SETTING YOUR PUPPY UP FOR A WONDERFUL RELATIONSHIP WITH YOU.

Having a dog is a wonderful experience, but in order to have the best possible relationship with your dog, you need to establish some rules, boundaries & limitations RIGHT FROM THE START! From the moment they’re born, puppies look to their mothers for guidance and training. But once that puppy joins your family, the pup no longer has her mum to guide her so the torch gets passed on to you. You need to be the one making the rules and setting the boundaries with your pup to ensure both of you lead happy, balanced lives. If you don’t start this from an early age, your pup will end up being the one to make the decisions and I can almost guarantee they won’t be ones that you will like or agree with ESPECIALLY ONCE HE IS FULLY GROWN. If you’re new to this and you’re not quite there yet, don’t worry! You can learn the skills necessary to establish these rules and boundaries by joining a TLC dog training program or our puppy socialisation class. Check us out at - https://www.tlcdogtrainers.com/ Here are some examples of puppy behavior that you may need to learn or change - Does your pup wake you up and demand attention for no reason. (Going toilet doesn’t count) If your pup is waking you up and it’s not to go to the toilet, it means he sees you as his playmate/litter mate, not his leader, and that is a trait you want to establish straight away. In order to correct this behavior, you will need to change your dog’s habits to let him know that you are the one who will wake him up. So if your pup tries to wake you up, simply ignore him. And then when he finally exhibits the desired behavior, reward him for following your lead. Do you reward your pup at the wrong time? Don’t pet your dog when she does something wrong. This affectionate act — or reward — nurtures the very behavior that you don’t want and will only convey that it’s okay for your dog to act that way. Instead, learn when the right time is for reward and the difference between rewards & bribery. Does your pup enter or exit rooms ahead of you? This behaviour can lead to your dog becoming demanding and pushy. By asking your dog to wait until you have gone through or before you invite him through is setting your dog up to be respectful and to have manners. Teaching your dog this behavior can set him up for many more learning curves. Is your puppy continuously jumping on you? Jumping is a dominance behavior. Enough said. So when your dog jumps on you, he’s asserting his dominance over you. But you can’t just jump on your dog, so you need to let your dog know that his jumping isn’t okay and learn how to curb jumping issues. Are you your pup’s source of excitement? In other words, does your pup get over excited when you get the leash for a walk. Whilst many people think this is ok, for a lot of dogs this excitement carries through for the whole walk making the walk hard work and not enjoyable. Or when you get home your dog is so excited you barely get through the door. Learn how to have your dog in a more relaxed state by booking into a class. Does your pup have the run of the house? She is on your bed, on the sofa, in the kitchen, in the bathroom, and going berserk at the front door if anyone dares to ring the bell. You need to set boundaries for your dog so she knows what is and isn’t allowed. Is your pup turning a deaf ear to your commands? If you haven’t trained your dog in basic obedience, you are losing your leadership role. Whilst most owners think their dog knows how to sit, stay and maybe even drop, I can almost guarantee that they really don’t. They do it when they want and the moment the dog is distracted, the command is broken. Are you already yelling at your pup for biting, mouthing or other undesired behaviour? Yelling is actually the best way of making sure your dog 1) never listens to you, and 2) develops fear and anxiety because he has no idea why you are yelling at him. To your dog, you're just another noise joining in with his noise.. So instead of yelling at your dog — which gets you nowhere, fast — Learn what else you can do instead. Is your pup starting to pull you on the leash? Does he even know what a leash is yet? Walking your dog should be an enjoyable, joint outing not something you cringe at doing or keep putting off because of fear of what you are going to encounter. Sometimes the problem can be solved in just one lesson, others may take longer but all dogs can learn how to walk calmly. Remember, when it comes to pack leadership, you are the one in charge. By setting boundaries now, you and your dog will be in great shape towards building your relationship and strengthening your bond for years to come.