Things You'll Need
- Crate
- Dog bed
- Leash &collar
- Clicker
- Treats
Instructions
Basic Obedience
Housebreak your Neapolitan mastiff through crate training. Provide a crate just large enough for your puppy to sleep in, with a little room for growth; this is a quick-growing, large breed. The puppy will not normally soil where it sleeps. Place a blanket or dog bed for comfort inside the crate. It is best to place the crate in an area around the family, but away from vents and drafts.
Walk the puppy as soon as you arise each morning, after each feeding, before bedtime, before leaving your dog alone and whenever the puppy seems restless or bored. This intelligent breed will quickly understand that it should only urinate and defecate outside.
Begin basic commands with your puppy on a leash. Keep the leash loose while standing in front of your puppy with a treat. Enticing with a treat -- and saying the command "come" while slightly tugging on the leash -- should get your puppy to walk to you. Along with handing the treat to your pup, be sure to use a lot of praise. This breed loves to please its owner.
Use a clicker for basic commands, and use one-word commands. Start with the "sit" command. Hold the clicker in your hand behind your back; hold a treat in the other hand. Tell the puppy to sit, and pull up slightly on the leash. You may need to use a hand to push down on your pup's rump while giving the command. Immediately click the clicker, and give the treat and praise (in that order) when the puppy sits. This confirms the appropriate behavior. Repetition and consistency are crucial.
Keep training sessions short, about 15 minutes at a time. Alternate commands to keep the sessions fun and varied. Gently pull down on the leash - while the pup is still in the "sit" position -- to teach the "down" command. When the puppy lies down on all fours, again click, treat and praise. Continue the training with other commands such as "stay," "stand" and a basic "no."