Puppy 101: A Simple Guide to Raising a Balanced Puppy
Puppies are a lot of work - this is undeniable. We know this from the fact that most dogs are given away by 6 months of age. They can be loud, destructive, messy....and cute. The cute part is what trips us up.
If you're the owner of a new puppy, then guess what? Your excuses end here. You made the choice to get the puppy, so there's no sense in complaining about how hard it is. You signed up for this.
But let's not make it harder than it has to be. Most owners struggle with the puppy stage not due to personal failing or inordinately difficult dogs. They struggle due to lack of information.
If puppy training is going harder than you expected, read the post below and implement these things NOW.
1. Get your puppy used to the crate.
90% of the problems new puppy owners complain about are directly caused by too much freedom. If your dog is soiling in the house or destroying property, you are responsible. If allowed to continue into adolescence and adulthood these problems can turn into habits.
Soiling in the house is probably the top issue puppy owners complain about. It can be solved with crating. I like to have 8-10 week old puppies in the crate for 18-20 hours a day with regular potty breaks. If you can get your dog on a schedule from day 1, you will never have to clean up accidents.
Destructive chewing is not only expensive and frustrating, but it's dangerous for your dog. I have seen dogs ingest entire blankets and had to undergo expensive surgery to remove the obstruction. We spent $1000 at the emergency vet when our oldest dog Abby ingested an entire pincushion (pins and all!). It was not a fun time for our family, and the hardest part is that it was completely preventable.
I will be straight with you: if you are reading this right now, and you want to avoid paying multiple thousands of dollars in vet bills, new furnishings, and training....CRATE YOUR DOG, NOW!
2. Teach your puppy to work.
Your puppy's brain is a sponge, ready to soak up information about how to be in the world. If you want a dog who looks to you for guidance, there is no better way than teach him to work for food. Most puppies are hungry and growing, so harness that food drive for maximum success.
I am different from most dog trainers in that I do not like to use special treats for training. I like my puppies to work for their actual meals. Just portion their daily kibble out for the day and use it intermittently to teach your dog commands. I have tons of videos on this stuff.
In the puppy stage we are not looking for duration so much as recognition of the commands and marker words. You want your puppy to recognize that "yes" means "you did it!" and that a food reward is coming. Conversely, the dog should understand that "no" means "wrong choice" and a consequence is coming. Once the foundation is laid then the dog can be transitioned off food and onto other tools for real world reliability.
3. Stop bad habits before they start.
I once worked with a 5 year old pit bull who had a "nipping" problem. It started as a cute-yet-annoying "puppy" issue. He would incessantly nip and mouth anyone who came into the home (including an elderly relative) until eventually the owners just could not have him out around guests.
Many excuses were made throughout his five years. "It's just a phase. He'll calm down when he's older. He doesn't do it at the vet." But no matter how many excuses were made for the dog, it didn't change the fact that no one likes an 80 pound pit bull charging them at the front door, and biting their hands.
Now, had this dog been corrected swiftly and firmly for mouthing at 10 weeks old, we might see a different dog today. It is YOUR job to let your dog know that biting is never an acceptable choice. Remember, your dog only behaves in ways that he believes are allowed. If you don't like the biting, stop it. You can save your dog so much unnecessary correction down the line if you start addressing these issues in puppyhood.
Since biting will NEVER be allowed, I recommend pairing the marker word "no" with a punishment. Either a Pet Corrector, leash pop, or bonker. You are not going to ruin your relationship with your dog.
4. Socialization Do's and Don'ts
We definitely want our dogs to be comfortable with the public, but we want to introduce them in very specific ways. The number one thing to remember with socialization is this: coexistence first.
We are creating a dog who can just hang out and stay in his lane. We don't want our dog going up to other people, and we don't want allow people coming up to our dog.
Why? Because this puts positive and/or negative associations on people. Most dogs love soaking up attention from strangers, but it also excites them and breaks their focus. We don't want our dog to be getting excited at the sight of other people. Conversely, if your dog is more nervous personality-wise, then he may actually be afraid of people approaching him. Better to just head both situations off entirely. Eventually your dog gets the picture that the public is just neutral background, and the only person he needs to worry about is you.
If you've ever tried to take a 12 week puppy out in public then it can be like wearing a giant sign that says "Free Serotonin." Get into the habit of having some go-to phrase to head people off. People usually ask to pet older dogs, but not so with puppies. You can be kind and firm with people. "No petting please, she's in training and learning to focus." While most are understanding, believe it or not, some people will get offended by this phrase.
My response? Fuck 'em. It's not their dog.
Now, I want to hear from you: Have you implemented any of the strategies above? How are they working for you? Leave a comment below!