It is important to remember that your puppy not only learns by rewarding good behavior but it also learns by disciplining undesirable behavior. Sometimes a certain behavior may look cute while your puppy is small, but you need to think ahead and determine if this behavior will be desirable from an adult dog. If the answer is no, then you need to curb their behavior as a puppy.

Consistency is the most important tool for training a puppy. Each family member needs to use the same techniques and commands so as not to confuse your puppy. It is important to remember that a puppy associates a reward, or a disciplinary action with his/her behavior in the past 3 seconds. Waiting longer than 3 seconds to reward or discipline is very confusing to a puppy. The following are undesirable behaviors and tips on how to correct this behavior.

NIPPING/BITING-

Your puppy is teething it has an insatiable desire to chew. You cannot stop this behavior, but you can certainly direct your puppy to chew on acceptable items until this phase passes (at about a year of age). The only way puppies know how to play is the typical wrestling, biting, chasing, tackling, pulling and nipping they do with their littermates. In the absence of littermates, you and your family are going to become the new littermates. Each and every time your puppy puts its mouth or teeth on you or your clothes, you immediately need to remove the teeth from the object, firmly close the puppy’s mouth with your hand, and firmly, deeply, and loudly say “NO”. Your puppy will undoubtedly nip/bite at you again. Repeat this same disciplinary action a total of 3 times in a row. After the 3rd disciplinary action, distract your puppy by giving him/her something he/she can chew on. Every now and then, a particularly feisty puppy will become more excited by this disciplinary action and need a more distinct disciplinary measure. This next action needs to be initiated quickly. When the first 3 disciplinary actions don’t seem to work, you can use another technique that may be more successful, immediately upon your puppy putting his/her mouth on you, put your thumb on the tongue and your other fingers underneath the jaw and press down on the tongue. This will be uncomfortable for your puppy. When behavior meets with uncomfortable consequences, the behavior will stop. Another option is to mix 30% white vinegar and 70% water in a small spray bottle. Spray this on your puppy’s face each time he bites at you.

With all this being said, the absolute best remedy is for you to arrange daily play times. With other puppies or dogs would be good but if that’s not an option, then you should make he can exert physical energy by running and playing with your family. Allowing your puppy to expend energy this way will help him/her to be much calmer the rest of the day. Some suggestions for play are: walking/running with your puppy, (a good time to get some leash training in) playing pitch and catch with a ball. We love bug by the way and water! If the weather is warm, playing in a kiddy pool is great!

The bottom line is that your puppy needs to have active playtime each day. It is your job to find and create activities that are fun for your puppy and that tire him/her out.

JUMPING-

Your puppy will jump on you to get your attention. This may seem innocent while your puppy is small, but Grandma may not appreciate being knocked over by a full-grown untrained dog. You will need to push a puppy down and say “OFF” firmly each time he/she jumps at a person. Make sure you do not reward the puppy for the act of getting down as this will only enforce the behavior of jumping up only to be told to get down for the reward.

GROWLING –

Your puppy may growl at you from time to time as the way to communicate his/her dislikes of something. This is not a sign of aggression, UNLESS you allow this to go undisciplined over time. Expressing fear when your puppy growls teaches him/her that you back down when you hear a growl and allow them to step up in dominance. You need to actively discourage any and all growling directed at you. If your puppy growls at you when you get close to the food bowl, immediately remove the food bowl and feed the puppy out of your hand. If he/she growls when you brush him/her, scold the puppy and continue brushing. Do not stop brushing until the puppy accepts this without growling. If he/she growls as you’re trying to take something from him/her, turn the puppy on its back and promptly take the item from the puppy. Each puppy needs to learn his place in the pecking order of your family. Obviously, they need to be the lowest on the totem pole. If allowed to be the boss, growling is a normal thing for a puppy to exhibit when showing his dominance. It is easily curtailed with appropriate discipline, but many become fearful instead, adding validity to the dog’s sense of the place in the family. Each family member must establish they are the boss. This includes young children who are timid or fearful of the puppy. Remember that any behavior you allow as puppy is then extremely difficult to curb later in life!

If you do not wish to have your adult dog go on the furniture, do not sit on the furniture holding your puppy. If you do not want your grown dog to grab your pant leg etc. do not play tug of war or other aggression games with your puppy!