Raising Cute Puppies Into Well Behaved Dogs
Do you have a puppy that seems to be thrilled to just jump on everyone you encounter? These greetings can be endearing, but also a bit of a pain as your puppy grows into a full grown dog. So, what can you do to teach your dog when he’s a puppy to be polite and greet people in a manner that is appropriate? Your first step is to stop rewarding jumping while your puppy is still young.
See, when puppies are young, they perceive attention that they get from being cute as being a “reward”. In fact, all dogs see praise and positive attention as rewards, so it’s important that you teach your puppy right now that certain behavior will not be allowed or praised. For instance, when your puppy does a “job” on your floor, do you praise him? Most likely, not, so why would you want to praise your puppy for jumping on your friends, when this will be frowned upon later in life? If you begin teaching your puppy what you expect of him right now, by the time your adorable puppy is an adorable big dog, you will have a polite, friendly pet.
The first step in raising a polite puppy is to teach him to calmly sit down. Make sure that he will sit when greeting everyone you encounter until they have a moment to say “hello” to him. Once your visitor is in, have them say hi to your puppy and praise him for being a “good boy” without allowing him to jump on your visitor. Once your visitor has said hello to your dog, then you take the time to reward your puppy with praise and positive reinforcement.
Over time, this will teach your pooch that the best way to behave is to sit politely while he waits for you to tell him it’s okay to greet your visitor or you. Now, remember to be diligent in this, because even if you accidentally slip and pet him when he misbehaves, then you are telling him it’s a good thing to be a “bad dog” and that will only serve to undo all that you’ve done.
So, here’s a good way to get started on working to have a polite puppy. From the first day you bring your new dog home, you need to begin teaching him to be well behaved. That means that you show him how he can get attention. So, if he runs over and jumps on you, you have to show him how to sit nicely in front of you so that you can reward him with positive praise. Now, contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to yell at your dog to get him to understand what you are trying to teach him. Instead, work with a lower pitched, stern voice and tell him no. Then work to correct his behavior by showing him what you expect. At that time, you can go to him and rub his tummy and give him all kinds of positive praise. It won’t take long for him to learn that he isn’t to jump on all your friends and visitors.
Puppies are fun and cute, but they aren’t always easy, so don’t get discouraged if your new pet takes a couple of tries to get things right, just keep working at it and before you know it, you will have the most polite puppy on the block and that will make all your work worth it.
Does Your Dog Exhibit Separation Anxiety?
Sometimes, even our pets can get anxious and worried when we leave them at home. You can help to ease separation anxiety in your dog or puppy so that he will feel safe and secure and you won’t have to worry about having your home torn up. Dogs are pack animals so when their pack leader leaves, especially when they are young, it can be a stressful event for your dog, but it doesn’t have to be.
A new dog or puppy is exciting, and because of this it’s likely that you’ve been giving your new pet heaps of love and attention, but this might not be the best thing for your new pet. When you give your dog or puppy every moment of your spare time, you could wind up with a problem when you get back to normal life. To help against this situation, try to get your dog used to being alone some times. Consider putting your dog or puppy in a crate for a short time while you are home so that he understands that everything will be okay even when you’re not with him.
Be sure to give your dog lots of love and attention during most of the rest of the time and when you bring him around your family again, so he knows that you still love him. If you separate from your dog slowly, it shouldn’t be traumatic for him when you have to leave for a longer time. Make sure to reward him for a job well done with lots of praise and show excitement when you arrive home again.
When you’re gone, your dog should feel happy and safe, but if you don’t give him something to look forward to, then he may not feel as if you leaving is a fun thing. You can change that by offering him some treats or a new toy when you leave so that he will be happy and satisfied even though you’re gone. You can also give him a chew bone or anything that he loves when you are away so that he can associate you leaving with being a satisfying experience. This will keep your puppy or dog from experiencing anxiety due to your absence and you’ll find your house will thank you, too.
If you need to confine your dog to one room when you leave, make sure it is a place where he feels comfortable. Some say that a crate isn’t a good place to confine your dog, but others will argue that some dogs actually like it. Many dogs will get to the point that they lie down in their crate even when the family is home, so as long as you give your space where you will be confining him a pleasant place, you probably won’t have any problems. Also, don’t treat your dog’s “confinement” space as a bad space; just make it a place where he can go when you are gone so he can feel safe.
Remember that you are not a bad dog owner by leaving the house. Everyone does it and it must be done. Your dog will be there when you get home and he will be healthy and safe. Make sure that you get your dog plenty of exercise before leaving for the day to ensure that he’s not going crazy while you’re gone and don’t make a big deal out of leaving, which can leave your dog feeling anxious. Instead, do what you need to do to get your pooch ready and head out. When get home, you can spend time.
