Dam Jasmine Southern Sky

View Pedigree

     

     

"REMEMBER HUMANS, Puppies just wanna have fun!"

Top Ten Puppy-Raising Mistakes

1. Failing to provide socialization with strangers, including children, the elderly, people of different ethnicities, and physically or mentally challenged individuals.

2. Failing to provide sufficient socialization to unfamiliar dogs of all sorts: large, small, submissive, confident, playful and aloof.

3. Failing to take advantage of easy opportunities for learning while the puppy is young (such as bit inhibition, coming when called, following off leash and elimination on cue).

4. Failing to provide for the puppy’s natural behaviors. Puppies are going to play, so teach them to play appropriately. Teach the puppy to play tug, but teach it that it can’t play tug with trouser legs, only with its tug toy. Don’t try to curb the puppy from shredding things altogether, instead remove your shoes from its mount and give it a stuffed toy to destroy. Some dogs with behavior problems stemming from the need be the leader shouldn’t play games in which they compete against their owner, especially if they win. However, most dogs don’t have such issues.

5. Failing to play with the puppy. (Play is the best way to bond with a puppy so get down on the floor, roll around and have a good time!)

6. Failing to handle or touch the puppy enough. Puppies need to learn to enjoy or at least tolerate being handled, groomed, and most importantly, restrained.

7. Discourage food guarding by feeding the puppy or giving it a chew bone and leaving it alone. Sit with the puppy, stroke it, talk to it and give it treats, so you teach it that it can trust you to be near its food and bones. However, don’t make the mistake of constantly taking the food and bones from the puppy. This just teaches the dog to guard its possessions from you.

8. Failing to use a balanced approach to rewards and discipline. Some owners are too stern and controlling, others are too permissive. Much like parenting a child, there is a balance of positive instruction and a touch of effective discipline to teach boundaries to behavior that is just right for a particular puppy.

9. Failing to provide the puppy with sufficient exercise. Most people don’t realize how much exercise a dog needs. Puppies need plenty of exercise, too, but they can’t have forced exercise. They must be able to flop down and rest, too.

10. Giving too much free food. Food is available tool for encouraging training and for establishing a bond with the owner, so it shouldn’t be given away willy-nilly. Carry treats and reward the puppy for simply looking up at you so this behavior will increase in frequency.