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Set rules immediately and stick to them.
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Immediately set rules for
your puppy and stick to them.
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Supervise the puppy at
all times. This means with your undivided attention.
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Keep the puppy confined
or tethered to you at all times until he is completely
trustworthy.
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Encourage and reward good
behavior as often as possible with praise, treats and attention.
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Avoid situations/actions
that encourage or reward inappropriate behavior. (Rough play,
tug-of-war)
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Stop inappropriate
chewing/mouthing immediately. Offer the dog its own toy, then
reward and praise.
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Socialize your puppy to
interact with a variety of people and animals in different
environments.
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Make sure your dog is
getting sufficient daily exercise - go for walks, play ball,
play hide and seek with toys.
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Only correct a dog if it
is “caught in the act.” Punishment after the fact is
counter-productive and may lead to even worse behavioral
problems.
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Train your dog to submit
to grooming and other necessary treatments.
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Use a grooming table or
other raised surface to help control your dog for grooming or
medical treatments.
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When training your dog,
give only one command, immediately lure or assist the dog into
the correct position, praise and reward. Repeating a command
several times teaches your dog to wait until the second or third
command before responding to the command. If you are not
careful, you will teach your dog “sit-sit-sit” or
“down-down-down” not “sit” or “down”. Your dog will learn
EXACTLY what you are teaching. Be sure you are teaching the
correct lessons!
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Choose a name for your
pet that is simple and easy to use when training. Do not choose
a name that is used in everyday language or that sounds like a
command or reprimand.
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Always use your dog’s
name in a positive manner. Never use the dog’s name to call him
to you for punishment. You want the dog to associate his name
and being called to you with good things happening – attention,
treats, a walk or ride in the car.
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Watch for problem
behaviors and try to prevent them before they occur. (To prevent
jumping on people, ask the dog to sit/stay when greeting guests.
Offer a toy or treat to distract the dog from your dinner
plate.)
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Use appropriate commands
to control the dog’s behavior and for specific corrections –
“Sit”, “stay”, “down” to stop unwanted behavior or “off” to get
the dog off of the furniture.
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Keep your dog motivated
by making up new games and activities.
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Play hide and
seek – distract the dog or have someone else take him
outside to go potty. While he’s gone, hide some of his toys
in one or two rooms and then ask him to find them. Or have
the kids hide somewhere and ask the dog to find them! Reward
Fluffy with praise and treats when he finds his toys or the
children.
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Use supplies around
the house to make an obstacle or agility course in the
backyard (or make one up as you walk through the park) - low
jumps, poles or trees to weave through, landscape timbers to
walk over, hills or terraces to go up and down, cardboard
box “tunnels” to explore. For added incentive, hide some
treats along the way for Fluffy to find!
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Dogs do not “look”
guilty. Dogs may exhibit signs of submission (ducking down,
submissive urination, running away, hiding) if your body
language and tone of voice indicate that you, the leader of the
pack, are angry and upset.
