Teaching puppies behaviors such as Sit, Down, Stay, Leave It, and Off, as well as tricks such as Spin, Wave, and Shake Paws, are great tools in establishing the puppy’s place in the household. Puppies are little sponges; they soak up everything around them. They are always learning, whether we teach them or not. So why not teach them the things we want?

Goal of Manners

To teach your pup basic manners that will make him/her welcome members of the human community.

Tools you will need

Buckle collar, 6’ leash (leather, cloth, or nylon recommended; no chain leashes)
Yummy treats
Toys

Overview

Many of us grew up thinking that dogs could not be trained until they were at least six months old. This belief was based upon the traditional, command-based training techniques that utilized choke chains and corrections. With the more contemporary reward-based training techniques (lure/reward and clicker training), training can start much, much earlier and thus helps teach the pup the right behaviors from the start. The first six months of a dog’s life are an opportune time to set the foundation for lifelong skills and behaviors that will help cement a solid relationship between pup and human family members.
Puppy training should begin as soon as your bring your new puppy home! Many people are surprised to learn that pups as young as seven and eight weeks of age can begin learning "obedience" cues such as "Sit!" and "Down," and that this is the best time to teach them other important behaviors such as no jumping, not to pull on the leash, and to learn to inhibit their mouthing and biting.

Step-by-Step Tips

There are several basic behaviors to teach your pup, regardless of his/her age. Note that the training technique used to teach all these behaviors is based on "clicker training," a teaching technique that uses a clicker or a verbal "marker" such as "Yes!" that tells the pup "Yes!"; what you did right there is the behavior that is going to earn you a reward.

Clicker training waits to associate a cue or name to the behavior until after the pup understands the behavior itself. It does not use any physical modeling (pushing or pulling your pup). Dolphin trainers have used clicker training for over 30 years and by dog trainers for over to 10 years. (For extensive information about clicker training, go to www.clickertraining.com, a Web site created by one of the leading clicker trainers in the country, Karen Pryor.)
this is an extract taken from Longbeach Animal Hospital