JoJo is a Black Labrador puppy with enormous paws and disarmingly soft eyes. She also has the look of a canine about to burst into the zoomies but knows someone will yell at her.
The family JoJo lives with includes two parents and three kids, all ages 15 and older.
Its a good fit for JoJo – enough activity to keep things interesting, and enough downtime to do some serious napping.
But somehow, things were just not working out the way the family had hoped. After all, they had waited years to get a puppy, until they felt that their children were old enough to take on some of the responsibility for a canine companion. They had done their research, too, locating a reputable breeder who chose the puppy she felt was best for their energy level and lifestyle.
What went wrong??
The typical response to any of these behaviors was to yell “NO!!” at JoJo. Sometimes this was accompanied by pushing her, chasing her, tapping her nose with a finger, or grabbing her collar.
None of this worked, of course. Repeating these various corrections just made everyone frustrated.
I should mention that JoJo is 13 weeks old, pretty much the equivalent of a toddler.
Let’s see…
How many times do we have to tell a toddler not to touch the outlet, or run into the street, or that he can’t have a piece of candy? We know that we will have to guide this little human by repeating instructions and warnings for, well, about 18 + years.
Yet somehow, we expect our puppy to “get it” immediately and never ever do that unwanted behavior again. So in the interest of human/dog harmony and happiness, here is my top 10 list of puppy advice:
EXPECT that teaching a puppy, like schooling a child, will take years, lots of repetition, and patience.
Mistakes will be made by the puppy and by the humans.
Get everyone in the family on board, using the same words and techniques, because nothing confuses a pup more than never knowing what is going to happen next.
PREVENTING unwanted behavior is better than trying to stop it once it starts. For example, you would not give a puppy the run of the entire house when housebreaking is still an issue.
Yelling NO and getting physical does not work. It only encourages sassy barking and the application of small sharp baby teeth to your ankles.
Do a bit more research and find a Certified Professional Dog Trainer who will help you teach your puppy the basics of polite behavior, using positive reinforcement (rewards, not punishment).
Appropriate toys, especially safe chew-worthy bones and food-based puzzles, are the dog-equivalent of a Disney video.
Try, I know its hard, but really try, to stay calm, maintain a sense of humor, and put things into perspective. This too shall pass.
Be grateful that puppies sleep a lot.
Remember that most puppies grow up to be much loved dogs we can enjoy for 15 or so years.
