Raising a puppy is such a joyous and fulfilling experience, especially when you see them grow up into a dog very fitting of the title, “man’s best friend.” How you care for your dog is pivotal to how they grow up. That is why you better start them young. It is important that you immediately spot their bad behaviors and habits, if any, and correct these as early as the puppy stage.
What do you have to watch out for?
Dogs are generally playful by nature, especially during their puppy days. To know what to watch out for, you must consider the everyday environment of your pet. Do you have children in the house? Do you usually have visitors? Is your dog allowed on the furniture? Is your dog meant to be a service, guard, or herding dog? In general, what is important is that you and your dog are on the same page and understand what the other is trying to say.
Either way, some common problems fall under categories like aggression or overenthusiasm, scavenging like digging and other instinctive behaviors, difficulty in dealing with other dogs or people, and bad habits like biting furniture and destroying toys.
What can you do?
One of the most helpful solutions is taking the time to reevaluate what life is like for your dog. Maybe some of your canine friend’s problems are caused by issues from their previous owners. Or, they might not have enough opportunities to release their puppy energy or have an irregular feeding schedule. As a fur parent, you need to understand that all of these things greatly affect how a dog behaves, just like with kids.
In the same way that kids get unruly when they have too much energy, dogs tend to get too easily excited, aggressive, or even destructive when they do not have enough to do or enough space to move around. You can then redirect all this energy to the outdoors through a long brisk walk or a trip to the park.
Another way of redirecting their energy and instinctive behavior is through training. For example, you can have your dog trained to bring throw pillows or toys to visitors to redirect their excessive barking or howling whenever someone is at the door. Try to think of possible tricks you can teach your dog that can help build a bond with them as well as mitigate any of these bad habits.
Where can you get help?
If you do not think home solutions are going to help you or your dog, it is best to turn to an expert in the field. Make sure to visit your local veterinarian and ask for recommendations on what you can do to correct your puppy’s behavior. You can also have your pet undergo puppy training programs in Loxahatchee.
All in all, it is always ideal for us to have the dog we want, but most of the time, it is not the dog’s problem you do not like them. If we become better owners, we can raise better dogs.