One of the cutest and most energetic things in life is a puppy. They breathe life into the world around them, and they love being with their humans. Even though puppies are cute, they sometimes can be a little less cute when they’re not trained. Nobody likes coming home to torn up shoes or soiled carpets. Read on for some tips on how to train your puppy.

• Start early

Housetraining should begin the very first day your puppy arrives in your home. This helps to build habits quickly. A simple rule of thumb to remember is train early and train often. Puppies are always learning, so it’s best to start their learning on day one.

• Keep it simple

You don’t want to overwhelm your puppy with a ton of training. Try to keep it simple and short: don’t go more than 15 minutes without a break. Work on only one or two commands at a time; more may confuse them.

• Use edible rewards

Treats are an important tool when training your puppy. Positive reinforcement is proven to work with dogs, and most respond well to treats.

• Stay positive

Puppies enjoy encouragement and positive treatment. Negative reactions will not help your training sessions. Puppies can be intimidated by harsh words, as well. Puppies enjoy pleasing their owners, but you must stay positive with them along the way.

• Be consistent

Throughout all your trainings, make sure what you say and do is consistent. Everyone in the house should be on the same page at all times. If one person tells the puppy something and someone else says something different, then the puppy will be confused.