Dogs are pack animals and many of their behaviors reveal this truth. When you get a new puppy one of the foremost and the most valuable things that you can do is to set up dominance. You are the "pack leader" and you must act appropriately.
A new puppy will instinctively spend a huge sum of time trying to figure out where they fit in the chain of command of their new home. They do this by trying to establish their own dominance. A few breeds have more forceful personalities such as the terriers or Chihuahuas. Other breeds are more biologically obedient.
As soon as your puppy comes home he needs to have his place in the pecking order recognized. He needs to discern that he must be submissive to you and that you and the other human family members are the prevailing members of the pack. All of the humans inside the home must be greater than him in the pecking order. This is not a matter of punishment but rather the way it must be in order for him to be content and to become a trustworthy doggy resident.
In order to begin the domination you must adhere to a few easy rules. Otherwise your puppy will be getting mixed signals and it will be more challenging for you to train him and he will be confused as to what you really want.
The leader must each time eat first. Do not let your puppy eat before you eat. If you are planning on eating about the same time as you plan to feed your puppy, you need to make your puppy wait until you are done. Or you can have your puppy eat at a complete different time than you eat. In the beginning you may want to call your puppy to you to get his food and make him wait before you give it to him. You can teach him to sit and then give him his food.
Daily grooming of your puppy sends him powerful signals about who is dominant. Your puppy may howl or even act like you have hurt him at the beginning when you handle him for essential grooming. You must just pay no attention to him and follow through with what you are doing. Always follow through with whatever you start with a puppy because they promptly learn when if you really mean something or not and if you are not following through your training will be difficult.
Most puppies use their mouths to nip and bite at things when they are very young. This behavior must be stopped at once. Give him a abrupt answer of "No" and a tap if needed. The pack leader never gets nipped and you are the pack leader.
The most notable thing with a puppy is to show him that you are the dominant leader of the pack so be careful of games such as "tug'o'war' where he could show some authority. You must applaud his good behavior with words and treats and overlook his poor behavior as you embark on obedience training. If you follow these simple tips you will have a well-behaved doggie resident.
Related posts:
- Dog Training Tips – What Is There To Learn
- Should You Buy That Bichon Frise Puppy For Sale?
- Biting Puppy Syndrome Is A Problem
- How to End Dog Aggression
- Different Reasons For Aggression In Dogs And Puppies
Posted under Dogs
This post was written by Luis D Sullivan on June 11, 2009
