# New puppy - having a hard time training him.



## JayJ4 (May 7, 2016)

Hi guys, this is my first puppy, he's 8 weeks, we got him from the breeder 2 days ago. We've been trying to train him... Have a crate and all of that, but it hasn't been going well so far.

Day 2, and he doesn't know his name, doesn't know how to come etc. We bought him a leash and collar, he seems completely OK with the collar, but even if let him sniff the leash, and let him drag it, take it on and off, over and over, till he's use to it (trying not to tense him) - he doesn't react well to it. He doesn't wanna go for walks as well, so it's really hard to burn off his energy.

We try to teach him his name, and use treats, but he doesn't care to listen either. We try toys, that doesn't help either. He follows time to time, other than that.. We haven't been progressing so far.

I've tried watching multiple YouTube videos for training, and we WILL be taking to obedience school, but... He needs all his shots.. And that's gonna be a little while till he gets them all.. 

So, guys, what can I do to train my puppy to listen? To walk on the leash, to respond to his name, and to come when called. That's what I wanna start off with. I was really hoping he'd be slightly determined to be taught, but he seems a little stubborn and lazy so far, and sleeps a lot.


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## annabirdie (Jul 3, 2015)

Sounds completely normal. This is a time for bonding and love with your new pup. No way could he know his name, understand what a leash is, or come when called at this age! Some are even baffled by a collar at 8 weeks! You are a few weeks away from all of that.... To work on these things, crouch down very low and call the name for your little guy. Eventually he will come to you, esp if you are holding a tasty treat or interesting object. Celebrate and praise as he makes his way towards you! Encourage him and encourage him more! He is just a newborn really...it's a time for bonding now and not much else- you can expect these milestones at 3-4 months old. Congratulations and enjoy your little one - you won't believe how fast the time goes.


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## Hineni7 (Nov 8, 2014)

Omgosh.. Not to be sounding harsh, but he is only 8 weeks old! AND you've only had him 2 days! He is pulled from his mom and liter mates to people and routines he doesn't know, experiences he has never had and expected to be a doggie genius and learn a name (dogs don't naturally speak English or any other human language) and walk on a leash and things he has never done before... Just relax, give him time to adjust  He will be a wonderful and probably extremely smart boy who will be a lovely loyal friend, but give him a break and recognize that he it would be like taking a 1yr old kid from his home and expecting him to feed himself, know his name and communicate with you and trust you without any problems... Not happening.. Dogs do learn faster then we do, but give him at lest a week to adjust 
.. Congratulations on the new addition though


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## JayJ4 (May 7, 2016)

annabirdie said:


> Sounds completely normal. This is a time for bonding and love with your new pup. No way could he know his name, understand what a leash is, or come when called at this age! Some are even baffled by a collar at 8 weeks! You are a few weeks away from all of that.... To work on these things, crouch down very low and call the name for your little guy. Eventually he will come to you, esp if you are holding a tasty treat or interesting object. Celebrate and praise as he makes his way towards you! Encourage him and encourage him more! He is just a newborn really...it's a time for bonding now and not much else- you can expect these milestones at 3-4 months old. Congratulations and enjoy your little one - you won't believe how fast the time goes.


I know, I absolutely love him and adore him. It's just slightly a bit frustrating because he has no interest in the treats, right.. So I'm scared like, how am I gonna teach him his name, to walk on the leash.. And to come, if he isn't responsive to treats.

This behavior is completely normal for an 8 week old pup? Like is it OK to play, and bond with him and allow him to "free-bird" himself (do what he wants, but must sleep in the crate at nights) until he's older to start training? Or, must be at 8 weeks old, asap?

We've been praising him as much as possible, but even when calling his name, and or, trying to get a toy, or any of that to get him to come he doesn't wanna come :frown2: we're all bonding with him though constantly, he gets attention 24/7 so far and everyone plays with him, he constantly naps too, I think because he's bored.

Lots of worrying, haha.


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## JayJ4 (May 7, 2016)

Hineni7 said:


> Omgosh.. Not to be sounding harsh, but he is only 8 weeks old! AND you've only had him 2 days! He is pulled from his mom and liter mates to people and routines he doesn't know, experiences he has never had and expected to be a doggie genius and learn a name (dogs don't naturally speak English or any other human language) and walk on a leash and things he has never done before... Just relax, give him time to adjust  He will be a wonderful and probably extremely smart boy who will be a lovely loyal friend, but give him a break and recognize that he it would be like taking a 1yr old kid from his home and expecting him to feed himself, know his name and communicate with you and trust you without any problems... Not happening.. Dogs do learn faster then we do, but give him at lest a week to adjust
> .. Congratulations on the new addition though


Thanks, I'll do that, I'll relax and take it easy, you're right, I think it's mostly because of the pressure from my friends, they all saw my photos of him, and want to come visit, I allow them to see the pup and all these negative comments fly towards me and my pup. "Oh, what's wrong with his back" and "oh he needs to respond right away" 

Looks like I'm stressing for nothing, hewh.


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## Hineni7 (Nov 8, 2014)

Lol.. New parent syndrome.. Seriously, it is OK for the puppy to be a puppy! Yes, slowly in short increments keep encouraging the training of name and leash, but at 8 was, you aren't going for long walks.. No attention span.. A few weeks will make a large difference, but even then, it is slow and steady.. Don't let others put pressure on you or your puppy.. You have plans for education (which wouldn't even start until 16wks at minimum, some prefer 6mos of age) which good. You are spending time working with him and bonding, this is good... UT enjoy the puppy stage where everything is new and exciting for him.. His attention span and fatigue could easily be due to the changes and stress he has been under for the past 2 days.. Even new food can do this, let alone all that was stated in previous post... You are doing fine and the pup is too.. All is normal


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## cloudpump (Oct 20, 2015)

Just like a rescue, puppies need time to acclimate. Give him two weeks to get to know his new life. Crate when you can't give him 100% attention. No stressing him or bombarding him with attention. Just let him be. Let him explore to an extent. 
What kind of treats are you using? I prefer smelly, soft treats. Carry them in your pockets. Whenever he comes to you, or interacts with you, reward him. He will associate who you are.
Why do your friends ask what's wrong with his back? I want to say more about them questioning telling you how he should be, but I guess it's no different than how we are responding with advice.


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## DutchKarin (Nov 23, 2013)

Please read as much of the puppy section as you can. Your expectations are excessive and pushing a puppy who is just beginning to get used to being without littermates and mom could cause trouble. You should be bonding, playing, protecting, and potty training and that is about it. Training occurs over the next 2 years so slow down and enjoy.

Edit:and just like babies and people, sleep is very important for growth and development. He sleeps because he is a baby.


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## HappyGoLucky (Apr 7, 2016)

Aw.. 8 weeks is so tiny Congrats! 

First and foremost - nothing ever is instant with them except for their reaction and quick wit. Everything takes time. Teaching his name alone may take a few days to a week and not very reliably. Practice is everything. Also keep in mind that puppys have very little attention span. Train for a minute or two, and play a bit, then let him play alone and he'll probably be asleep for a bit. Let him wake up and play for a bit on his own, then train for a few minutes, rinse and repeat. Of course with frequent potty breaks.
You need to establish some routine - they love that. And try sticking to it. 

Make sure everyone in the household follows the same routine. Consistency is the key.

Dogs learn by association (at least for the most part) - they associate actions to our verbal commands, so clear communication is the key. All you left to do make them do what you want, then give it a name - command.

If you already do that, that's great! Then just be patient and give it some more time. And try not to teach many commands at once - just focus on one at a time. They learn faster and more reliably. Keep using everything he knows regularly so that he doesn't forget.

Another idea, if you can afford of course, maybe take 1-2 private lessons in-house. This way you don't need to worry about the shots, and even in one lesson an experienced trainer who loves what they do will show you the ropes and how-to's.

Good luck and keep him happy!)) He is a puppy still. Play more train less. Show him love, fun. Restrain when needed but firm and calm. Like annabirdie said, it's time for bonding, earning trust. And trust goes both ways. Show him that you are a worthy replacement to his own mom

And before you know it, he will be running happy when you call him. :doggieplayball:


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## JayJ4 (May 7, 2016)

My friends own small dogs, none of them have ever owned a German Shepherd puppy, so they say "what's wrong with his back" and "why is he so big for an 8 week old puppy" - stupid ridiculous stuff like that, his back is absolutely gorgeous and there's no problem with it, he's very healthy and a perfect size for a GSD 8 week old puppy. And they all are literally confusing me, telling me to do this and that with him. "You need to be firm with him, and strict." Ridiculous comments.

We have a hallway in the house, and so my brother and I, 10 minutes ago went on both sides of the hallways, and called his name, telling him to come, and saying his name, he'd run up to me and I'd praise him and say yes. Then, turned him around when he got tired and started to get distracted, and kept repeating and he kept coming. Then let him go get water, he kept responding, maybe about 4 - 5 times, and when he didn't we faced him to the other person, and called. Then the last time he laid on the stomach and relaxed, and then I allowed him to go roam and now he's passed out on the carpet.

Should I keep that tactic up?


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## Hineni7 (Nov 8, 2014)

Keep it low key, fun, love, rewards, and have a filter for all the garbage and advice that will pour your way (that includes mine.. Use what works for you and dismiss the rest)... Remember he is super super young and there is no, NO rush.. Slow and steady is more important.. Bonding, sleeping, playing, potty training (lots of potty breaks, after play, water, food, pretty much every hour until the puppy bladder grows large enough to hold it longer, lol) and learning his name are all the stress he needs right now.. He will observe and learn alot.. Relax.. No rush


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## HappyGoLucky (Apr 7, 2016)

JayJ4 said:


> My friends own small dogs, none of them have ever owned a German Shepherd puppy, so they say "what's wrong with his back" and "why is he so big for an 8 week old puppy" - stupid ridiculous stuff like that, his back is absolutely gorgeous and there's no problem with it, he's very healthy and a perfect size for a GSD 8 week old puppy. And they all are literally confusing me, telling me to do this and that with him. "You need to be firm with him, and strict." Ridiculous comments.
> 
> We have a hallway in the house, and so my brother and I, 10 minutes ago went on both sides of the hallways, and called his name, telling him to come, and saying his name, he'd run up to me and I'd praise him and say yes. Then, turned him around when he got tired and started to get distracted, and kept repeating and he kept coming. Then let him go get water, he kept responding, maybe about 4 - 5 times, and when he didn't we faced him to the other person, and called. Then the last time he laid on the stomach and relaxed, and then I allowed him to go roam and now he's passed out on the carpet.
> 
> Should I keep that tactic up?


I wouldn't. Here you are trying to teach "come" with the name at once. He doesn't understand that you called him. He just hears you made a funny sound and runs towards it. Then he may look at you to see what you are gonna go next. No more than that.

I would play with him for a bit to get him slightly tired, then get a handful of super tiny treats (their tummys are tiny still and you don't want to overfeed him on treats between meals, just enough to make it attracting to him), and train name sitting next to him. Crouch to be closer to him so that you are not as big and scary, and do this:
1. Wait until he looks somewhere (and he most likely will be looking everywhere but your eyes)
2. Say the name once and wait for him to make eye contact. If he doesn't right away, lure him with the treat to look in your eyes. When you train the name, you want the eye contact and for him waiting to tell him what to do next. Once he makes eye contact consistent, start skipping treats sometimes.
3. Then slowly increase how long he looks in your eyes. Keep changing it, i.e. 2 seconds once, next time 5 seconds.. next few times give the treat right away. Make it fun. The more fun the training is, the quicker they learn and it's fun for us too.

If you want to train "come", which is great because you have your brother to do it with, make it a separate training session. 
1. Let you brother hold him just 5-6 steps away. No need to go far. The distance can and should be increased slowly (even over a course of a couple days depending how well he learns I guess...). 
2. Then say clearly his name and "come". Let your brother release right after you said "come". Timing is very important in training.
3. The first few times direct with the treat to be in front of you. Eventually you'll want a nice sit in front of you, but you'll get there later by combining "come" with "sit" commands when he knows how to sit. Don't rush things, take tiny steps at a time.
4. After the treat, hold him until your brother calls him.And rinse and repeat.

Do that 5-6 times and let him rest. Mental stimulation at this age is very tiring and he will start losing focus faster. Just repeat more sessions per day. I.e., instead of having one training session per day that lasts 20 minutes, split it into 10 2-minute sessions (once an hour train for 2 minutes). The pup will love it, and it will be just like a game - short and super fun!


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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

You are in two different threads with the same topic. Stop training this pup and let him adjust first. I don't understand that you said that you are a patient person in your other thread.... I am aching for your puppy.


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## a_ndre (Apr 20, 2016)

Have fun with your dog, play with him and for this age this is the best training. Everything that you want to teach him now shoulb be lika a game and after a while you will have a good friend..instead of that if you start forcing your dog with boring stuff when he is older it will be worst.. I had my puppy in april and she takes many weeks to learn commands and all the basics stuff, it is normal, you should develop is interesting on you.


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## annabirdie (Jul 3, 2015)

JayJ4 said:


> I know, I absolutely love him and adore him. It's just slightly a bit frustrating because he has no interest in the treats, right.. So I'm scared like, how am I gonna teach him his name, to walk on the leash.. And to come, if he isn't responsive to treats.
> 
> This behavior is completely normal for an 8 week old pup? Like is it OK to play, and bond with him and allow him to "free-bird" himself (do what he wants, but must sleep in the crate at nights) until he's older to start training? Or, must be at 8 weeks old, asap?
> 
> ...


No, absolutely and completely normal. He isn't sleeping because he's bored, puppies just sleep a lot. Northing to worry about at all. He will be motivated to please as he matures, it doesn't need to be about food. If he is not being destructive or breaking house then yes absolutely let him do as he pleases. Believe me the time will come when you will need to teach him "drop it" and "leave it" before you know it.


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

JayJ4 said:


> Hi guys, this is my first puppy,* he's 8 weeks, we got him from the breeder 2 days ago*. We've been trying to train him... Have a crate and all of that, but it hasn't been going well so far.
> 
> *Day 2, and he doesn't know his name, doesn't know how to come etc.* We bought him a leash and collar, he seems completely OK with the collar, but even if let him sniff the leash, and let him drag it, take it on and off, over and over, till he's use to it (trying not to tense him) - he doesn't react well to it. He doesn't wanna go for walks as well, so it's really hard to burn off his energy.
> 
> ...


No offense, but.... :rofl: As others have said, he's a BABY. He just met you and your family 2 days ago, and a puppy his age has the attention span of a gnat. Also, it was a big adjustment for him to leave his mom and littermates. Be patient, and be realistic. He does not speak the same language as you.  

What are you using as treats? Is his appetite good at mealtimes? At that age I was using some of my puppy's kibble as training treats. Rather than trying to train particular commands, I'd reward her for doing things I liked and wanted to encourage more of, like looking at me, coming towards me, laying down or sitting, etc. But my "training" sessions were very brief, just a few minutes at a time, multiple times a day. If he won't work for kibble, consider using higher value treats, but try some of his kibble right before feeding him first.

Here are some links to help you understand what to expect from a young puppy:

Puppy's First Week at Home (8-9 weeks) | Dog Star Daily

Your Puppy: What to Expect at 8 to 12 Weeks

What to Expect from Your 8-week-old Puppy

I particularly like Dog Star Daily (the first link) for tips on puppy and dog training and behavior.


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## Jenny720 (Nov 21, 2014)

I also suggest you start looking for a good trainer to take your pup to one who is recommended and has experience with German shepherds. 
This is a link as gsds pups are land sharks some are more then others.
http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/showthread.php?p=1824092


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## zyppi (Jun 2, 2006)

8 weeks and you've had him 2 days?

Spend your time loving and bonding with him.. and taking him out often, very often to see if he needs to 'go.'

If he pees or poops outside, praise him like he just hung the moon.

The best way to ensure future training is to bond with this pup.

Dogs 'follow' leaders. They do not do well with being forced from behind.

Be you dog's best friend and the most fun person he knows.

Your pup will not really be an adult until about 24 month.

Where are the photos. We love puppies.

Good luck and relax. As they say, Rome wasn't built in a day.


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## Jenny720 (Nov 21, 2014)

This was a great book. Can't wait to see some puppy photos!


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

He's a baby, let him nap and rest. You do not need to take him on forced marches yet. Actually you shouldn't. Just let him run about in the yard with you -- and not too long. He's a baby and he can totally over do. 

Just keep using his name when you talk to him, he'll get it. 

Keep it light and fun, and don't do anything more than a couple of times in a row. He has the attention span of a gnat, and if you over do training, you can make him avoid it. 

Relax. Play with him. After his second set of shots, sign him up for some puppy classes. 

Good luck.

Keep him out of dog parks or pet stores until after he has all his shots, and then a couple of days.


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## Jupiter_0203 (May 5, 2016)

JayJ4 said:


> Hi guys, this is my first puppy, he's 8 weeks, we got him from the breeder 2 days ago. We've been trying to train him... Have a crate and all of that, but it hasn't been going well so far.
> 
> Day 2, and he doesn't know his name, doesn't know how to come etc. We bought him a leash and collar, he seems completely OK with the collar, but even if let him sniff the leash, and let him drag it, take it on and off, over and over, till he's use to it (trying not to tense him) - he doesn't react well to it. He doesn't wanna go for walks as well, so it's really hard to burn off his energy.
> 
> ...


Looks like you're first timer, just like me. We recently got our now 14 week old Shepard mix puppy and it has been 3 weeks. As much as the other's have mentioned earlier, we need lot's of patience but trust me we'll get there. I thought sharing my experience might help, since we are in the same boat. The first week is really the worst in the puppies world, they are totally scared and do not want to interact with us. But they sure love treats and toys. And hey as puppies we love to pee, drink water and pee again. As soon as we eat, we poop and we get thirsty again. I think the puppies thinks we are giants walking around them, so I would recommend to sit on the floor and have few soft puppy treats and toys and gradually lure them to play with us. Usually the puppy likes to approach the human that feeds them thrice a day, so that will be a good place to start.

Housebreaking - Trust me I know it is a lot of work the first month but it will be all worth it. Once they drink water, gently & softly approach them and lift them to the yard or the designated place to do their business, and you'll surprised after few sniffing they do pee. Do not laugh or distract them when they are sniffing. We trained her in the yard so she sniffed a lot. If you using wee wee pads, there is a chance they walk away from it but kindly be persistent, it will work. After eating do the same for the big job.

Collar/Leash - They don't like it in the first instance since it is something on them and they don't want it. You can give treats when using collar. Distract them if they are constantly scratching the collar. When using the leash, give them treats and smile & appreciate them. It's 3 days already only 7 days to go.

Name - Any interaction with the puppy should be followed by their name. They start recognizing and reacting to the names after 10 days of repeatedly using it. 

Crate - It's their happy place, so they need to relax and sleep. Never feed them in there, treats are ok but not food and water. We sat outside the crate and the puppy inside, she sniffed and walked for mins and finally when tired laid down with a yawn. We play soothing puppy music so we can counter anxiety issues. Once she slept, we left the room.

This was what we did, ad I hope this works for you. Let us know. All the best and enjoy your puppy, they grow very quickly.


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## msk (May 12, 2016)

As someone who went through this in March (my puppy is now 17 weeks old! Time flies and they get so big so fast) ... and he was my first puppy and my first dog and I am a Type A kind of person like you apparently are ...

You are putting way too much pressure on the puppy. People told me this and I didn't understand. Now I sorta do.

Let the puppy be a puppy. If you can teach his name in a fun way or come or sit in a fun way but if not, that's okay too. He truly is a baby who was just ripped away from everything that he knows and that comforted him. He's going to be upset and disoriented and unsure for a few weeks. Just try to take him outside regularly to potty/poop, let him sleep as much as he likes, and just know that he's a puppy so he's going to: 1) have way too much energy at random times and that's completely normal and will be the case for years; 2) be nippy/mouthy/bitey because that's how they interact with the world; 3) need to feel protected (so cuddle him and let him sit/lie between your feet or on your lap); 4) understand that learning/training isn't a linear progression (it can be progress then backsliding then progress then backsliding -- it's a marathon not a sprint); 5) puppies cannot concentrate for more than a few seconds at a time; 6) DO NOT TAKE YOUR EYES OFF THE PUPPY WHEN HE IS OUT OF THE CRATE NOT FOR ONE SECOND (if you're letting him roam in the house, make sure you have your eyes on him at all times and can reach him in a few seconds. important for housebreaking but also puppies can get into a lot of things and cause a lot of trouble in a matter of seconds -- not minutes ... seconds. if you can't have eyes and hands on him in seconds, put him in the crate.).

I wish I had done things differently and let him be his happy puppy self instead of putting pressure on him but ah well. Live and learn. He's still a smartypants and a good puppy so that's what matters.

Also, make sure you take a ton of pictures all the time. That was the best advice given to me and I wish I took it more to heart. They grow SO FAST. And it makes me sad I didn't document it as well as I should have. But puppies are always moving and I'm raising him on my own so it's hard to stop and take pics when I'm grabbing him while he's about to pee on the floor. Let him be. There's plenty of time to learn. But do let him see all sorts of peoples, animals, dogs, things as much as possible so he won't be fearful later ... that's for sure.


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## msk (May 12, 2016)

Also, everyone in your life is now going to give you dog training advice about what you're doing wrong or where your puppy should be at. Do your own research, find a good trainer and trust them not the joe schmoes who think they're the experts at how to get your dog to heel or stop biting or whatever because they had a dog. What works for one dog might not work for another because temperaments are different and people probably don't remember how hard the puppy stage is.

And finally, I think I took the same tactic you appear to be which is -- exhaust the puppy into good behavior. That works when they're older but when they're 8 weeks old, there's only so much physical exercise and mental exercise they can do, and it's not even good to push a puppy physically that hard (to walk too far etc.). Puppy is going to be crazy. Puppy is going to be naughty. Puppy cannot be tired into good behavior until maybe month 4. Accept this. And try not to cry/meltdown as often as I did.

Puppy still frustrates me but it's much much less than it used to be but part of that was me learning to adjust my expectations. GSDs are smart but a puppy is a puppy. Don't expect adult self-control, knowledge, or abilities from a puppy.

And don't wear anything nice to walk or play with puppy as they will be covered in urine, dog drool, and likely ripped by nipping teeth.


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## Coleen (Sep 18, 2015)

Jenny720 said:


> This was a great book. Can't wait to see some puppy photos!


I have this book too! It's awesome and accurate! Worth getting! Post #19 shows the book.


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## dogchamp (May 19, 2016)

JayJ4 said:


> Hi guys, this is my first puppy, he's 8 weeks, we got him from the breeder 2 days ago. We've been trying to train him... Have a crate and all of that, but it hasn't been going well so far.
> 
> Day 2, and he doesn't know his name, doesn't know how to come etc. We bought him a leash and collar, he seems completely OK with the collar, but even if let him sniff the leash, and let him drag it, take it on and off, over and over, till he's use to it (trying not to tense him) - he doesn't react well to it. He doesn't wanna go for walks as well, so it's really hard to burn off his energy.
> 
> ...


First thing first, you have to teach your puppy to be obedient. Check out this article on 7 rules of dog obedience training 
Once he starts obeying, you can teach him all the training essentials like walking on leash, come when called, potty training and others. Try to explore the website it has all the content you need.


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## burrman (May 21, 2016)

I'm having the same issues this thread really is helping!


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## Besketball (Apr 27, 2016)

Change treats if he isn't responding to the ones you have. You just have to find the right motivation, he might even be toy motivated. But he is only eight weeks old. After the first week or so, he should know his name Even so, he is a puppy. It just depends on his individual personality. 

(As for name training, he'll learn that's his name. Just use it frequently and he'll catch on) If you're telling him to come and calling his name, all he hears is gibberish until he associates our words for actions.


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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

Remember the Cold and Warm game we played as kids? While you had to leave the room, your friends had decided what you needed to do or what behavior you needed to show. They wold say 'warm' if it looked like you were getting closer to what they were looking for and 'cold' when you didn't. Now envision yourself as this new puppy and you (as his new owner) as the friends who thought up something for you to figure out. Now it is called 'shaping behaviors'.
I used to start the new classes with this game (they didn't bring their dogs the first lesson) so they could get a feel of what their pup was going to go through with expectations that were to high.


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