Nobody wants to have to discipline their little puppy. This adorable
little pup is just looking up at you when it makes a mistake with a
little face that makes you just want to hug the little thing. You may
look into his eyes and think that you won’t have the heart to
discipline him.
I know how precious your puppy is to you and I know that you don’t
want to have to punish him because you may feel like you are being "the
bad guy" and you would prefer to love the cute little thing all day
long. When it is needed you are going to have to be the bad guy to help
your puppy learn discipline.
If you truly love your puppy you will have to push yourself to
squirt your puppy's nose with a water bottle when needed. You are going
to have to put a little fear into your puppy also by making a loud and
clear “no” when he is bad. Short commands and a loud voice will help
him to learn you mean business as well as letting him know when he is
making a mistake. I'm not saying you should be mean to your puppy.
It is good to love your puppy yes, you need to give puppies large
amounts of love and playtime. Keep in mind that with time your puppy
will double or triple in size and if you don't train him now his
behavior problems will grow with him. Puppies learn faster than dogs do
and they want to please you. While your puppy is young and cute you
need to train him to be the dog you want him to grow up to be.
You need to start teaching them to listen and do as you say at a
young age especially if your dog is a large breed dog. Who wants a dog
that is real big and doesn’t listen? Nobody, that is why there are so
many animals available at the pound. Think of it this way in a couple
of years your dog will be a “teenager” & we all know how well
teenagers listen.
How can you help your puppy learn discipline? Many people do not
have the finances to hire a professional dog trainer. On top of that,
most people have full schedules making it difficult to fit puppy
training into their routine. The critical learning periods are between
three to sixteen weeks old.You need to teach your puppy how to behave
during this phase of their life, if you wait they may have difficulty
learning how to properly behave.
These are some questions you can ask yourself to help your puppy training times:
-Are the lines of communication between the puppy and myself positive?
-Does my dog feel safe when I discipline him?
-Am I providing my puppy with the basic necessities of life; proper
nutrition, clean atmosphere, assigned sleeping quarters, and ample
exercise?
-Are the rules and boundaries I set consistent?
-Am I making sure my puppy knows good manners and basic dog etiquette are a priority when we play and spend time together?
Joann Henry operates "Doggie Health Care" (www.DoggieHealthCare.com), which is a blog all about our beloved four legged family member's health. She loves to give away free stuff! If you sign up to receive her newsletter, not only will you get some free tips to keep your dog healthier, but FOR A LIMITED TIME, she'll give you a FREE e-book. For more information, please visit: www.DoggieHealthCare.com
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