Puppy Training 101

Teach your puppy manners and respect with tips from animal behaviorist Tamar Geller.

• Stop your puppy from nipping by covering your hand with peanut butter and letting him or her lick it off. This trains your puppy to associate licking with the hand, not nipping. Never hit the dog's nose or mouth.

• Halt inappropriate chewing by stuffing toys with treats when you are away from home. This gives puppies something to do while you are gone and encourages them to chew on the toy instead of the furniture.

• Keep your puppy from jumping by training it to sit instead. Hold treats above puppy's nose to force it sit back. The sitting behavior earns the treat. The point of jumping is to gain access to the face for communication. Simply turn away if jumping occurs to avoid giving face time.

• To get your pup to come when you call, call by name. When your dog arrives, say "come" and offer a reward treat. Repeat this numerous times to establish an association with a treat and the word "come."

• A great inexpensive toy for your new pup is a tennis ball. Paint a high-contrast stripe around the middle of it to make it easier for your dog to see. This helps improve eye-hand-mouth coordination.