Shape your puppy’s personality
Our world is a new adventure for your pup, so it’s very important that you pay attention as you introduce and train your puppy to get used to a wide variety of sounds, places, people, and animals. Your pup will have a natural curiosity about everything, especially at eye level. Your pup will also look for clues about the world from your behavior. You will definitely need a little patience as your pup adjusts to his new environment.
If you have the opportunity to raise a dog from a puppy, both of you will be able to start your lifelong relationship on the right track. Establish regular routines that involve patterns of positive reinforcement early on.
Contrary to popular wisdom, you can teach an old dog new tricks, but it’s very difficult to break a lifelong habit that began when he was a puppy. For example, if you let your puppy sleep in bed with you every night, and then as he gets older you want to change this pattern, don’t blame the dog for not understanding his change of heart.
While a new puppy may whine and cry if he’s been separated from his mother and litter, and you’ll naturally want to comfort him, like you, your puppy is unique.
While it can take several years for human babies to develop various personality traits, many of the traits of adult puppies will form during their first year. Therefore, this is a very important time to tune in to your pups’ behavior and shape their socialization patterns through puppy training. It may be a good idea to let the puppy stay in your room, but in her own space, and comfort her by petting her.
Don’t overprotect your puppy unnecessarily. Let them learn certain things for themselves. And please, please, don’t let your dog become one of those ‘Hollywood bag dogs.’
Approach introducing your puppies to other dogs with caution. Find out about dog breeds that are known to be aggressive, including yours.
Learn the difference between your puppies’ cute, playful growl and their defensive growl. When playing, your puppy may bite your hand or fingers and growl playfully. Don’t mistake this for your pup growling at family or friends. You must immediately teach them that this is a no no. Take charge, show the pup that you are in control, let him know this is wrong, then gently and calmly introduce him to the person, so he can get comfortable and get to know you.
Remember, defensive growling can lead to attacks and biting, something you don’t want to happen unless under extenuating circumstances.
Another important issue is if you have a baby, start creating a bond between the dog and the baby. Very carefully, let the puppy smell the baby, so that both gradually get used to each other’s presence. If your puppy growls at the baby, cut him off right away. Your pup doesn’t understand that this is his family, but it’s the dominant ‘I’m the biggest dog’ mode. Of course, in most cases, the dog tunes in to how important this baby is to you, the master, and it all falls into place.
Dogs are social animals by nature and love to be part of a group, so they generally fit in very well in a family arrangement. But sometimes they also need reassurance to feel secure about their place in the family.
Remember that while your puppy may be your friend, he should never misunderstand that he is your equal. While you don’t want to raise your puppy to become an overly submissive adult dog, you need to understand that he needs a master, but not a dominant one. As your puppy grows and develops, you’ll want to teach him to earn your praise and attention by obeying him.
Bringing a new puppy into your home, while not as dramatic as bringing home a new baby, does require you to take on a new level of responsibility. Puppies will demand and capture much of your attention. They require training at home. They must be taught how and what to eat, as well as what not to eat. They need to have a reliable and regulated schedule that involves regular feeding time, exercise, obedience lessons with a reward, as well as bonding activities.
Dogs, and puppies in particular, really want to please you. Understanding this makes them quite easy to train.
It’s up to you to shape the personality and socialization of your puppies. All you need to do is pay attention. If you do it right, your new friend will bring a lot of joy and companionship into your life.