socialization period that happens right up until about four and half months old. The more your pup is exposed to, the more stable and confident your pup will be as an adult dog.

Most aggression problems are fear based. A lot of dogs that have aggression problems were not properly socialized as puppies. This happens because some "experts" advise keeping the puppy secluded until after four months old.

The socialization period is a window of opportunity that you will never get back. You need to take that time and bring your puppy everywhere with you. Let your puppy play with other puppies, bring your puppy to your friends; bring the puppy to the city, the beach, in the woods. Socialize your puppy as much as you possibly can.

With a lot of socialization your puppy will be a much more stable, confident, happy dog that will be easier to train and live with.

Eric Letendre the author of The Amazing Dog Training Man invites you to visit http://www.amazingdogtrainingman.com for leading edge dog training tips, instructional video clips and articles that will help you train and understand your dog. You can also get free dog training updates with a free Smart Dog Newsletter subscription, available at http://www.amazingdogtrainingman.com