Over the last 20 years of training and raising dogs, I’ve come up with the following top tips for how to help you and your puppy transition to a life of harmony.
- Have realistic expectations. If your pup is only 10 weeks old let’s not expect a perfect pup. Understanding dogs go through developmental stages like will save you tons of disappointment and stress. A good trainer can help you recognize what’s appropriate behavior and guide you and your dog to a harmonious life.
- Keep a tight schedule: Besides the housebreaking schedule, Puppies need exercise, training, play and rest every day. Keep sessions of play, training and exercise short. Puppies need their sleep to process what they’ve learned in each of those sessions. Puppies will need to go outside to eliminate immediately after waking, and approximately 10-15 minutes after eating or playing. A structured day will help your puppy learn where to go.
- Forget the “no”: your pup is still learning what they should chew on. The best way to ensure your dog chews on their own toys is to make them highly rewarding! If you catch your pup headed towards or already chewing on the wrong thing, gently remove them, grab one of their toys and play with them! The fact that you’re now playing WITH them and the toy will make it much more rewarding than chewing on the legs of your furniture. Yelling “no” at your dog will only scare them.
- Reward the good stuff/ignore the bad. I’m not saying ignore your dog when they’re tearing up your favorite comforter, but It’s never too early to start training your pup. Reward them for playing with the right toy, for sitting, for coming to you without jumping on you. The more we recognize and reward good behavior, the more likely it is to be offered instead of jumping.
- Consistency is key! This simple concept can save you and your dog a lifetime of confusion. Be consistent with your schedule, your training methods, your cues for behaviors