There are several common mistakes that new puppy owners are prone to making. It is worth knowing about these in advance, and making plans to avoid them yourself before your new arrival even comes home.
Not Having a Place to Contain the Pup
Without a crate or playpen where the pup can be safely contained when it cannot be watched, many of your belongings and home fixtures are likely to be chewed, and the pup could harm itself by swallowing inappropriate items or biting electric cord. It is not cruel to place the pup in a pen or crate for short periods, as long as the facility is not abused, and never used as a punishment. The pen should be a place of safety; somewhere the puppy knows it can rest and regard at its own space. Watching a puppy all day is potentially exhausting for anyone, and having somewhere safe to put their charge allowing both parties short breaks means it is less likely that an owner will make the next mistake.
Losing Your Temper
Puppies have the potential to cause endless frustration. Left unwatched, they can quickly destroy that brand new pair of shoes, or damage expensive items like kitchen units and furniture. Just when you think housetraining is sorted, they will leave a puddle in the middle of the house, and the inevitable nipping and chewing on your hands or legs can be downright painful. Smacking a puppy is not productive. To strike it hard enough to really hurt and make a point, you would probably need to bruise such a small animal. Tapping and pushing more gently only incites more puppy play- making the unruly activity worse. A loud sharp no, followed by immediate termination of the interaction- i.e. folding your arms and turning away from the puppy, avoiding eye contact altogether, is more effective. The best rule is; praise the good, totally ignore the bad. Remember you are dealing with a baby who doesn’t know any better.
Inconsistency and Permitting Undesirable Behaviour
If one member of the family shouts at the puppy for getting onto the couch, and another pats the couch and encourages it to jump up for a cuddle, the puppy will never know which behaviour is correct and become confused and stressed. It’s important to agree the rules for the new pet’s behaviour as a family before it arrives, e.g. whether it is to be allowed to get on the furniture or to stay by the table when the family are eating.
Being dragged around the streets by your little pup or having your trousers yanked to get your attention may seem cute when the dog is still tiny, but once it grows up, particularly if it could almost match you for weight, it will be intolerable. Do not allow the puppy to behave in any way that could cause you problems when it is adult.
Ignoring Training Needs
Very young puppies can start to learn basic obedience, and given correct treats will enjoy the session and learn fast. It is not unfair to expect your growing dog to obey set commands. Every dog should be given the chance to learn basic obedience at this perfect stage when they absorb knowledge rapidly and are eager to please. The dog will be much easier to manage as an adult if it is taught to obey commands, and far more pleasant to be around than one that has no training at all. Short sessions performed regularly will get the best results, so it doesn’t take much time to train your puppy. A good book can show you how to get the basics established.
Failing to Socialise
It is very easy to become overprotective of the tiny, adorable bundle of fluff you have brought into your home, but shielding it from other dogs and people altogether stores up lots of problems. Fear aggression is one of the commonest causes of negative reactions in dogs that encounter people and other dogs outside their home. It can become a serious problem- there are many people that only walk their dog early in the morning or late at night, so anti-social are their dogs that they try to avoid everyone. But if, as a pup, that dog had been exposed to other dogs the problem could have been avoided. Plan early on how you will socialise your puppy. If there are organised classes in your area these are ideal, but otherwise, make use of any responsible owners you know and introduce your puppy to their dogs and their families as soon as you can.
Paula Sainthouse - Paula Sainthouse holds qualifications in psychology, public relations, horse management & animal behaviour.
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