Adding a puppy to your home can be an amazing thing to do. Dogs can offer so much love, as well as years of loyalty and companionship. Of course, while dogs can make fantastic pets, it can take a lot of time, effort, and hard work to get them behaving how you want them to. Puppies might be seriously cute and cuddly, but they can also be little monsters at times.
At first, those naughty behaviours they have, like stealing food, might have seemed cute, but now they may be starting to get you down. Puppies might still be young, but that’s no excuse for naughty or destructive behaviour. If bad behaviour isn’t dealt with now, it will only get worse as they get older.
If you want your puppy to turn into a well-behaved adult dog, you need to get their behaviour under control.
To help you do that, here is everything that you need to know.
Table of Contents
Don’t be afraid to ask for help
A mistake that many new dog owners make is being afraid to get help with their puppy. The truth is, unless you’ve had a dog before and know what you’re doing when it comes to puppy training, you’re going to struggle on your own. That’s why dog training courses can be beneficial as they give you the skills that you need to turn your naughty puppy into a well-behaved dog.
There’s nothing wrong with taking your dog to training classes. In fact, it’s actually good for them, as it allows them to socialise with other dogs and people. Plus, it will allow you to get an idea of what the best training methods are to use to deal with challenging behaviour.
Establish rules and stick to them
One of the most basic things you can do to make training your dog easier is to establish a set of rules and stick to them. Ask any dog trainer and they’ll tell you just how important it is for your pup to have a set of rules in place. Say, for example, you decide that you want your dog only to stay in the downstairs part of your house, you need to implement that rule and stick to it.
You can’t sometimes let your dog upstairs, once you set the rule, it has to always be constantly followed. Else, you’ll end up confusing your pup about what he is and isn’t allowed to do. Once a rule is set in place, such as that they have to wait to eat their food until your command, it must always be followed.
Use a reward system
To reward your puppy for good behaviour, having a system in place is important. The best rewards to use are, of course, treats, as dogs are very food orientated. Wherever you go, carry treats with you and reward your dog when he does something well. Say, for example; you’re on a walk, and your dog is off the lead. If he comes back when called, reward him with a treat and tell him he’s a good boy.
This trains your dog to understand that when he comes back when called, he’ll be rewarded. You can use the same concept with house training. When your pup cries to go outside and does their business where they’re supposed to, reward them. When they have an accident inside, don’t reward them. It’s as simple as that.
Dogs can make the most amazing companions, as long as naughty behaviours are stamped out at an early age, that is. Which is why taking the time to correct your puppy’s naughty behaviour is so important. If you don’t do this, those behaviours will become lifelong habits.
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