4 Simple Steps to a Well Behaved Puppy

Puppy training is a lot like training your child. When dealing with behavior issues you should always be consistent. When you bring the puppy home decide on one person who will be training the dog. Try to always have that person training the dog, this creates less confusion. Dogs are pack animals and will try to assert there dominance but a few training tips can help him see someone else as the leader of the pack.

Puppies like babies teeth. Biting and chewing are caused by the puppy teething. It can also be caused by excess energy and stress. Puppies understand low guttural sounds and will react to them. If he begins to bite or chew on something inappropriate then say "no" in a low guttural voice. Then proceed to give him a safe chew toy that he can chew and bite. Giving them chew toys that resemble things he cannot chew or bite will only confuse him , so be careful of what chew toys he receives. Barking is another common and annoying puppy behavior. Excessive barking can be fixed with a little puppy training. It is often caused by loneliness or boredom. If the cause is loneliness then spending a little more time with the dog may be the answer. If this puppy training doesn't work it may be that it has become a habit. Try filling an empty can with some pebbles, when the dog barks roll the can in his direction and use the low guttural voice to tell him "no". The can is not to hit dog , only to startle him and grab his attention. Puppies like to dig. Sometimes it is because of the breed. Some breeds are just known to be diggers. Unfortunately there is no definite puppy training to cure this one. Instead try to understand why they are digging and fix that problem. It may not cure the problem but it may help. If the dog is digging during the summer months to find a cooler spot, try providing a cooler spot for your dog to lay down. A puppy that jumps on you might be cute but imagine him as an adult dog jumping on you. Part of puppy training is fixing the behavior problems before they become adult dogs. There is a way to discourage the puppies jumping. Avoid petting your puppy when he jumps, it will only encourage him. When your puppy jumps lean towards him and say in a low guttural voice "off". When he backs away tell him to sit and then praise him. This shows him that he will only get what he wants by doing the desired behavior. Puppy training takes patience and consistency. However puppy training is a lot easier than training an adult dog. Taking care of the problems while he is still a puppy will save you a lot of frustration in the end.