Babara Bush
How timely and correctly you approach the upbringing of a puppy depends on its further development, behavior, and mutual understanding. Many people believe that it is necessary to start raising and training a dog after it is 7–8 months old, and before that age, it is enough to just walk the dog, train it at home, outdoors, and do not particularly strain the puppy with various training exercises. This opinion is wrong. It is necessary to start training and, in general, raising a puppy from the first day the dog appears in the house.
Where to begin?
First, choose a name for your dog and train your pet to respond to that name and your voice. You should not assign a puppy long, complex nicknames, difficult to pronounce. It is better to choose a shorter, more sonorous version that is easy to pronounce and understandable for your dog. It is easy to accustom a puppy to a nickname – it is enough to call his name at each call and reinforce this action with a treat, stroking, or playing. Over time, the nickname will become a conditioned signal for the dog, to which it will react, showing attention to whoever pronounces it.
Teach your puppy to be hygienic
The first time walking with the puppy is undesirable. It is recommended to stay at home until the end of the vaccination procedure, so mark the puppy’s natural needs during this time. This could be an absorbent diaper, an old towel, or a tray. They need to be placed near the front door. Push the awakened, playing, or eating puppy to this place or carry it in your arms. Wait for the puppy to do his thing, and then do not change the diaper or wash the litter box for one day. The smell will attract the puppy next time, allowing him to quickly get used to going to the toilet in one place.
As soon as the puppy is allowed to go out for a walk, the litter box or diaper should be removed. It is advisable to take the puppy for a walk as often as possible. Then he will quickly get used to going to the toilet only on the street.
Train your puppy to the spot
As your own place, which the puppy should have, you can choose bedding, a soft mattress of small size, a couch, a soft booth, a cage, or a container. The main condition for choosing is the comfort and convenience of the pet.
Place the place for the puppy in a cozy corner of the house or apartment, it should not be in the kitchen, not on the aisle, and away from heating devices. Each time, taking the puppy to the place or sending him there, reinforce his actions with a treat and gentle words. If the puppy settles down to rest in other parts of your house, carefully carry it to the place, stroke it, and say a few affectionate words.
A place for a dog is her little home, in which she should be calm, comfortable, and safe. It is to this perception of the dog’s place that one should strive.
Never punish a dog by sending it to its place, and even more so do not punish or disturb the dog when it is in its place.
Don’t make your dog a beggar
Many puppies start begging quite actively when family members or the owner are eating. Never, under any circumstances, feed your puppy from the table or near the table. Don’t do it yourself and don’t let anyone else do it. It is enough just once to treat the dog with something from the table during breakfast, lunch, or dinner, and you will get a beggar dog, which will not only look at you with sad eyes and salivate near the table but also be sure to check what is left on it when you leave the kitchen.
Don’t provoke your dog into destructive behavior
Many puppies have fun using the shoes of the owner and other family members as toys. They taste furniture, electrical wires, curtains, and examine the contents of trash cans and flower pots. All this happens due to the fact that the puppy needs play and active actions for development. Puppies are inherently researchers, and, as a rule, they are very fond of trying all the objects of their interest to the teeth.
What needs to be done to prevent the puppy’s actions from being a devastating disaster for your home? Here are some helpful tips:
Raise the wires lying on the floor to a height unattainable for the puppy;
Put your indoor and outdoor shoes in closets. If the puppy is interested in curtains, raise them for a while to the windowsill;
Provide the dog with toys and take an active part in the game yourself;
If the puppy can already walk, make sure that the walk is not a slow promenade, but takes place in good dynamics and with dosed physical exertion. Tired after a walk, the puppy will eat and rest with appetite, gaining strength. He will not have time and energy for hooliganism in this regime.
Don’t let your puppy become a leader
Almost all dogs tend to exhibit dominant behavior as they grow older. This can be determined by the following actions:
The puppy actively bites his hands, while showing imitative aggression (growls, gets angry, does not react to the prohibition);
He takes a place on a bed, sofa, or chair, and when he tries to send him to the place he resists;
Does not respond to the ban and tries to climb on the table in search of food;
Actively resists and tries to bite when examining his ears, teeth, rubbing his paws, combing;
He growls and guards his food, does not allow him to pick up the bowl;
The puppy seeks to run out of the house or apartment before you, regardless of the prohibitions;
He actively tries to impose communication on you, interferes with rest, tirelessly pesters, barks, does not respond to commands;
Behaves unnecessarily independently during a walk, does not come up on the command “Come to me”, runs away.
Your task is to deprive the puppy of the attributes of a leader and try to make sure that he perceives you as a leader and obeys unquestioningly. Only under such conditions, it is possible to stop the dominant behavior and eliminate in the future the problems of upbringing and training your dog.
What to do?
When the puppy tries to bite your hand, say loudly: “No”, “You can’t”, “Stop”, “So”, “Be ashamed” (there are a lot of options) – and sharply slap the puppy in the face. If you try to renew the bite, repeat the slap, but with more force. As soon as the puppy stops unwanted actions, pet, give a treat, play with him.
Drive the puppy away from the places where the owner and his family members should rest as sharply and with thunder in your voice. Feel free to slap him on the bottom with a wet rag or towel. There will be no injury, but there will be unpleasant sensations. Send the puppy to the place in a calm voice, there, encourage him with a treat, stroke, and praise in a gentle voice.
Ensure that the puppy allows him to examine himself calmly and without resistance. You can start simply by touching the dog and treating it to a treat. Gradually, the procedure should be complicated by adding an examination of the ears, claws, teeth. Reward your puppy with a treat every time if he is calm and doesn’t resist. With active resistance, when neither affectionate persuasion nor delicacy help, grab the puppy by the withers and shake it well, then continue the examination procedure, and be sure to encourage calm and submissive behavior.
Do not feed the puppy from the table.
Do not allow him even the slightest display of aggression when eating. Stay close to the puppy at the time of feeding. Remove food from the bowl, and then put it back in the bowl (feeding with ready-made food allows you to do this many times). Teach your puppy a little exposure before admitting it to the bowl of food. To do this, give the command “Sit” before putting the bowl with food and, after a short pause, allow the puppy to eat. Let all family members take turns feeding him, from children to the elderly. When a puppy tries to growl, do not be embarrassed or show fear, because this is just a puppy, and it cannot cause any serious injury. Your confident demeanor will forever make the dog know who is the master of the situation.
Going out for a walk, do not let the puppy rush out of the door, restrain him with a leash and a sharp command “Near”. Teach your puppy to go out for a walk in a disciplined way, for this, show the strength of character, and, if necessary, strength.
When trying to impose communication on you, do not succumb to provocation, do not react to the actions of the puppy for a while.
Sometimes indifference and lack of reaction is the best way to avoid provocation from the dog.
If the behavior is very intrusive, ask the puppy to follow a command, and then send him to the place, previously encouraged. Obsessive behavior can be suppressed by a prohibition, chasing the dog away from you or causing it, albeit small, but still a nuisance. The dog should associate this annoyance coming from you with his obsessive behavior. Henceforth, she will think well before deciding to prevent you from going about your business.
From the first days of walking with the puppy, practice the command “Come to me” and establish the right relationship with him. Communicate with the puppy on a walk, offer play, closely monitor the puppy’s behavior and correct it in time.
This will help you gain the necessary knowledge and skills, which will help you establish proper contact with the dog and educate it competently in the future. At the same time, the puppy will gain experience of communication with other dogs and will acquire the necessary skills of correct social behavior and obedience.
When the puppy turns 4 months old, be sure to take a course of educational training at a canine school or on a training ground.