Training a new puppy can be a heartbreaking experience for just about anyone that has a conscience. This helpless and adorable little doggie is just staring up at your eyes, making you melt into a pile of love mush. And you think yourself, ‘How in the world am I going to discipline this little guy, I just don’t have the heart!’
Yes, I realize that your puppy is so cute and you just want to hug and kiss his little face all day long, but you must get a hold of yourself and learn to do the dirty deed when necessary.
What Is The Dirty Deed?
Discipline, plain and simple.
You have to muster up the strength to spritz your puppy’s nose with a water bottle when needed. You have to learn how to instill a little fear into your dog with loud and quick commands whenever he is doing something wrong. It’s all about tough love and I know firsthand just how hard it can be.
Don’t Get Me Wrong…
Loving your puppy is definitely a good thing and huge amounts of affection and caring should be given to your dog on a daily basis. However, you have to provide a balanced dose of tough love, or else time will go by sooner than you think and your puppy will be two to three times his current size, and with behavior problems to match.
If you do not start taking the necessary steps to initiate training at a very young age, you will miss this golden opportunity to train and socialize your little puppy. Your dog will end up as a
problematic adolescent that will both destroy your home and your relationship altogether.
Consider the fact that in just one to two years’ time, your puppy will then be considered a ‘teenager’. And we all know that teenagers can be completely out of control if they were not properly disciplined in their younger years.
What Can You Do?
Many of you will not have the luxury to afford puppy training classes due to either finances or time. With busy schedules day and night, you have to do your best with the tools you have when it comes to training your puppy. It is imperative that you teach your dog how to behave during this prime early socialization period. The ages between 3 and 16 weeks are the optimum time for such training.
Here are a few questions you can ask yourself to help guide your puppy training initiatives:
1. Am I establishing open lines of positive communication between the puppy and myself?
2. Am I supplying the puppy with the basic necessities of life; good nutrition, sound sleeping quarters, and a clean atmosphere?
3. Am I setting and maintaining consistent rules and boundaries?
4. Are good manners and basic dog etiquette a priority when spending time with my puppy?