First few days with a new puppy are such a pleasant experience that only a handful of people realize that there are some serious puppy problems that have to be dealt with right from the very beginning.
Most people ignore them and let their pet grow without any supervision what usually results in a mature that can act aggressively and is hard to control. Cavorting around in blissful silliness and indulgence is only one side of the medal and it’s your responsibility to learn what’s on the other side so that you can take appropriate action before it’s too late. That is why I have compiled this short list of most common puppy problems and the most effective ways to solve them.
Puppy Problems Part 1 – Biting And Nipping
One of the most wide-spread puppy problems. Young dogs bite because of many reasons but the 2 most popular ones are:
- a) the teething period,
- b) the need to show dominance (even in such a young age).
The first one is a completely natural thing and will disappear with the flow of time. Puppy will bite and chew in order to find relief to the itching and pain associated with the teething period he goes through. You can stop him from nipping parts of your body by redirecting his attention onto more appropriate things like chewing toys.
The second cause for biting is more complicated and will require you to take action as soon as it surfaces. You will have to become an alpha male in your pet’s eyes or he will take over this position and, with the flow of time, become uncontrollable (now, this is a big puppy problem). You can do this by being firm and consistent, feeding your pet after you had your meal or rolling him onto his back and keeping in this position until he stops wriggling (this technique was copied from bitch’s behavior).
Puppy Problems Part 2 – Excessive Barking And Whining
Extremely annoying puppy problem that can lead to countless argues with your neighbors and sleepless nights. Dogs bark mainly out of boredom so as long as you are able to provide your pet with some entertainment you can significantly reduce the amount of barking heard.
A good idea is to purchase a set of Kong toys that can be stuffed with canine snacks and food and will force your to work really hard to get the treat out piece by piece. You can also start taking your pet on regular walks, play games with him or do a bit of obedience training. The purpose of all this is to make him as tired as possible because tired dogs prefer sleeping over anything else.
Puppy Problems Part 3 – Eliminating Inside Your House
This puppy problem appears in all households but differs in intensity. Some pups will learn to relieve themselves outside within a few weeks time while others may need few months.
This is because majority of new owner’s have no idea how to cope with this problem and use the wrong training methods. I have written tens of articles on this subject so please check out my other resources. In this short article I’ll try to fit the entire potty training philosophy into these 3 points:
- a) Create a den for your pet so that he has his own place to live in. Because dogs are naturally clean animals they will not soil their leaving areas and as a result learn how to control their physiological needs.
- b) When your dog needs to go outside always take him to one specified earlier spot and use the same command to trigger the elimination process every time.
- c) Keep an eye on the clock. Majority of dogs will have to urinate or defecate within the first 20 minutes after the last meal so make sure to schedule the meals regularly and look for such signs of coming poop as circling or sniffing.
Now, all of us want to raise a friendly and obedient dog who will be a pleasure to live with. No excessive barking or biting, jumping on people or urinating on the couch. There is a great dog training guide dedicated entirely to this subject and you can instantly acces it HERE. This is the exact method I used to train my dog to be the pet I wanted him to be and I vouch for it.
