I’ll never forget the day that I brought Mindy home after purchasing her from a pug breeder. I was completely new to owning and caring for a dog, I had absolutely no clue about anything regarding Pug puppy training.
However, just like a new parent, you quickly learn how to control behavioral problems and the importance of socializing and disciplining your Pug. You need to start showing your puppy who is in control.
The sooner you start disciplining them the sooner they will become a better member of the family and will stop those annoying habits like biting or relieving themselves in the house.
How Do I Train My Pug?
Pugs are outgoing dogs with great personalities. They prefer to be indoors where you will usually find them laying on the couch or their dog bed.
Mindy never liked laying down on the floor, she always had to lie her body on something soft. One of the things that makes a Pug dog a great pet, is that they can be easily trained.
They are small in size, which means that you could litter-train them if you chose to. When I was training Mindy, I found that crate training worked the best.
In fact, if I ever got another black Pug or any other breed, I would definitely be using a crate again. I’ll discuss crate training in more depth later on in a different article.
When Should I Start Puppy Training?
Everyone is different, but a Pug is considered a puppy for their first year. At the age of 1-year old, they may still have puppy tendencies, but they are considered adults.
That’s not very long and time will fly by. This means that you need to start instilling good habits and the behaviors that you want. You’ll notice that puppies less than 6 months are easier to train. Once they reach 6 months old, it takes them longer to train.
So do both you and your Pug a favor and start early. I started training Mindy when she was about 9 weeks old. I figured it was NEVER too early to start teaching her what I expected.
Stubbornness
Pugs are known for their stubbornness, which makes them more challenging to train than other breeds. This is usually because they are easily distracted. One of the best ways to get your black Pug to focus is to reward them with dog treats.
If you’re trying to get your dog to do something, tap them on the nose with your finger and say a word such as “Look It” or “Watch.” When they stop what they are doing and pay attention or look at you, you’ll reward them with the treat.
Keep repeating the command and rewarding them with the treat. Eventually, they will know that whenever they will be rewarded when they follow through on the command.
Basic Obedience
No one wants a pet that is unruly and doesn’t know how to properly behave. It’s up to you to teach your puppy what is expected of them.
7 Commands every dog should know and understand are:
- Sit
- Stay
- Heel
- Down
- Come
- Off
- Don’t Touch or No
When your canine understands these commands, both of your lives will be better. Fido will have developed manners and will be socialized, friendly, and controlled.
It takes time to develop these 7 commands, but it’s never too early to start training your puppy.
Obedience Training and Your Puppy
When your little pup is growing up, he/she is learning and shaping their habits. It’s up to you as their parent to show them what is right and wrong.
If they do something you don’t like, let them know. I know that sometimes it’s cute to see your puppy dragging your shoes from the bedroom. But it won’t be so cute when they are older.
Start implementing good habits and behaviors into your Pug while they are still a puppy. This will make training them so much easier as they get older.
One of the things I learned from raising Mindy from a puppy to a senior dog is that you need to set the rules early. As soon as you bring them home and introduce them to your family, it’s time to start disciplining them.
The best tips for new pug owners I can give is don’t wait for training, start teaching them rules.
Here are some house rules that you need to get your puppy to follow:
No biting – Puppies have sharp teeth and their bites hurt. Whenever they bite you, tell them “No” and let them know that you don’t like that behavior.
I also found that it was helpful to give Mindy a chewy or some type of toy that she could bit, instead of my fingers or legs.
Jumping on Furniture – I chose NOT to allow Mindy on the furniture, but it’s up to you if you want to allow that. Teach them early on what you expect, otherwise, it will be harder once they get older.
Jumping on People – Mindy had a bad habit of jumping on people’s legs because she wanted attention. She loved being pet and most people thought that it was adorable.
It took a while to get her to stop jumping on people, but I finally managed to get her to stop. Your neighbors or family don’t want Fido to constantly nag or jump on them when they come to visit.
Begging for food – I personally can’t stand it when dogs beg whenever they see you eating human food. Right from the beginning, I made it a point to let Mindy know that I wouldn’t stand that behavior.
After the proper training, I could leave a sandwich on the coffee table and walk out of the room. I knew that when I came back, it would be untouched and she wouldn’t even be interested in it.
Chewing on Things – No one wants their Pug to chew their furniture, remotes, phone cords, or etc. Showing them early on that they have designated toys that can be chewed will save you tons of destructive behavior as they become adults.
Going potty outside – Pugs are mostly indoor pets, so you’ll need to teach your canine friend to go outdoors in a designated area. The sooner you start training them, the less smelly accidents you’ll have.
Training Secrets
There are no secrets to training Fido, it all comes down to just repeating the commands and rewarding them with treats. Eventually, your pup will love doing the commands because they know they will be rewarded.
I quickly learned that Mindy would only listen to me when she saw me as an authority figure (alpha dog). When your pup starts realizing they can trust and rely on you, it will be easier to get them to do what you expect of them.
This is why it’s so important to start training as soon as you bring them home. The earlier you start, the easier it will be to teach them who’s the boss.
It’s Never Too Late to Start Training
Pugs are only puppies for the first year, and that time will fly by very quickly. This is why it’s so important to train them from day one.
However, if you rescued a puppy or didn’t properly train them the right way. It’s never too late to teach them what you want and expect.
Just know that if they are over 6 months old, it’s going to take longer to train them. You’ll need to learn how to be patient and deal with their temperament and stubbornness.
Once they are properly trained, you’ll no doubt realize that they make amazing pets.