PUPPY DISCIPLINE

Puppies are disciplined by their mothers from the age of three weeks when she regulates their food by only allowing them to suckle at certain times and if they try to suckle at other times she will growl, as a warning, and they will run away. Older puppies, if they try to drink when she feels they shouldn't, find she will 'attack', jumping forward, teeth bared and growling loudly. She does not hurt her puppies but forces the puppy into submission so that he seeks her approval and usually she will wash her puppy and act as if nothing has happened, but because the whole incident has frightened the puppy he is unlikely to do it again and has learnt a valuable lesson.

Puppy discipline is easy to get right when you know how.
 
When you bring your puppy home most interactions will be happy ones so that you become a friend and your puppy will want to please you. At first he will be unsure of what he is allowed to do, so try to manipulate the situation so that he is rewarded for doing things right instead of scolded for doing things wrong.

It is better to reinforce the fact that the puppy's place is below that of humans because at some point, during the adolescent phase. he will try to assert himself. If your puppy does something really unacceptable, this behaviour must be corrected immediately before he feels he has been rewarded for it, but if it is a small misdemeanour then show the puppy the right way and reward him for doing it right.

A bold puppy will ignore your commands because he would rather be doing something else at that time but you must discipline this action once you are sure he has heard and understood you.
 
  Discipline should be taught in the same way that the bitch taught her puppies, short, loud and immediate, followed by the right way to do something and a reward for doing it right.  If your puppy is about to do something wrong, issue a short sharp command such as No! in a deep, stern voice. If this sounds like a growl to the pup he will recognise this as a warning. If he continues being naughty you need to follow the warning with the correction before he has completed the deed, he should be more responsive this time because he already knows he had had the warning.

The element of surprise is the best way to deal with unacceptable behaviour. Get as close as you can without him realising so that you tower over him and tell him off in a loud commanding voice whilst staring at him.

It is important to make your puppy realise that bad behaviour makes you cross but when he does as you ask you become pleasant and friendly again.

If you are looking for puppy discipline, the following links may also be of interest to you:

 

All puppies have different levels of sensitivity and whereas a raised voice will send some puppies quivering in the corner another puppy will need more correction. It is important when correcting that it is not under or over done. Watch the effect and if your puppy is sulky and wary of you, then you are over correcting but if your puppy continues to do the things you have previously told him not to do, then you are under correcting. If he stops after two or three times then you have got the level of correcting about right.

Another way of correcting is to give him a small fright. A small spray of water just behind his ear or a booby trap so that unwanted actions set of their own correction. The fright should just be enough for the puppy to realise that doing something else would be more fun and wander off. Again, too little fright and the puppy will continue and too much will give the puppy unnecessary anxiety.

Environmental correction is useful when you do not want to be linked to the behaviour, for instance, if an older puppy takes food off the table when you are not in the room. When you are in the room, you will tell him off but he has to realise that it is wrong  to take food whether you are in the room or not.

Owners frequently have difficulties with their dog's behaviours in the early years but all problems can be sorted so that dog and owner can live happily together.
 
Try searching on the Internet for "puppy discipline" and you will be amazed just how many pages are on offer. Try it for yourself by hitting the search button below!