Bringing a new puppy home is an exciting and challenging experience for any pet owner. There are so many decisions to make. Where will they sleep? Where will they eat? Who will be responsible for walks? Which doctor will they see? What food will they eat? How will we train him or her? .
The first weeks of care are critical, what a puppy learns during the first sixteen weeks of life will play a tremendous role in how he/she interacts with the family; and how they respond to circumstances and situations encountered over the course of his/her life.
While it is fun for us to think of our puppy as a little person, this can sometimes create confusion and frustration, dogs, especially puppies, do not have human motives, feelings, or thought processes. One mistake many new puppy owners make is to try to justify bad behavior. Puppies do not "outgrow" behaviors, they practice them! If your puppy is permitted to get away with an unwanted behavior such as chewing your shoes, it becomes validated in his mind as proper behavior and will tend to increase in frequency.
Here is a quick list of Do's and Don'ts when bringing home a new puppy:
1) Do - Develop a relationship with a local veterinarian and have your puppy examined and vaccinated as soon as you get him. Not only will this ensure that your pup is free of health problems, but this early interaction at the vet's office will help him be calmer and more relaxed for future visits. Keep it positive and upbeat and use lots of praise when the vet and staff interact with your pup.
2) Do- Make him at home in your home by getting a crate. Dogs have an innate desire to den. Crates (preferably the plastic kind) satisfy this natural need. Many people feel that a crating is cruel, nothing could be further from the truth, a crate creates a safe place for your puppy and gives him a space of his own. Your puppy should be crated whenever he/she can't be supervised. This will keep them safe, and your home free of "doggy disasters."
3) Do- Get a leash and collar and consistently use it. A leash and collar provide the communication link between you and your untrained puppy and helps to provide boundaries for your pup when you are helping him learn about the world around him.
4) Do -Find a local trainer and enroll in a puppy training program. Unfortunately, puppies do not come with directions. Getting started in a training program right away provides the foundation necessary for future learning. At the very least, you should seek a program which teaches the following commands: Come, Sit, Stay, Down, Leave It, Drop It and Leash Walking. In the meantime, praise and reward your puppy for everything he does right. Puppies learn both acceptable and unacceptable behaviors through trial and error. As the puppy grows and develops, we want to reinforce the desired behaviors through consistent praise and rewards. Food and treats are a great way to reward your puppy for wanted behaviors.
5) Do- Get your puppy used to being handled, touched and examined. Rub his ears, touch his paws, roll him over and rub his tummy. Learn how to clean his ears, properly brush him and trim his nails. If your puppy is uncomfortable with being handled, speak to your vet or trainer about methods to reward and desensitize him. Use plenty of positive reinforcement when the puppy shows correct behavior.
6) Don't- Correct your puppy out of anger or frustration. The most common reason that a puppy does not listen to their owner is due to confusion of what is wanted or disrespect for the person delivering the command, either way, it is not your puppy's fault. Learn how to deliver commands properly and gain your puppy's respect.
7) Don't - Correct a puppy that is coming toward you. Correcting a puppy when he arrives causes confusion and associates a negative with coming to you. Dogs should always associate coming to you with something positive.
8) Don't - Allow your puppy to do what you would not allow a big dog to do. Just because they are small and cute, jumping, tackling, mounting, biting, nipping, growling, stealing, etc are not acceptable behaviors. If you begin to see any of these behaviors, and most puppy owners do, seek help now; you'll be happier and so will your puppy!
9) Don't - Coddle or soothe a scared puppy! Doing so will be perceived by the puppy as praise for being afraid. This is how well meaning, caring dog lovers inadvertently turn a great puppy into a "fearful" or "shy" dog. If your puppy shows fear towards anyone or anything, redirect his thoughts via upbeat and excited play. This will quickly put the puppy back in the right frame of mind. When the puppy shows a correct behavior or reaction, let him know he's right through praise and reward.
Remember, a puppy cannot think and reason the way we do. Dogs learn via instinct and repetition in specific situations. The puppy lives for the here and now and does not dwell on the past or consider the future. (A lesson we humans should learn to adopt in our own lives.) Your puppy is not trying to plot against you and is not thinking of ways to spite you, he is forever forgiving and will never stop trying to please you if he understands through clear communication and training what is expected of him. So if you find yourself attempting to communicate with your puppy as you would a person, take a step back and remember he is a dog and needs to be communicated with in a way and a language a dog can understand.
This list of Do's and Don'ts will help you develop a happy, confident, reliable puppy who is not only well behaved, but a great family companion as well. Proper puppy training is both science and art that requires consistency over time, so follow these guidelines and you'll have the best puppy on the block!
William Corrente |
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1 comment:
Your dog's and don'ts list about handling puppies is quite helpful and to the point. The most I liked was about being cautious when taking the puppy outside when he is new to the home. Now i have 3 puppies and i enjoy their company a lot.
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