Puppy Class 3

Thanks for coming back for Puppy Class 3! As you can see by now, puppies are a lot of work!

Let's start today by going over some common problems that start off small and grow into a big deal.

Jumping: Is not cute. Period. If you do not want your full size dog to jump on you and others, you cannot allow your puppy to do so either. Jumping is an attention seeking behavior, so don't give your puppy ANY attention for doing it! (Not even negative attention.) Simply ignore the behavior, then praise them when the have all four feet on the floor.

Rough Play. Ouch, this can hurt, as puppies have very sharp little teeth! You should NEVER allow your puppy to put your hands or feet in their mouth. A puppy should learn that their teeth should never touch human skin. So, every time your puppy mouths you, YELP loudly and walk away. This way, puppy learns that he will have to play more gently if he wants the game to continue.

Always redirect mouthing behavior to an appropriate toy.

Puppy keep away: this is when your puppy grabs something you want, and that they shouldn't have. (your sock or remote control for example.) Then, you proceed to chase them all over the house trying to get it back. This is a super fun game for your puppy! One that they will most likely want to repeat every night. You cannot chase your puppy for the item...whatever it is. You must wait for them to get bored with it and drop it themselves. This is why it is so very important to puppy proof and supervise, so that puppy doesn't have access to forbidden items in the first place.

Teething: Puppies teethe just like children do. If your puppy is sore, you can wet a rag or a rope toy and freeze it. Then give it to puppy to gnaw on. Also, a cold carrot works too.

So in the end, work, responsibility and commitment equal a lifetime of LOVE.