If you’ve recently adopted or purchased a Miniature Schnauzer puppy, you might be wondering how to go about training it. After all, nobody wants their dog to be running rampant around their house, causing chaos!
Thankfully, if you are interested in training your dog properly, this comprehensive guide can help you get your Miniature Schnauzer potty-trained, crate-trained, and doing tricks in no time!
It is important for any dog owner to train their dogs, not just Miniature Schnauzer owners, as this will provide your dog with a sense of discipline and keep them mentally stimulated and happy.
Combining dog training with some exercise can also help your Miniature Schnauzer get its daily exercise session out of the way as well. This will keep them happy and healthy, as well as discourage them from unwelcome behaviours like chewing, digging, and excessive barking.
Miniature Schnauzers are incredibly intelligent dogs that are always eager to please their owners. They will also welcome the opportunity, as these dogs love to be mentally stimulated.
This intelligence can sometimes also work against them, though, as they can be stubborn at times, which could occasionally make training difficult.
However, if you are willing to push through and reward your dog for good behaviour, then you will see results sooner than you might expect!
Miniature Schnauzers can benefit from all kinds of dog training, as they can often enjoy the process. There are, however, some types of training that will be vital if you want to keep your dog safe and happy.
Miniature Schnauzers need to be trained to walk on a lead, as this will prevent them from attempting to dash off in any and every direction if something happens to catch their eye.
If you plan to keep your Miniature Schnauzer indoors for the majority of the time, then you will likely also need to toilet train and crate train your dog so that you won’t have to clean any presents off your floor when you wake up!
Toilet training your Miniature Schnauzer is extremely important if your dog spends most of its time inside. You could almost say that it is the most important part of training if your dog lives inside, as no one wants to live in a home that is covered in dog poo and pee.
Many experts recommend that all dog breeds should be toilet trained when they are between 12 and 16 weeks old, so you can start training your Miniature Schnauzer toilet training at around this age.
By the time Miniature Schnauzer puppies are this old, they will be able to control their bladders and bowels well enough, to hold it in if they are not in an appropriate place to do their business.
Toilet training Miniature Schnauzers is, thankfully, not particularly difficult due to how intelligent these little dogs are.
You will merely need to pay close attention to your dog to figure out how often your dog needs to do its business. Once you have a general idea, you should create a schedule, and stick to it, as consistency will be important for your Mini Schnauzer.
Encourage your dog to come outside with you at these specified times, and reward them with some affection and treats when it does its business outside.
Dogs learn particularly quickly when trained with positive reinforcement, so you should start to notice some results after a few training sessions. After a while, you should notice your dog asking you to go outside to go and do its business.
Crate training may seem like a harsh practice, as no one wants to stick their dog in a crate; however, this puppy training method can be extremely beneficial for both you and your dog for a variety of reasons.
Crate training is an effective dog training method, as it provides your dog with a safe place to hide away if they feel scared or overwhelmed.
You are able to start crate training your Miniature Schnauzer when it is 8 weeks old. This will help your puppy settle in more easily, as they will have a safe space in which to hide.
You should begin crate training by first introducing your dog to the crate. You should do this by placing it somewhere in your home where your family spends a lot of time. It also needs to be filled with some pillows, soft blankets, or a soft dog bed.
If your dog is inquisitive enough, it might climb into the crate right away. If not, you should bring your dog close to the crate and speak to it in a pleasant voice. You should be able to coax your dog into the crate with a few treats.
You can then encourage your dog to stay in the crate longer by feeding them their meals inside the crate. If your dog is apprehensive, place the food dish closer to the entrance.
Once they are in the crate and eating, you should close the door until they finish their meal. Leave the door closed for a little while after they have finished eating, and lengthen this time until they learn to stay in their crates for around 10 minutes after a meal.
Once your dog has got the hang of this, you can try keeping them in their crates for a little while when you’re at home; you should be able to coax them in with a treat, which should be given once they climb inside.
You should practice this until your dog learns to stay in its crate while you’re gone without you needing to force them or close them inside against their will.
Miniature Schnauzers are incredibly intelligent, so you won’t need a dog trainer to get your dog to do some cool tricks.
Mini Schnauzers thrive in the show ring, so it shouldn’t be too difficult for you.
Consistency is important, as it will help your dog to understand and implement their training. It will also teach them to trust you.
Giving your dogs treats and affection will encourage them to keep up the good behaviour they have going, so it is important.
Using treats too often may make your dog feel like they don’t need to earn them, which will make them less effective when training.
Clicker training can help show your dog when it does something deserving of a treat, so this positive reinforcement should encourage your dog to listen to you.
Miniature Schnauzer training can be fun for both you and your dog, but it is important to start early training to get the best out of your dog.
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