“Good” versus “bad” dog behaviours are a bit of a grey area because some behaviours are acceptable in certain families while others are not. There are some puppy behaviours that can be downright dangerous, however, and those are the ones that we want to nip in the bud. Perspectives on this may vary depending on the size and the breed of your puppy.
1. Jumping
Why do puppies and dogs jump on us? In most cases, they want attention and interaction. When we push them away or tell them “No” or “Off”, we’re fulfilling those desires, whether we like it or not. If we want to stop the jumping, we need to give them an alternative. Teach a default sit. This is a foundational behaviour that has a million uses – this is just one of them.
When your pup jumps – ignore them. Turn your face or even your whole body away and stay silent until they have all four feet on the floor or even sit. In many cases, a dog with a default sit cue will eventually sit in an attempt to get attention. The MOMENT those feet or the bum hit the ground and stay there for more than a second or so, reinforce!!! (This is why we always need cookies in our pockets.) It’s not going to be pretty or perfect, but in many cases, this is all it takes. Don’t allow your dog to jump up on others, even if they say it is OK. Ask them to turn to the side and ignore the dog. For dogs with a longstanding jumping problem or those that are a bit more stubborn, additional steps may be helpful. Just check in with us or your trainer for some other techniques to build the habit you want. And remember: Punishment never works long-term and will damage your relationship with your pup!
READ ALSO: How Pets Can Help You Cope With Stress
2. Poor Leash Manners
Poor leash manners isn’t a life or death situation, per se, but it can actually be dangerous if your puppy grows into a huge dog and you’re just a tiny human! In general, having an impolite walker is more of a nuisance but, as you can imagine, as dogs get big, bigger, and possibly biggest, this could make for a perilous circumstance if your dog pulls you or, worse, gets off-leash to pursue another dog or a squirrel. Having good leash manners will also help if you are out to keep your dog from jumping upon others. Have your dog sit, you can even step on the leash to keep your dog from jumping up, this will keep them in place for you to either get in front of them to get their attention or to free up your hand so you can have treats ready.
Learn MoreContributed by lombardvet.com
VIDEO: How To Correct Your Puppies Bad Behaviour – How to discipline your puppy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iy6iGyvovmE
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