Positive Reinforcement : Part 2

Good Emotional and Mental Health
Your puppy is totally reliant on you: For food, for a home, for safety, for guidance, for understanding his world and his boundaries.
How can you help your puppy become a well-adjusted adult dog? the first piece of the puzzle is positive reinforcement.
The second piece of the puzzle is going slow with puppy training. All puppies learn at a different speed and have different abilities. Just like people, dogs will learn in different ways and excel in different areas. Becoming frustrated during training is normal, but remember to never, ever take it out on your puppy.
Above all else, give your puppy respect, and they will show you the same, at least they will in a few months, when they have developed more of their dog brain. For now, patience is key. A puppy is like a baby; they cannot reason or think as well as when they are older. A puppy is a vulnerable, immature animal and a good trainer is forgiving and kind. Mistakes will happen, but they cannot be punished. It is only fruitful to reward the good behaviors, and you will quickly see the other behaviors diminish.
If your puppy has come from a shelter, he will be used to a lot of sound and stimulation. Being in a home is a very different environment, and your puppy will also need some time to get used to it. Be patient and give him time, and be realistic with your training goals. Many puppy training books promise quick fixes and potty training success in just three days. By following the strategies in this book for training your puppy, success will come in time. Be wary of puppy trainers who guarantee success immediately.
Good Physical Health
Positive reinforcement is another good way to set your puppy up for success as he goes through all the rituals of puppy life: grooming, vet check-ups, meeting new people. A lot of these situations can make a tiny puppy nervous, but if he has experience being touched and handled all over, these situations will not be as nerve-wracking for him.
So, to train your puppy to get used to many different situations and vet check-ups, make sure he is comfortable with being touched all over his body. Go slowly, but touch him on his paws, tail, hindquarters, snout, chest and belly. Every time he doesn’t react and remains calm, click and reward.
You do not want your puppy to grow up being sensitive to people touching his paws, for example. When he is a strong, larger dog, he will be much less forgiving to professionals who need to clip his nails.
There are many ways you can use positive reinforcement to help your pup grow into a self-assured, calm and friendly dog. In this book, you will only be using positive reinforcement, but you will find that it is an essential and effective training method.
Key Takeaways From Positive Reinforcement : Part 1 & 2

• Positive reinforcement is using a reward to show your puppy that he has performed a good behavior.
• Punishment and negative reinforcement use distressing or uncomfortable stimuli to train your dog. These methods should be avoided, as they erode trust and beget a frightened, nervous dog.
• Whenever your puppy performs a desired action, use the clicker to click and give a food reward and petting and praise.
• Positive reinforcement is the key to a well-adjusted, happy, confident puppy that grows into a good dog
• Use positive reinforcement to prepare your puppy for vet exams and grooming