All of us long for training the perfect Groenendael, a puppy that’s a CGC or canine good citizen and is well behaved and responsible at all times. Well dreams really do come true if the instruction is done with care and focus. Don’t forget pups learn from the first day and really need to be shown what is correct, what is wrong, and proper interpersonal skills.
Pups are like small children, they need to get frequent guidance and instruction. Training a pup does not have to be a chore, all you need to keep in mind are a few simple guidelines:
Top Ten Tips For Training Your Groenendael
- Up until your pup is trained, you must keep an eye on her at all times. When you can’t then you must definitely cage him. Establish a calendar for the pup, this will help her to calm down very quickly. The routine will need to include things such as hourly bathroom breaks, eating times, break times, strolls, play time, education, and so on. A pup that has a busy day has no time at all to become bored and misbehave.
- Teach the pup to respect you. Groenendaels stay in packs and instinctively follow a leader. If you establish your leadership in no uncertain terms then teaching will eventually become easy as the pup will obey orders at all times and not test your power.
- Use exclusively positive training methods. Do not ever yell at, strike, or abuse your Groenendael. It’s not only terrible but might lead to behavioral concerns. Use of electric shocks, prong collars, sprays, etc can injure the animal.
- Teach the pup “nothing in this life is free.” This is a philosophy that is widely regarded as a valuable training tool. If you practice this, the pup will discover that to get something like love, a stroll, or snack, he has to behave well.
- Present the meaning of “No,” from day one. Do not encourage behaviors such as leaping, yelping, tug-o-war, yapping, or escaping open gates and doors. Commend courtesy and dismiss or walk away when there is bad conduct. The pup will discover that if he misbehaves he will lose his companion/playmate.
- To improve a behavior you need to catch the Groenendael in the act and surprise her by shaking a bottle of pebbles. Once you have done this make him straighten out his behavior and instantly give him a snack and appreciation. Groenendaels do not think of what happened earlier so chastening him after an event is futile.
- Make sure to call/use his name positively. Never say “Bad TOM,” or “No Tom,” this will cause confusion and the Groenendael will think that if you call his name then it is for something bad. The doggie should affiliate his name with pleasant things like hugs, petting, strolls, snacks, and such. If this happens he will respond happily the minute you call out his name.
- Create a coaching schedule that is short and sweet, about 10 minutes thrice a day. Extensive recurring lessons can be uninteresting and the Groenendael will lose interest in the learning session. Help make training fun-filled and use trick training sessions to teach orders like sit, down, come and more.
- Bond with the Groenendael and both of you will certainly love your lessons. The pup needs to hope for hanging out with you and not stay away from you by turning tail or hiding. Be sure to socialize the doggie very early. Socialization is among the most critical lessons. The Groenendael must definitely learn to coexist around other animals, people, sounds, vehicles, and other activities. And so, slowly but surely introduce the doggie when he is little to everyday tasks and sounds. Take him to the market/ playground, introduce him to kids and other pets, and make him unfrightened of the vacuum and water hose.
- Study all about house training, leash walking, house breaking, in addition to food training. These are basic lessons that every Groenendael puppy should learn. Understand all the idiosyncrasies as well as qualities of the breed. This will give you valuable insights on how to properly educate the puppy.
As a Groenendael parent you have lots of choices. You can decide to train the Groenendael yourself or sign up at a qualified professional training school. Training a Groenendael has several phases: preschool, obedience training, dog sports, showing and conformation, and other facets like therapy dogs, hearing dogs, and more. What degree you decide to coach is dependent on you as well as the learning abilities of your Groenendael. As you know, various dogs, like people, possess different talents. Choose well and both you and your Groenendael pup will have fun times together.
Don’t forget to check out these other articles about Groenendaels.
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