Once a puppy knows a behaviour, don’t repeat the command over and over. (Don’t forget to treat the area with an odour eliminator.) If you catch her in the act, simply clap a few times while saying “AAH-AHH!!” then get her out quickly to the appropriate spot. Instead, crate train her properly to avoid the issue. This will only teach your pup to fear the presence of the mess, causing her to eliminate in hidden spots, such as a closet. Those who free feed puppies never really know how much food gets eaten, because they keep adding to the dish throughout the day.Ī ten-week-old puppy has no idea what you are teaching her when you shove its nose into stool, other than you seem to get mad whenever that mess appears. Predicting when she is hungry is a training tool twenty minutes before mealtime, she’ll do just about anything for that cookie! Finally, feeding at precise times allows you to know exactly how much food she is eating, so you can keep her trim. Also, feeding at precise times creates a stronger food drive in your puppy. By feeding at specific times, you’ll “synchronize” her system, and make housetraining easier. By allowing her to snack all day, you’ll reduce the chances of creating a predictable elimination schedule if she always has food in her system, she will need to go more often. Leaving food down all day for your puppy to munch on is a mistake. Only when her housetraining is reliable should you begin to slowly increase her indoor independence. While indoors, try tethering her to your belt loop with a light, six-foot lead she will accompany you all about the home, yet never be more than six feet away. Prevent this by ensuring that your new pup is either with you, in her crate, or within a fenced enclosure. Every “accident” in the house due to lack of supervision sets your housetraining efforts back. Improper elimination, destroyed clothing or shoes, chewed wiring, or even escape can end up ruining your day and perhaps even hurting her. But if you allow yours to wander your home unsupervised, she will inevitably get into some sort of puppy trouble. Puppies have an unquenchable curiosity about their environment. When you cannot be with her, she should be with someone else, or in the crate.Though she can sleep the night in the crate, it’s best not to leave her in it any longer than six hours overnight, or more than four hours straight during the day. Feed in the crate, and have her sleep in it as well. Too large, and the puppy might eliminate in the back and lie down in the front. It should be tall enough for the puppy to stand in, and just long enough to allow her to turn around. Choose a plastic crate, which gives a more secure, snug sense than does a wire crate. The crate is in fact a great place to feed a puppy she will be able to eat in peace, away from other pets, children, or other distractions. A crate takes advantage of the dog’s innate desire not to soil its sleeping or eating area. Start training right away, day one!ĭogs are denning animals and prefer snug spots in which to eat or rest. Not true! By beginning simple obedience skills such as sit, down, stay, and come, you’ll give her a heads up and create a sense of focus and enthusiasm crucial to a well-mannered pet. ![]() Oddly, many people fail to recognize this, thinking that the only training that should occur is housebreaking. Not Starting Basic Training ImmediatelyĪn eight-week-old puppy is completely capable of learning basic obedience commands the moment she walks into your home. ![]() Avoid lifelong issues by simply choosing a puppy that has been with its mother and littermates for at least eight weeks-or, better yet, 12 weeks.Ģ. They can become skittish toward strangers and fearful toward other dogs. Puppies who leave too soon (before eight weeks of age) often struggle to learn proper bite inhibition and do not learn to interact normally with dogs or people. Unfortunately, some breeders and shelters allow puppies to leave the litter too soon this short-circuits the social imprinting process and can lead to ingrained problems. During the first eight weeks of a puppy’s life, she receives precious nurturing from her mother and learns invaluable social skills from her littermates. Here are 14 of the most common puppy blunders to avoid: But by avoiding the most common errors, you can increase the odds of enjoying the experience, and mentoring that puppy into adulthood. ![]() Housetraining woes, destructive chewing, barking, and other unsettling behaviours can quickly turn those good feelings into frustration and even regret. But without a basic understanding of the do’s and don’ts of puppy raising, things can go sour fast. The arrival of a new puppy can be an exciting, happy time.
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