People rarely give puppies enough credit – just because they’re young doesn’t mean they can’t learn the rules of the world!
We have to have lower expectations of puppies than we do of adult dogs. While they do not have the attention span of an adult yet, puppies are still able to learn manners and be held accountable for their actions. We wouldn’t send a 10yo child to work and have them program for 8 hours, but he can still learn that he has to get to school on time, it is polite to hold the door open for the person behind you, it is important to say please and thank you, and the parents make the rules. Same thing applies with puppies! Teach them structure and the rules of the world, and they’ll grow up into stable and healthy adults.
All of the things below are applicable to puppies, in fact, it is even more important to follow them with a puppy!
Things to keep in mind:
Puppies are high maintenance.
Just like children, puppies’ brains aren’t fully developed yet. The world is new. They are learning the ropes and will make mistakes and test boundaries. They are just learning potty training. Everything is exciting and overstimulating. It is our responsibility to guide them through all of this, be patient while they are learning, and be fair.
Proper socialization is non-negotiable.
So many behavioral issues that we work with creep up due to improper (or lack of) socialization. Proper socialization is striving for neutrality towards the world around you. Not having your dog interact with the world. Your puppy should be worked around other dogs, people, and distractions with you being his focus. Too many people think of socialization as having their puppies interact with every dog or person, and then wonder why the dog is blowing them off and pulling towards or barking at every dog or person that passes by. Can’t blame him for it, he learned the fun things are everything but you!
A lot of people also have the misconception that your dog needs to play with a lot of different dogs to not be reactive. Stable, trustworthy, neutral adult dogs can make great playmates for puppies and can assist in teaching proper dog manners, however quality is more important than quantity. Only have your puppy interact with dogs you know and trust. Too many of the questionnaires we get regarding dogs that are dog aggressive or reactive state that the problem either started or got worse after the dog was involved in a dog fight. Those well-meaning owners who were just trying to “socialize” their dog now have a dog with behavioral issues when the reason they had their dog interact with another dog in the first place is in hopes of preventing those same issues. This is also why we are very against dog parks and free-for-all doggy daycares.
The best way to properly socialize your dog is to take him to different environments and expose him to a variety of people, dogs, and other distractions. Exposure to different people will prevent your puppy from later being spooked by men with beards, or people wearing poofy hats, people in wheelchairs, etc. Environmental factors also come into play, slowly expose your puppy to different things they might stumble upon in the city like trucks, construction sounds, bicycles, etc. It is better to have fewer experiences that are good than to have a lot of experiences that stress out your puppy. Good vibes all around so your puppy learns the world isn’t something to get worked up over, and as long as he’s engaging with you, everything is okay and he is safe.
Be mindful of fear periods.
A lot of puppies go through fear periods which are stages in a puppy’s development during which he might find certain stimuli threatening. During these periods, dogs might be fearful of situations that have never bothered them previously. It is important to avoid exposing the puppy to potentially traumatic experiences.
- Don’t overwhelm your puppy with what he is afraid of. You can work on desensitizing your puppy from a distance and gradually work on moving in. Flooding will not help.
- Don’t freak out. Dogs are masters of body language and will pick up on you being nervous. Help your puppy understand that its not a big deal.
- Do not punish the fear, instead work on counter-conditioning to change your puppy’s emotional response to the stimulus.
- Relax, this is temporary!
Manage your puppy for success.
One huge benefit to working with puppies is that they are a blank slate. Its a lot easier to start from scratch than try to fix it later on! Get your puppy into good habits sooner rather than later so you don’t have to try to break those habits later on. Prevent opportunities for them to make choices when you’re not ready to reward or correct. Don’t give puppies freedom before they know what to do with it. We wouldn’t give a 10yo the keys to a Ferrari and expect it to end well.
We can’t stress the importance of crating your puppy if you are not in a position to reward or correct. Even if its just you running out to the car or switching over the laundry. You could take the 20 seconds to crate him, or you could potentially come back to clean up a mess, find that he broke something, got off of Place and you weren’t there to correct, or he ate a sock and you’re now facing an obstruction. Not taking those 20 seconds to set your puppy up for success (and keep him safe!) is never worth it.
Have crating be a part of your routine.
Don’t see crating as a punishment! Crating is a chance for your dog to decompress, rest, and have a space that is his own. A lot of the beginning stages of training is structured – crating allows your dog to relax and exist without any expectations. It is good to give your pup a break. You can give your dog a Kong or a Nylabone to make it that much more of a positive experience.
We love training puppies! Reach out today for the best foundation for your new family member ❤️