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Common Puppy Behavior: Barking, Chewing, Jumping And Puppy Training
By:
Published: January 16, 2008
A puppy can be a joyful addition to a family. Cuddly and playful, puppies bring new life to any home. Although their cuteness and companionship are irreplaceable, young dogs need to be taught to control some of their natural behaviors. Otherwise, the barking, chewing, and jumping may get out of hand and cause problems.
With the proper training, however, any puppy can learn to behave properly around people and in the home.
Chewing often tops the list of new puppy owners' complaints. As much as they love their cuddly companions, they hate seeing their favorite furniture and shoes destroyed. Puppies need to chew in order to develop healthy, strong teeth. They don't understand why certain objects are off-limits for chewing and have to be taught this. To make them understand, owners should scold puppies for chewing inappropriate things while offering them alternative chew toys. That way, the puppy will have a way to fulfill its need without destroying household objects. Keeping valuable possessions safely hidden from growing dogs also helps, especially in the early stages when the puppy is still being trained.
Just like chewing, barking is a natural behavior for puppies. Dogs bark to express their excitement, warn strangers, or to call attention to their needs. Whatever the reason, barking can sometimes get out of hand. To keep the noise level down requires proper training. But first, the owner should make sure the puppy's needs are being met. If the dog is barking out of boredom or restlessness, schedule more frequent walks. If it is hungry, feed it larger meals. Otherwise, the puppy may just be trying to get attention. The best way to handle such a case is to simply ignore it. That way the puppy will learn that barking will not get it attention.
Another problem dog owners frequently complain about is jumping. Dogs jump on people to greet them, since that is the only way they can reach their level. Jumping may not seem like much of a problem with a small puppy, but it can become problematic when the dog grows bigger. Furthermore, it can bother visitors, who are often frightened or annoyed by a jumping dog. Training dogs while they are still young and teachable works best to discourage this behavior. One way to keep the dog from jumping is to reprimand it when it jumps and praise it when it keeps its feet on the ground. An owner can also train his puppy to sit or stay when visitors arrive. Both approaches should be tested at first; the method that is proven to work best on the dog should then be used.
Chewing, barking, and jumping are all common behaviors that every new puppy owner should expect to see. Fortunately, the correct training will eliminate undesirable habits and bring out the best qualities in a puppy as it grows up. Every owner should keep in mind that each dog is unique and responds to training differently. Sometimes, problematic puppies can benefit more from professional training than from their owners' lessons.
Sources:
"Problem Solving." Pet University. Central Garden and Pet, 2006. 15 Jan. 2008. http://www.petuniversity.com/dogs/training--behavi or/problem-solving.htm.
"Puppy Behavior, Part 2." Puppypawsitive's Weblog. Wordpress, 2007. 15 Jan. 2008. http://puppypawsitive.wordpress.com/2007/10/25/pup py-behavior-part-2/.
"Puppy Behavior Problems? You're Not Alone." The Puppy-Dog-Place. Myway LLC, 2007. 15 Jan. 2008. http://www.the-puppy-dog-place.com/puppy-behavior. html.
Chewing often tops the list of new puppy owners' complaints. As much as they love their cuddly companions, they hate seeing their favorite furniture and shoes destroyed. Puppies need to chew in order to develop healthy, strong teeth. They don't understand why certain objects are off-limits for chewing and have to be taught this. To make them understand, owners should scold puppies for chewing inappropriate things while offering them alternative chew toys. That way, the puppy will have a way to fulfill its need without destroying household objects. Keeping valuable possessions safely hidden from growing dogs also helps, especially in the early stages when the puppy is still being trained.
Just like chewing, barking is a natural behavior for puppies. Dogs bark to express their excitement, warn strangers, or to call attention to their needs. Whatever the reason, barking can sometimes get out of hand. To keep the noise level down requires proper training. But first, the owner should make sure the puppy's needs are being met. If the dog is barking out of boredom or restlessness, schedule more frequent walks. If it is hungry, feed it larger meals. Otherwise, the puppy may just be trying to get attention. The best way to handle such a case is to simply ignore it. That way the puppy will learn that barking will not get it attention.
Another problem dog owners frequently complain about is jumping. Dogs jump on people to greet them, since that is the only way they can reach their level. Jumping may not seem like much of a problem with a small puppy, but it can become problematic when the dog grows bigger. Furthermore, it can bother visitors, who are often frightened or annoyed by a jumping dog. Training dogs while they are still young and teachable works best to discourage this behavior. One way to keep the dog from jumping is to reprimand it when it jumps and praise it when it keeps its feet on the ground. An owner can also train his puppy to sit or stay when visitors arrive. Both approaches should be tested at first; the method that is proven to work best on the dog should then be used.
Chewing, barking, and jumping are all common behaviors that every new puppy owner should expect to see. Fortunately, the correct training will eliminate undesirable habits and bring out the best qualities in a puppy as it grows up. Every owner should keep in mind that each dog is unique and responds to training differently. Sometimes, problematic puppies can benefit more from professional training than from their owners' lessons.
Sources:
"Problem Solving." Pet University. Central Garden and Pet, 2006. 15 Jan. 2008. http://www.petuniversity.com/dogs/training--behavi or/problem-solving.htm.
"Puppy Behavior, Part 2." Puppypawsitive's Weblog. Wordpress, 2007. 15 Jan. 2008. http://puppypawsitive.wordpress.com/2007/10/25/pup py-behavior-part-2/.
"Puppy Behavior Problems? You're Not Alone." The Puppy-Dog-Place. Myway LLC, 2007. 15 Jan. 2008. http://www.the-puppy-dog-place.com/puppy-behavior. html.
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