Raising a puppy can be a fun and rewarding experience. Unfortunately, too many puppies grow up to be misbehaved dogs because the owners let them get away with bad behavior as a puppy because it was ‘cute’. Or, they just didn’t know how to raise their puppy to be a well behaved adult dog. There are a few crucial things you need to do.
First of all, you shouldn’t never bring home a puppy that is younger than eight weeks. During the first eight week of their life, they go through many development periods that are crucial to their long term well being. Removing a puppy from its mother and littermates too early causes behavior problems down the road.
Second, begin housebreaking your puppy right away. Don’t wait. Even if it’s only for a few days, your puppy can develop some bad potty habits that are hard to break. Also, avoid paper training if possible. I recommend teaching them to go potty outside right from the start (if that’s where they’ll be going potty in the long run.)
Third, don’t allow play biting. This is a very common mistake, and one that owners will regret later. You should never let your puppy bite your hands or feet, even playfully. Not even underneath a blanket or other surface. You need to always use toys when playing.
Fourth, teach your puppy right from the beginning that you are the alpha dog. Also known as the ‘pack leader’. Even though dogs are domesticated, they still have natural instincts. They still expect to be part of a pack, and every pack needs a pack leader.
Your puppy expects to have a pack leader. If you don’t establish yourself as the leader, they will, and it’ll cause numerous behavior problems down the road. Do a search online for more information on this if you don’t know what it is. It’s important to know and use this information.
Lastly (but definitely not least), your puppy needs to be gradually and carefully exposed to new, unfamiliar people, sounds, things, people, and so on. Do whatever you can to ensure these experiences are good ones. Bring along delicious treats and be prepare to give them lots of enthusiastic praise during the process.
Thanks for reading and I hope this article has given you insight on how to raise a happy, healthy, well-behaved dog. Follow the tips provided here and you’ll wind up with a great companion.
Visit my website for more tips and tricks! I cover everything from paper training your dog to solving dog chewing problems at DogBehaviorExpert.com