Adding a new puppy to your family is a very exciting experience for most new owners. Puppies and dogs in general, fulfill our lives in many ways. Part of making the decision to bring a new puppy into your family means knowing and accepting the challenges that will exist in training him. The three most common behavior problems that new puppy owners experience in training are inappropriate chewing, inappropriate nipping and mouthing, and house soiling.
Chewing is a behavior that is quite common and very beneficial for puppies and adult dogs alike. This behavior can actually help aid in dental health if the pet is provided with proper chew toys. For example, Nylabone is a brand that makes excellent products that are approved and recommended by veterinarians. Although chewing should be expected and encouraged, puppies do investigate their environment and tend to put their little mouths on inappropriate objects. This is especially true during the teething milestone that occurs between three and six months of age.
Two very important elements to proper training are providing your puppy with adequate supervision and being aware of his environment. When assessing your puppy's play environment, always consider any thing that could potentiate harm such as electrical cords for example. Puppies are continually learning and are naturally curious about their surroundings. In an effort to combat your puppy's desire to inappropriately chew, provide him with a variety of fun and interesting chew toys. This will help deter a curious puppy from moving on to the wrong object out of boredom.
Another good training tool that will aid in curbing this behavior is providing your puppy with a regular exercise regimen. Exercise will alleviate any boredom that your pup may be experiencing. Additionally, exercising also releases the same endorphins that are released by chewing.
A second common behavior that will need to be addressed is aggressive nipping and mouthing. The most important aspect of correctly shaping this behavior is to start early. This holds true because it is much easier to train a pup while he is impressionable, rather than later correcting an unwanted behavior that has already been learned. As previously mentioned, puppies are continually learning and their behaviors are constantly being shaped whether we realize it or not.
It is important that, as dog owners, we recognize the difference between harmless, playful mouthing and early aggression. Puppies should be allowed to engage in playful mouthing and nipping. However, it is the human's job to establish the boundaries of such play. An effective way to communicate to your pup that he is playing too rough is to yelp out and disengage from any activity with the pup for a short period. The message being sent is that when you mouth or nip too hard, you lose my attention. This same lesson is also taught within the pup's litter as well.
The third and probably most challenging behavior problem of all is house soiling. There are a few good guidelines that may alleviate some of the frustrations that accompany this behavioral concern. Crate training is considered by many to be the most effective method of house training. It can be a wonderful asset to both you and your puppy's life if implemented and used properly.
With the crate training method, the idea is to create a “safe haven” for your pup. This is accomplished by selecting a crate that is just big enough for your puppy to have enough room to stand up, turn around and lie down. It is important that your puppy's crate not have too much room so that he can't relieve himself at one end and lie down on the other. Dogs typically do not like to void in the same area as they eat or sleep.
After selecting an appropriate crate, place a blanket and a variety of interesting toys within it. Hiding several tasty treats within the crate is also a good idea as well. Slowly introduce your pup to its new crate very carefully by encouraging him to explore it. You may even serve a few of your pup's meals inside the crate so that he learns to feel comfortable with it.
As your puppy becomes more acclimated, leave him in his crate for longer periods of time. However, it must be understood that young puppies should never be crated for more than 1 to 2 hours at a time. In very early stages of life, puppies are unable to exercise the muscle groups needed to control their bladders. When your puppy grows and matures a bit, he will eventually be able to comfortably tolerate a few hours of being crated. In the meantime, remain consistent in training and always use positive reinforcement. This is a key component to successfully house training your puppy. Always offer your puppy frequent opportunities to go outside and provide excessive praise immediately following a job well done.
Bringing a new puppy into your family certainly means a lot of work for you as its new owner. However, following the advice of your veterinarian as well as considering the above guidelines will certainly make your training a lot easier. Remember, you are ultimately responsible for your pet's behavior.
