Puppies can make your days bright and light, especially when you’re feeling down and uninspired. But you have to admit, there are days when they can make your blood pressure shoot up with annoying behavior and irritating habits.
Puppies aren't born wired to follow and understand human commands. But when you teach them at the earliest possible time, you can see the best behaviors shine. Hopefully, you can enjoy both your time together. When your dog is happy, you can feel it, and you’ll be happy too.
In recent years, ownership of dogs increased as many people discovered the profound joy and companionship dogs can give a home and a family, especially those with young kids. The global count of dog ownership reached 471 million in 2018, and, in the United States, dogs still hold the top spot and are still the favorite pets.
When you bring a puppy home, you must teach them your expectations. You can't expect them to behave as you want without the effort to teach them.
If you feel that you can't do it or don't have time for it, some great providers can help you. But you must try it on your own first because owning a dog is a responsibility. You should have considered it when you acquired one.
Sometimes, puppies can exhibit unwanted behavior; when you see it, shouting and being aggressive won't do. When you raise your voice or hit your puppy, they most likely don't even understand what you mean but will be hurt by your words and actions. This can pose a trauma to young dogs.
What Are The Common Types Of Unwanted Dog Behavior?
1. Digging
There are many reasons dogs dig. It's their basic hunting instinct from their ancestors that was carried over to the present. Most puppies dig out of boredom when they're stressed and fearing something when they want to hide an important thing they possess, like a piece of bone or toy, and at times to escape or gain access to a particular place.
You first need to determine the specific reason your dog digs and eliminate it. If they're bored, they have pent-up energy and need to play. If they want to reach the next house beside you, it’d be better to create a more reinforced boundary so that they can't escape.
To prevent them from digging, you need to teach them new and better behavior by replacing old behavior. In that case, you need to give your pup a sandbox so that he can use this instead of the soil in your yard. Replacing the behavior is crucial because just screaming 'no' will not be effective for a puppy.
2. Chewing
A puppy's curiosity can be boundless. They may resort to chewing if they want to find out what's beneath this sofa or what's under this pillow, and the result could be something that could drive you nuts.
Aside from curiosity, a puppy may be teething, and its sore and itchy gums need stimulation. Chewing and biting on something, whether it's hard or soft, will be the only solution to soothe the irritation the puppy is feeling. So, please don't get mad at your tiny pup; they can't help it. Again, replace the behavior by giving them chew toys they can play with.
Another reason your pup chews on things around your home is they're bored. Your furry pal needs to release some pent-up energy, and walking around the block can help them channel this energy instead of searching for things to chew and destroy.
3. Excessive Barking
Dogs bark excessively when they are bored, want your attention, give you a warning, or respond to another dog in excitement. If they do this moderately, then that's fine. But excessive barking is already a behavioral problem that needs to be addressed.
Surprisingly, you can teach your furry pal commands to keep quiet. You need to be very patient with your pup when you do this. Rewarding them with treats to reinforce positive behavior is encouraged as this is effective with dogs.
The most crucial thing in this training is choosing your commands. It’d be best if you remembered to use this word consistently. You can use 'hush,' 'enough,' or 'quiet'. When your dog displays the correct behavior, don't forget to reward him with a treat.
4. Chasing People
It's challenging to prevent dogs from chasing anything moving, whether a person or an object, because they're wired to do it. What's best to do is to prevent the situation from happening because it could lead to damaging outcomes.
Train your dog to follow you when you say their name or use a whistle, put them on a leash when you walk outside, and, more importantly, keep them away from potential triggers like joggers.
Conclusion
Unwanted behavior from puppies is displayed because of things that they don't understand. They could be confused, overstimulated, lacking motivation, depressed, or feeling anxious. Spending time with your pup to better understand these types of behavior is crucial in the early days of their lives. Be patient and know that they're just dogs wanting to please their owners, and they don't know that chewing your shoes is bad behavior.
About the Author:
Claire is no animal behavioral therapist but just loves dogs and cats. She has a 3 yr. old Schweenie, a cross between a Daschund and a Shih Tzu and an American Bully, both of whom she adores so much. Her house in the city is an eclectic mix of farm animals and domesticated pets because of the need to please both her children, who have different preferences for pets. They have chickens, dogs, cats, and African lovebirds who all manage to live harmoniously with each other.
