DON'T TAKE GOOD BEHAVIOR
FOR GRANTED
Watch for good behaviors and reward them. All too
often training consists of waiting until the puppy does something wrong and then
punishing it.
SET YOUR PUPPY UP TO
SUCCEED
Do not ask for more than your
puppy can give. If you call a young puppy to come when he is barking at a
squirrel you've asked him to do an almost Herculean task. It's even worse to
call your puppy over and over again, because you have not only set him up to
fail, but you have taught him to ignore your call.
BE CONSISTENT
It is only fair that the puppy
knows what to expect in the way of rewards or reprimands in all similar
situations.
MAINTAIN A REWARD /
PUNISHMENT RATIO 5:1
For every time you scold your
puppy, five correct behaviors should be rewarded. Relying mainly on punishment to
shape behavior doesn't work any better with puppies than it does with people.
CHEWING
First, promote the desired
behavior. It is much easier to teach the puppy to chew a limited of objects than
NOT chew thousands of objects around the house. Encourage proper chewing by
frequently playing with the toys, scenting toys with a small smear of food, and
teaching to fetch. Every time the puppy puts its mouth on a toy, praise him
enthusiastically. During the first year, keep everything out of reach. If it
can't be put up, make it taste bad. A small amount of ChewGuard
or Bitter Apple is a
very effective deterrent. Should you catch him in the act of chewing, give a
firm startling "NO!" and then offer a chew toy. Follow with praise
when the pup mouths it. Motion-activated
alarms can be used to keep the pet off furniture or away from objects it
might chew.
AS FOR PUNISHMENT
No puppy should ever be struck
with the hand. THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSON EVERY PUPPY SHOULD LEARN IS
THAT THE HAND IS A FRIEND! He will have hands reaching for
him/her thousands of times throughout his life. We do not want any anxiety associated with hand movement that might result in biting. The best way to show
the puppy that a behavior is not acceptable is to make a sharp noise or give a
sharp, short verbal
reprimand every time it occurs. The response should only be given during the
undesired behavior and should stop as soon as the behavior stops.
JUMPING ON
PEOPLE
Jumping up on people is the most
common problem of unruliness exhibited by puppies. It can be a very easy problem
to correct if all the family members are consistent in handling it. First, teach
the puppy to greet people by sitting. A helpful exercise is to hold a piece of
kibble at nose level and call the puppy. When he gets to the food, slowly raise
it over his head and ask him to sit. Praise and reward a correct response. Back
up several feet and repeat. This teaches the puppy to come when called, sit on
command, and sit when he comes up to a person. The best correction for a jumper
is a firm "NO" followed by a loud noise (clap your hands or use a can
containing 6 to 8 nickels on hand as a "shake can". This will startle
the puppy and will get the attention of even the most active puppy. Wait three
to five second, then praise the puppy for having its paws firmly on the ground.
Puppy
Owner Reading List
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westwoodanimalhospital.com
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