The use of punishment with a puppy has diminished sharply among professional trainers. And yet there are still some who use it. I must admit, this mystifies me. Without delving too deeply, the definition of punishment includes the use of something aversive, like force, coercion, or physical correction to change an animal’s behavior. Methods used […]
Dog Training
The Joys of Jumping, Barking, Chewing, Lunging, and Chasing. And What to Do About It.
Why does my puppy jump on me, lunge at other dogs, chase the kids, ignore me, chew on furniture, bark nonstop? And what do I do? Before we begin, it is important to keep a few things in mind: In puppies, we are dealing with a baby mind, one that is distractible, impetuous, lacks impulse control, […]
When Puppies Growl – Recognizing Distress
Augie’s Story: A few months ago one of our puppy parents took Augie, their 13 week old doodle puppy to meet a neighbor’s six month old lab puppy. Augie was in the Jumpstart Program at the time and was doing well. He learned quickly, was gregarious, and enjoyed interacting with all the puppies. So far […]
Roughhousing vs Play – When Puppies Learn How to Fight
When we allow puppies to roughhouse with each other, especially with larger puppies they quickly move from lighthearted play to sparring and mock battle. What they are doing is reverting/regressing to sibling behaviors that encourage competition and bringing down one’s opponent. What’s Love Got to Do with It? If you’ve ever seen sibling puppies interact […]
Letting Dogs “Work It Out”
In the old days when I was growing up socializing puppies wasn’t something anyone planned. People turned their puppies and dogs out together and hoped for the best. The larger, more affable puppies tended to have an easy time and we chalked that up to their personality. But the more sensitive, perhaps anxious puppies had […]
Socializing Your Puppy Safely
Socialization is a bit more complicated than most people think. Rather, socializing a puppy means teaching him social skills, impulse control, and lessons in how to play with, greet, and interact with other puppies, dogs, and people. It’s a multi layered process. Sibling Rivalry and Early Play If your puppy is eight, nine, or 10 […]
