Training Your New Puppy With Care
There is nothing like a new puppy to put you on an emotional roller coaster.
One minute you're all about the "awwww"-someness and shortly thereafter you've stepped in something that turns that "awww" into "EWWWW!" You'll learn to pick up after yourself, especially shoes, to shut the bathroom door behind you (puppies have a knack for rummaging in trash cans), that the five-second rule has taken on a whole new meaning, that puppies just want to have fun at three a.
m.
and that no matter how tired you are, how frustrated, annoyed, irritated and frazzled, when you look down to see why your foot feels wet and there is a fuzzy little puppy, flopped out sound asleep and drooling across your foot none of that other stuff matters.
Face it, puppies are cute.
It doesn't matter what they do, even when they piddle on the floor right in front of you, they manage to be adorable while they're doing it.
Some things, though, aren't going to be so cute when they get older, and that's why you dive right in and start working on them, shaping your new puppy's behavior, while they're still little and haven't got those behaviors settled firmly in their minds.
Most puppies learn bite inhibition -- not to bite and nip too hard in play -- from their mothers and litter mates.
That doesn't always happen, especially if, for some reason, the pup has left its mother before being eight weeks old.
Punishing a puppy is so wrong; I can't begin to express how wrong it is, but this is one behavior that you have to curb.
So how do you change it? First of all, when the biting gets too rough, play is over.
That's an easy lesson for him to learn.
You stop all interaction immediately.
If you want to teach your puppy to not mouth you (or people in general), substitution works.
When he starts gnawing on you, give him something else that's appropriate to chew on and as long as he's working on that, be lavish with your time and praise.
If he doesn't take the substitute, play is over.
Go back in a few moments and try again.
He'll get it.
If he consistently refuses the chew toy it might be because he just doesn't like that one.
Try another toy or safe puppy chew.
Early is the time to teach a pup that nail clipping isn't tantamount to torture.
If you'll get him used to having his paws handled and accustomed to the clippers or dremel at this early age it will make keeping those claws groomed a relaxed task rather than a routine rodeo.
It's always good to start with a tired puppy.
Add a stash of favorite treats,preferably something that takes awhile to work on and is distracting, even a toy like a stuffed kong and gradually get your pup acclimated to having his toes handled and the funny feeling of either the clippers or the dremel.
When he pulls away, don't force him to submit; use the treats to entice him to let you continue, and remember, you don't have to get all the paws done at one sitting.
A most important lesson for your pup to learn early on is not to guard his food from people.
A dog with resource guarding issues about food (or anything) can get himself into more trouble than he can get out of, so you want yours to know that nothing bad is going to happen when a hand gets stuck in the food bowl or takes something out of his mouth.
If your pup has a tendency to want to growl or be protective of his food, make it a practice to hand feed him for awhile.
He doesn't get anything that doesn't come from your hand.
That's not necessary with most dogs.
Generally routinely taking their food dish up or removing something from their mouths, holding it for a few seconds while talking to them reassuringly, then returning it, sometimes with something extra and always, always with lavish praise will do the trick.
If you've got friends who will come over and help you with this particular lesson so much the better.
The first time you see a toddler merrily sharing kibble with the dog you'll be so relieved you worked on this one.
Whether your puppy is a long awaited acquisition from a breeder or a precious rescue from a shelter or pound, all the time you invest now in teaching him will pay dividends on down your road together -- hopefully a very long road.
One minute you're all about the "awwww"-someness and shortly thereafter you've stepped in something that turns that "awww" into "EWWWW!" You'll learn to pick up after yourself, especially shoes, to shut the bathroom door behind you (puppies have a knack for rummaging in trash cans), that the five-second rule has taken on a whole new meaning, that puppies just want to have fun at three a.
m.
and that no matter how tired you are, how frustrated, annoyed, irritated and frazzled, when you look down to see why your foot feels wet and there is a fuzzy little puppy, flopped out sound asleep and drooling across your foot none of that other stuff matters.
Face it, puppies are cute.
It doesn't matter what they do, even when they piddle on the floor right in front of you, they manage to be adorable while they're doing it.
Some things, though, aren't going to be so cute when they get older, and that's why you dive right in and start working on them, shaping your new puppy's behavior, while they're still little and haven't got those behaviors settled firmly in their minds.
Most puppies learn bite inhibition -- not to bite and nip too hard in play -- from their mothers and litter mates.
That doesn't always happen, especially if, for some reason, the pup has left its mother before being eight weeks old.
Punishing a puppy is so wrong; I can't begin to express how wrong it is, but this is one behavior that you have to curb.
So how do you change it? First of all, when the biting gets too rough, play is over.
That's an easy lesson for him to learn.
You stop all interaction immediately.
If you want to teach your puppy to not mouth you (or people in general), substitution works.
When he starts gnawing on you, give him something else that's appropriate to chew on and as long as he's working on that, be lavish with your time and praise.
If he doesn't take the substitute, play is over.
Go back in a few moments and try again.
He'll get it.
If he consistently refuses the chew toy it might be because he just doesn't like that one.
Try another toy or safe puppy chew.
Early is the time to teach a pup that nail clipping isn't tantamount to torture.
If you'll get him used to having his paws handled and accustomed to the clippers or dremel at this early age it will make keeping those claws groomed a relaxed task rather than a routine rodeo.
It's always good to start with a tired puppy.
Add a stash of favorite treats,preferably something that takes awhile to work on and is distracting, even a toy like a stuffed kong and gradually get your pup acclimated to having his toes handled and the funny feeling of either the clippers or the dremel.
When he pulls away, don't force him to submit; use the treats to entice him to let you continue, and remember, you don't have to get all the paws done at one sitting.
A most important lesson for your pup to learn early on is not to guard his food from people.
A dog with resource guarding issues about food (or anything) can get himself into more trouble than he can get out of, so you want yours to know that nothing bad is going to happen when a hand gets stuck in the food bowl or takes something out of his mouth.
If your pup has a tendency to want to growl or be protective of his food, make it a practice to hand feed him for awhile.
He doesn't get anything that doesn't come from your hand.
That's not necessary with most dogs.
Generally routinely taking their food dish up or removing something from their mouths, holding it for a few seconds while talking to them reassuringly, then returning it, sometimes with something extra and always, always with lavish praise will do the trick.
If you've got friends who will come over and help you with this particular lesson so much the better.
The first time you see a toddler merrily sharing kibble with the dog you'll be so relieved you worked on this one.
Whether your puppy is a long awaited acquisition from a breeder or a precious rescue from a shelter or pound, all the time you invest now in teaching him will pay dividends on down your road together -- hopefully a very long road.