During the Holiday Season nearly 65 % of the puppies that are purchased will be in a different home next year. According to the National Council and Pet Population Study and Policy, unresolved behavior problems are the most common reasons why dogs are surrendered. These behavior problems include aggression, jumping, housebreaking, pulling on a leash to chewing and destructive behaviors.

All of these behavior problems could be avoided or corrected if proper steps are taken the moment the Puppies is brought home. This can be accomplished by establishing some basic ground rules. One of the first rules to remember is that dogs do not communicate the same as humans. If you treat your Puppies like an infant, your Puppies will treat you like an animal.

Within the social hierarchy of the canine kingdom there exists what is know as a “pack instinct or pack mentality.” Simply put, there exists a linear hierarchy (pecking order) where one dog leads and the next one follows. There is never equality among dogs as with humans. Establishing yourself and other family members, as leaders will go a long way to help your Puppies to learn proper behavior.

Structure and routine are methods that help establish leadership. Too many people give their new Puppies far too much unsupervised freedom, which often results in puppies developing bad habits. It is far easier to teach a Puppies not to jump up on company when he is an 8 or a 10 week-old Puppies than when he is older.

Nature has dictated the tendency to avoid unpleasantness and to gravitate to those things that bring pleasure. Correction and affection go hand in hand. Learning to accept human affection may appear automatic, it is actually a learned behavior. Learning how to correct a Puppies safely and humanely may vary from dog to dog. What may seem to be an effective correction for one Puppies may be inappropriate for another.

If every Puppies could be trained using love, affection and treats alone, I don’t think I would be in business very long. Some "tough love" is necessary to establish behavioral boundaries with your Puppies. Rewarding only those things that you want your Puppies to repeat and correcting your Puppies when he does something that you want him to avoid. Rewards or corrections need to be immediate. If your Puppies sits on command, reward the Puppies within a couple of seconds. If you need to correct your Puppies for something he has done wrong, catch him in the act or he will not understand why he is being disciplined.

Puppies understand that there are consequences to choices. Try to maintain consistency with your Puppies and you will be amazed at how quickly he learns. Don’t leave obedience training for some time in the future. Buy a dog-training book; enroll in a class or private lessons. Training will last a lifetime and help to create a deeper bond with you and your pet if your pet understands the boundaries that you have established for him as his leader and caregiver.

Contact Information

Tom Beitz is the owner of the Academy for Puppies and Dogs and is an authorized dealer for Pet STOP Hidden Dog Fences. Tom can be reached at (716) 628-0651 to answer your questions or he can be found on the web at www.smartdogtrainer.com . E-Mail: Tom@Smartdogtrainer.com

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