Your little one has begged AND begged for a puppy and promised to help train the furry friend and you finally caved. Now you have this brand new puppy who seems to be having accidents every time you turn around and chewing on everything he get his little mouth onto. But surprise, surprise you are the only one cleaning up after the dog and the only one attempting to keep the little rascal in line. We've all been there.

 

But we have your back! Check out these 4 tips to help keep you sane while trying to keep track of your brand new puppy.

 

1. Keep your puppy on a schedule

By keeping meal times and potty times on a consistent schedule, you're helping to train your pup to know when it's time to eat, when it's time to go outside, and when it's time to go to bed. If you're worried about forgetting, write it down on a piece of paper and place it on your refrigerator so you'll have constant access to it. Another option is to add your puppy's schedule as reminders to your phone.

 

2. Invest in a clicker and treats

Clicker's are small devices that can be used to help train puppies. They're inexpensive and are used by making a "click" noise and then rewarding your puppy with a treat after they do something good. For instance, when you tell your puppy to sit and he listens click the clicker and then proceed to give him the treat. If he doesn't sit don't "click" and don't give him a treat. The little guy will learn that when he's good, he gets a click and a treat. Eventually, you won't need to give him a treat every time and you can simply "click" and your puppy will know he did something good!

 

3. Be confident

Perhaps one of the most important aspects of training your puppy is letting him know you're the one in charge. Yes, it's going to be hard being stern with him when he gives you those adorable puppy eyes, but letting him think he's the boss will only make training him harder.

 

4. Discourage puppy biting

Although puppy biting usually indicates playful activity, those sharp puppy teeth can be painful when they chomp down on your hand. Additionally, puppies tend to chew and gnaw on other objects around the home, especially when they're teething. However, i f you don't break this habit early, eventually he will get bigger and so will his teeth! A simple way to teach him is to be stern and say "No" when he bites. Then, replace your hand or the undesired object with a toy or chewie, while giving him praise. This will show him that chewing hands is a no-no, but chewing toys are a good thing!