Puppy Training
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Training:
All puppies are going to chew things, jump on people and nip. This is normal puppy behavior. And although some puppy behavior is
cute, it is often not cute at all when the dog is an adult. It is important to start training early so you are not frustrated and trying to
eliminate bad behavior later on.
Before you get your puppy, sit down as a family and decide what the rules of the house are going to be. Everyone must agree to the
rules. If Sally doesn't want dogs on the couch but Timmy does, and Timmy lets Rocky get on the couch when Sally isn't home, there is a
good chance that Sally is going to be upset and frustrated with Rocky when he gets on the couch when Sally is home. That is not fair to
Rocky. Rocky doesn't understand why it is alright to get on the couch sometimes but not others. So decide as a family what you expect
from your pup.
Now that you have made a list of the rules of the house, take a look at them. I imagine they look something like "No jumping on people",
"No bolting through doorways", and "No chewing on my shoes". There seems to be a common theme: NO. Unfortunately, "no" doesn't
give your puppy any information. If you tell your dog "NO" while he is jumping on people, does "no" mean "don't jump", "don't wag your
tail", "don't make eye contact", "don't be happy to see someone", "don't approach people"?
Take another look at your list. Next to each item on it, write down what you would rather have your dog do. If your dog doesn't know
how to greet people without jumping, unless you teach your dog how to do an alternative behavior to jumping, you cannot expect your
dog to offer any behavior besides jumping!
Your list should end up looking like this:
1) No jumping - sit, down, go lie on a bed
2) No bolting through doorways - sit in front of the door, wait for a release cue to walk through door
3) No chewing on shoes - chew on KONG, chew on bone, play with Tricky Treat Ball
Now we are getting somewhere! You have the beginning of a training plan! Teach your pup how to offer the good behavior instead of
the bad. Remember, unless you teach your puppy what you want him to do, you cannot expect him to do it!
What about that bad behavior? Remember, that is only normal puppy behavior. Don't punish your puppy for being a puppy! Repeat
after me: Ignore the bad behavior, reward the good behavior.
Of course, this is not to say that you should ignore the puppy while it perforates your favorite shoes. If you catch your puppy the act of
mass destruction, calmly redirect his attention to something else. Your puppy is in the mood to chew? Pick up the nearest toy and stick
it in his mouth. Provide plenty of good chew toys as alternatives to your shoes. And, while your puppy is learning, it's a good idea to
keep those shoes safe behind closed doors in your closet. Just as you childproof your home when you have a toddler in the house, you
should take the time to puppy proof your home as well. Not only will you save yourself the heartache of finding holes in your shoes, but
you may also save your puppy's life! Puppies are brought to vet clinics all to often with obstructions in their bowels that need to be
surgically removed. Not only is this very expensive, but it can also be fatal.
Read the training articles listed below or contact Rebecca to schedule training lessons so you can learn how to teach your dog good
behavior.
All puppies are going to chew things, jump on people and nip. This is normal puppy behavior. And although some puppy behavior is
cute, it is often not cute at all when the dog is an adult. It is important to start training early so you are not frustrated and trying to
eliminate bad behavior later on.
Before you get your puppy, sit down as a family and decide what the rules of the house are going to be. Everyone must agree to the
rules. If Sally doesn't want dogs on the couch but Timmy does, and Timmy lets Rocky get on the couch when Sally isn't home, there is a
good chance that Sally is going to be upset and frustrated with Rocky when he gets on the couch when Sally is home. That is not fair to
Rocky. Rocky doesn't understand why it is alright to get on the couch sometimes but not others. So decide as a family what you expect
from your pup.
Now that you have made a list of the rules of the house, take a look at them. I imagine they look something like "No jumping on people",
"No bolting through doorways", and "No chewing on my shoes". There seems to be a common theme: NO. Unfortunately, "no" doesn't
give your puppy any information. If you tell your dog "NO" while he is jumping on people, does "no" mean "don't jump", "don't wag your
tail", "don't make eye contact", "don't be happy to see someone", "don't approach people"?
Take another look at your list. Next to each item on it, write down what you would rather have your dog do. If your dog doesn't know
how to greet people without jumping, unless you teach your dog how to do an alternative behavior to jumping, you cannot expect your
dog to offer any behavior besides jumping!
Your list should end up looking like this:
1) No jumping - sit, down, go lie on a bed
2) No bolting through doorways - sit in front of the door, wait for a release cue to walk through door
3) No chewing on shoes - chew on KONG, chew on bone, play with Tricky Treat Ball
Now we are getting somewhere! You have the beginning of a training plan! Teach your pup how to offer the good behavior instead of
the bad. Remember, unless you teach your puppy what you want him to do, you cannot expect him to do it!
What about that bad behavior? Remember, that is only normal puppy behavior. Don't punish your puppy for being a puppy! Repeat
after me: Ignore the bad behavior, reward the good behavior.
Of course, this is not to say that you should ignore the puppy while it perforates your favorite shoes. If you catch your puppy the act of
mass destruction, calmly redirect his attention to something else. Your puppy is in the mood to chew? Pick up the nearest toy and stick
it in his mouth. Provide plenty of good chew toys as alternatives to your shoes. And, while your puppy is learning, it's a good idea to
keep those shoes safe behind closed doors in your closet. Just as you childproof your home when you have a toddler in the house, you
should take the time to puppy proof your home as well. Not only will you save yourself the heartache of finding holes in your shoes, but
you may also save your puppy's life! Puppies are brought to vet clinics all to often with obstructions in their bowels that need to be
surgically removed. Not only is this very expensive, but it can also be fatal.
Read the training articles listed below or contact Rebecca to schedule training lessons so you can learn how to teach your dog good
behavior.
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