1. Difference between training and behavior. Knowing when and how to use this two different approaches is key in order to create and to maintain a harmonious relationship with your puppy. Applying this two concepts correctly will allow you to teach your puppy what he/she can do and what he/she can´t do.
2. Socialization
a. Socializing with people Your puppy needs to meet as many people as possible and get used and confortable with all kinds of humans: men, women and children in different environments:.
b. Socializing with other dogs. Your puppy is been removed from his littermates. Playing with other puppies is simply natural to them. They exercise, learn social skills, boundaries, bite inhibition and a whole lot of other things that we don’t even know. Make sure you provide that puppy playtime.
Your puppy is been removed from his/her mother. Getting structure and guidance from the mother and from adult dogs is very important to learn social cues and boundaries in a very natural way. This also makes you his/her new parent. Good parenting simply does not exist without boundaries, structure and play time.
3. Teach your puppy to be left alone. Dogs are social animals by nature, so it’s not natural for them to be alone. We need to teach them to be left alone if not they can develop separation anxiety. Separation anxiety can turn to be a very serious problem. It can result in non stop barking /whining, destructive behavior and even peeing.
4. House training: House training relies on mastering this 3 simple concepts:
- Timing. Your ability to predict when your puppy needs to eliminate
- Supervision. The puppy is either going to be in his crate, in a confined area, under constant supervision or out side.
3. Rewards. Every time your pup eliminates in an appropriate area reward
5. Long term confinement area (Penn) and short term confinement area (Crate).
Using a confinement area wether is a penn or crate will teach your puppy to want to chew on appropriate toys, enjoy it’s own company and will prepare him/her for those times when he/she will be left alone.
6. Biting or mouthing. Biting and mouthing is completely normal behavior in a puppy. Knowing when to ignore, when to address and how to teach them bite inhibition is vital in order to prevent future problems.
7. Feeding. Food aggression is something that you can easily prevent if you do the right things from the beginning. Teaching your puppy how to eat in a calm sate of mind and getting use to your presence and hands will prevent future problems
8. Leash. How you present a leash to a puppy for the first few times is going to make a lasting impact on your puppy. Creating a good and calm association with the leash will prevent biting, pulling and fighting against it.
© Gabriel Riesco, NYC 2017. Revised in 2022