Tranquil Dog Owner, Dog Behavior Specialist/Trainer, Dog Foodie
Tis the season! For puppies that is.
Seriously, is there anything cuter than a puppy? I think not, or at least I can’t think of one right now. You bring them home and cuddle them, laugh at their naïve awkwardness, inhale that sweet puppy breath and all is right with the world.
Ok, we all know how long that lasts. I remember telling each one of my puppies “you are so cute, but I can’t wait until you are a dog”. The cuteness comes with a ton, and I do mean a ton of work. But, if you do it right it will come back to you in the form of the best friend that you could ever have. Do it wrong and it could be a painful memory of sadness and failure that you will always try to forget.
Raising a puppy is similar to raising children. They need to be taught, loved, encouraged and disciplined. That said, the techniques that should be used are not always the same and if you start to struggle you should seek help right away. Many of the behavioral problems that I see with my clients’ dogs could have been prevented during puppyhood.
It would be a very long post if I tried to explain all of the techniques here, in fact it would be more like a book. I would like to offer some tips for you to think about and hopefully you will never need to call me. Not all dogs are the same, but most are agreeable and cooperative and will do just fine with a little guidance.
The first thing I would like to stress is that you should be choosing a puppy that will fit your family. Please do some research to make sure the breed will thrive in the environment you will offer. Behavioral problems often come from severe frustration and it can stem from, simply put, a bad fit. While one of the cutest puppies ever to be found is a Border Collie, your second-floor city apartment may prove to be a difficult lifestyle for him. I can’t even count the number of times a client has expressed remorse for getting the wrong kind of dog because “they always wanted one of those because they are so beautiful”. Many of them, for the sake of the dog, were forced into rehoming. While this is a selfless and loving act, I think we can all agree that it would be a scenario best avoided.
You may be wondering about adoption where the breed is unknown mostly due to having no idea who the father is or fathers. Yes, it is possible to have more than one father in the same litter, no judgement please, lol! All you can do at that point is to speak to the rescue and ascertain the temperament of the mother and gain an educated guess as to her breed characteristics.
No matter the puppy’s origin, you should do your best to understand the puppy’s personality before you take him or her home. Please try not to pick the one with the colors you like or the sad littlest one, but choose the attitude you think fits your own. This is not an exact science. There are puppy temperament tests, advice from shelter or breeder personnel, veterinary ideas and discussions and endless opinions from dog trainers to try to follow. While I don’t necessarily disagree with someone performing a temperament test, this may not even come close to determining the eventual outcome of a dog’s personality. Even a relatively submissive dog can become dominant if nobody else in the home is. On the other hand, many people are very surprised to find that their nine-year-old dog is ruling the roost and nobody noticed because she never growled or bit anyone. This is not to meant to discourage you from trying to ascertain temperament, just do the best you can with as much advice as you can get. Again, if things go south all you need to do is get some help.
Secondly, please avoid getting two siblings from the same litter. Without going into a load of psychology here all I want to say is that if often ends in the dogs fighting. You would think they would be happy to be together, and sometimes they are. But sometimes they spend their lives trying to outdo each other and it can get just plain ugly.
My next piece of advice would be to look past the cute and be a good parent. I find that most behavior issues involving puppies stems from them being spoiled. I see people laugh when the puppy barks and gets snappy when ignored. They try to engage their human by being louder and more obnoxious and bite at the hand that tries to pet them. Honestly, this really isn’t funny. Imagine your kid demanding that you take him to Disney right now and hitting you when you say “not today”. Would you laugh at that? I’m going to go with a hard no. So why is it ok for the puppy to “speak” to you that way?
There are a lot of gentle discipline techniques you can employ and I suggest you do. Without expressing your expectations of correct behavior, you will have a four-legged monster on your hands. Just like children, puppies do expect to be disciplined and it is totally natural so don’t feel guilty for setting some boundaries.
And last but not least, SOCIALIZE your puppy! If your dog is sequestered throughout life and given no education as to proper social behavior, life for both of you will…well, kind of suck. Dogs are social beings designed to live in community form. As soon as all vaccinations are complete and the vet gives you the ok, go out! Take your puppy to socialization classes at a training center, or dog day care. Go to the store so he or she can meet animals, children, adults, folks in a wheel chair, hear busses and trains and experience crowds. Without this your dog may never learn how to be a citizen. This leaves him in boarding without friends when you go away, locked in the bedroom when people come over or upset when people or dogs approach on a walk. None of this is natural behavior for dogs, it is created by humans. It limits not only the dog’s life but yours as well.
I have one last offering for you. This is a link to a free potty-training video on my website that you are welcome to watch. It will offer some insight as to what the dog or puppy may be thinking while you are standing in the rain wondering why she won’t just pee already. It will address the most common annoyances on this topic and help you both understand each other better. I hope you find it helpful since this can really be a bummer of a chore.
If you do find yourself in over your head, please don’t hesitate to reach out. There is a form you can fill out for questions on my site. I hope you enjoy your new little fuzzy bundle of joy. As I said in the beginning, they can grow to be the best friends on Earth.
