#dogtrainin

It has been a tradition to give pets as gifts during the holiday season, however this is a hectic time of year, with too many activities and distractions to give your new pet the attention it needs.

These days, animal care experts agree that waiting until after the holidays is better for the animal in the long term.

Introduce the pup when each member of the family is present, so he may get to know them. Once he has established himself, there will be a variety of skills to be learned that the whole family can help with, such as stair climbing and accepting his collar.

Training a new puppy to maneuver stairs can be comical, but he may be frightened at first, so take this seriously. If your home has multiple levels, he will need to learn to master them. Building his confidence will help immensely.

Begin by stepping onto the first stair and coax the pup to follow by calling his name, clapping your leg or offering a toy. Once he has made his way up, step back down and repeat this process until he is quite proficient.

Training your puppy to master stairs will take a little time, but by being consistent and patient ( and offering a treat at lessons end) will make him an expert in no time.

Another thing your new canine needs to learn is how to take a collar. Every dog needs one. He may reject his collar at first, and try to squirm his way out of it. Let him roll around or paw at. He will soon settle down and learn to accept it.

After wearing a collar for some time, you may notice your pet feels "lost" without one. It can give them an added sense of security.

Do not scold him for trying to get rid of this strange feeling apparatus. Make sure the collar has a good fit and is made for his breed and weight. You be able to slip two fingers beneath it, but it will not slip off easily.

There are a variety of collars, ranging from slip and choke, which are made specifically for training your puppy and should only be used during those times. Always use a good buckle collar for normal daily use.

All dogs need tags as well, to ensure their safe return should they happen to get lost at some point.