subject: Dog Training Rule: Puppy Behavior Excuses Equal Bad Dog Behavior [print this page] When your little fuzz ball makes his first trip through the door to your home, dog training begins. His bad behavior might seem cute now, but without puppy training, it could balloon into dog behavior that's maddening.
The key to stopping digging and chewing behaviors before they start is to nip them in the bud: the puppy bud, that is. I know he's cute. I know that he can melt your heart like a snowball in July. But, if you want the well behaved dog of your dreams, you must plant your dog training resolve on the first day of puppy ownership.
Excuses never work in puppy training. Here are few examples of how they can sabotage your dog training efforts:
Your puppy jumps on you and your guests.
Excuse: He barely comes to my knees. Puppy is just looking for attention, and if I give it to him, he'll get down.
The Truth: If your puppy learns that she gets attention when she jumps, it will never end. Remember, she won't always be the shrimp that she is now. It might not be long before she's toppling adults over like bowling pins.
Your puppy barks when he's lonely, when he wants out of his crate, or when he wants to play. You stop what you're doing to give him the attention he wants.
Excuse: He's a playful puppy, and needs my attention. If I give it to him when he barks, he'll stop.
Truth: By answering your puppy's demands, you're teaching him that dog barking is an acceptable way to get your attention. You're setting yourself up for a decade or more of dog barking. Attention should only be given when your puppy is silent.
Puppy Biting: Your puppy gets so excited when you play with her that she nips and snaps at your hands.
Common Excuse: It doesn't hurt much; she's just having fun.
Dog Training Truth: It might not hurt now, but when your dog's mouth takes on size and bite pressure, you'll be howling for relief.
Puppy chewing: You will not tolerate the chewing of your precious King Louis XVI dining room set, but you don't mind that puppy is gnawing on the old, ratty recliner.
An Excuse: That old couch is such a rag, anyway. When he chews on it, he's occupied, and his attentions are diverted from the good furniture.
Truth: The puppy's chewing attention needs to be diverted to proper chew toys. It's only a matter of time before he moves on to performing a termite act on King Louis.
The puppy goes crazy when you hook the leash to his collar. He jumps around, tugs with all his might, and keeps constant tension on the leash.
Excuse: Where does he think he's taking me? I'm too big; he can't budge me. Anyway, he's burning energy.
Truth: Whoa! At least that's what you'll be saying when he's eighty pounds and bouncing you off of fire hydrants.
Like you, I'm an animal lover. I know how difficult it can be to look into those shiny brown eyes, framed by that fuzzy little face, and stick to your puppy training guns. But I also know that training your dog will be much simpler if he hasn't picked up bad habits. Your puppy needs routine, and will benefit from predictable, positive reinforcement of good behavior.
Good puppy training will make puppy care seem simple. Use the easy dog training techniques that are employed by top dog trainers to learn the proper dog walking techniques, to stop digging and chewing behaviors, to curb puppy biting, and to stop other annoying behaviors like dog barking and jumping.
Holding firm might seem difficult at first, but when you're basking in the glow of the dog human relationship that you've always dreamt of, you will look back on puppy training, and view it as the invaluable investment that it was.
