Puppy Problems

Do you find yourself constantly shouting your pups name in frustration? Telling them to stop chasing the cat? Get off the counters! NO thats my dinner!!

We are incredibly good at noticing problems in our dogs, as these often disrupt our lives. This can cause a big negative relationship shift with our dogs which can cause problems in other areas of your life with your dog. But…how often do you pay the positive?

Paying positive behaviours in puppyhood is often something we forget to do as owners. Calm good choices are often ignored, after all, we assume that those well behaved puppy behaviours will remain there.

None of us assume our calm quiet puppy will soon be learning the game of barking at the door. Or that jumping into someones face gets a very fun reaction from everyone involved! By assuming these behaviours will last, the puppy explores new ideas as they mature. But did you know you can help your puppy remain calm into adulthood?

Paying good choices where you see them, will help these behaviours be more likely to remain into adulthood. Paying a good choice does not need to be a big deal.

-Place rewards stations in your house- these are places where you can store treats or your dogs dry food to pay them.

-Notice your dog doing something calm, particularly during moments they may decide to make less good choices later.

-Praise them and give them a small treat from a reward station

What could good choices be?

Good choices can be anything you like to see, this may vary household to household!

For my household it was:

-Not barking when the door was knocked

-Not jumping up at visitors

-Laying on a bed while someone is eating

-Not jumping up on counters

Your list may look a little different and could look more like:

-Looking calmly and not chasing the cat

-Keeping four on the floor with the kids in the home

-Being calm and quiet while you are busy on a call-Chilling at your feet at a cafe

It is important to pay those positive behaviours you want to see more of as your puppy grows, don’t fixate on problems, work on solutions and pay those positive behaviours so they become habits!

Pay the positive and reward those good choices!