Stopping Your Puppy From Jumping

A puppy who jumps will grow into a dog that jumps. It is a habit that can be both dangerous as well as annoying and destructive to your clothes. A jumping dog can quickly get muddy paw prints on you and a dog's nails can catch and pull on sweaters and other clothing causing tearing.

The dangerous part is when young children or elderly persons are the targets of a dog that jumps. They can be toppled over, causing injuries. Just as dog owners can wind up in court for owning a dog that bites, if you have a dog that has a jumping problem and he causes injury to another person, you could very well find yourself in court with the end result being some hefty fines.

Jumping is often the result of your dog being over exuberant and happy to see you. When they are little pot bellied puppies jumping around, it can be cute. When you have a large dog acting it out, it can be a little scary. Even the smallest of breeds should learn not to jump, they aren't likely to topple anyone over but they can cause injuries through tripping someone.

It's easy to teach your puppy not to jump. When he jumps, tell him "No" in a serious voice and place all four paws on the ground. Praise and reward him for standing there. When he attempts to jump again, repeat this action. You will notice longer and longer times he is standing instead of jumping. You must be consistent when training your puppy. They will often "test" you to see if they get the same reaction every time, if you let one incident of jumping pass unaddressed, you just gave the green light to your dog that he can jump "sometimes".

Some people will encourage your dog to sit up or jump up to them. Do not allow others to undo your training. Just explain that you are training your pup to never jump and most people will be understanding.

Be patient and be constant in your training with praise and rewards and you'll be rewarded with a loyal and well behaved canine companion.
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Preventing Puppy Chewing

Puppies chew, that's a fact. You can however prevent a puppy from chewing up your beloved items and other valuables by providing proper training and chew toys for him to exercise his teeth on. Chewing and play are normal parts of your puppy's growth and development.

You can train your puppy to chew on the toys you give him by playing with him and making chewing on them fun. When he chews on a forbidden item, such as one of your shoes, tell him "no" and take him to another part of the house and give him his chew toy. Then stroke and praise him when he chews on it. He will quickly learn this is the way to exercise his need to chew.

Praise your puppy when he goes and gets a toy and proceeds to play and chew on his own. Keep enticing hazards such as a full trash can or your shoes out of his line of site and out of his reach. This will make the "game" of getting into things he knows he shouldn't a non-issue.

Make sure lamp cords and other electrical cords are out of reach or hidden in the carpeting or otherwise out of your puppy's access. Many pups are enticed to chew on cords and this can result in a nasty shock if a sharp puppy tooth breaches the rubber cord casing and reaches the electrical wiring encased within.

By being consistent in your training and always providing your puppy items of his own to chew as well as praise and rewards for doing so, you will have a well trained canine companion in no time.
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Soothing an Anxious Puppy

Your puppy was probably used to being with her warm mother and several litter mates. In the beginning she can have real separation anxiety from being away from the familiar surroundings. This can be acted out in the form of whining, crying and endless barking. If it is not resolved quickly, this way of reacting to stress will become part of the dog's way for dealing with stress and anxiety and you'll wind up with a dog that barks whenever she is upset or anxious.

If you have your puppy gated or crated and she is whining and crying, she might be trying to tell you she needs to eliminate. Take her outside to her usual spot to see if that is the issue. If she was merely feeling anxious about being alone, spend some time stroking her and talking to her in a calm voice.

Another way you can acclimate your puppy to being alone is to let her spend a little time by herself when you are home. Make these times brief in the beginning and very gradually extend them. Praise and reward your pup for not crying or barking in your "absence". This teaches your dog that you will always come back for her and this will greatly lesson her separation anxiety.

You can undo all your good training if you give in even once. Much like human children, puppies will repeat behaviors often in the beginning to see if they get exactly the same reaction from you. Don't let one incident pass without addressing it.

Never let your puppy feel abandoned. Through positive reinforcement, you can start your puppy on the right track to being a secure and anxiety free companion.
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House Training Your Puppy

In order for you and your new puppy to reside happily under the same roof, it is critical that good house training habits be learned as early as possible with your dog.

Just as a woman can't be "a little bit pregnant" a dog is either house trained or he is not. A truly house trained dog will not have "accidents" in your home unless there is an outside illness or he is confined inside to the point he cannot hold the urge to eliminate any longer.

Establishing good elimination habits in a dog early on isn't hard but you must be consistent and remember most puppies aren't reliably house trained until they are around six months old.

In the beginning, take your puppy to the designated spot outside to eliminate and go about every 45 minutes and within 5 minutes after a meal. If you cannot be home, you must set up a place in the home so he can't eliminate randomly around your home. This will send confusing signals to him as you want him to go one place when you're home yet he wanders freely in your house and then gets scolded when he "goes" wherever he happens to be. The best option is to gate off a small area with a tiled floor such as a bathroom and line the floor with papers so if he needs to eliminate in your absence, he can. Then the minute you get home, take him outside and then continue to do so every 45 minutes. Never leave your puppy on just a tile floor. You will teach him it's okay to eliminate on tile. Always line with paper so he understands that is the place he needs to do his business.

There are a few things you shouldn't do when house training your dog. Don't scold him when he makes a mistake. Don't give your puppy unattended run of the house. If your puppy is sniffing and circling, those are signs he's ready to go, don't ignore the signals, this will lead to accidents.

Other ways you can insure your puppy catches on to the house training routine quickly is to praise him greatly when he eliminates as he is supposed to. Also by feeding your puppy at designated times, you will quickly learn his elimination schedule and it will make house training him even easier. You can also use a pheromone laced stake to entice him to eliminate in the same place outside. Above all, be patient.
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Socializing Your New Puppy

Much like human children, it's the early events in a puppy's development that can set the stage for his personality and behavior.

When you get a new puppy, it is important to make sure that you properly socialize him. Dogs that have good socialization experiences early on make wonderful companions. It's easy to spot a dog that didn't get good socialization training early on, these dogs are skittish, frightened and apt to snap or bite anyone who gets close.

It is generally agreed that the socialization period for puppies last til around 3 months of age. However interactions should be consistently continued until a puppy is 6 months old to ensure good social skills in your canine.

Some things you can do to make sure you pup is properly socialized include:
* taking him to the houses of friendly dogs.
* introducing him to dog-friendly cats.
* invite friends by to see your new addition to your family. Make sure every interaction with new pets and people is a happy and positive experience for him.
* go slow and don't rush your puppy. If he seems upset, fearful or unwilling to continue being in the presence of people or animals he doesn't know, take him to a room to be by himself so he can calm down. You can also give him a soother such as a comfort pillow with a simulated heartbeat.
* If he seems frightened, talk to your puppy in a low tone and assure him everything is okay. He will understand that you are his protector and you will never let anything happen to him. This builds trust and along with good socialization skills, those two things are the very foundation for a successful training program for your dog.
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