The Best Way To Raise A Puppy! - Precision K-9 Services

So, you have your new puppy. Now what?

I remember when I got my first puppy as a young adult. I wish I knew then, what I know now. Or even a quarter of what I know now. I learned something new with every puppy and adult dog that I had through the years. And with over 25 years of being a dog trainer, I have seen and learned a lot.

I won’t go into choosing a breeder, or puppy, or the difference in pure bred versus mix, breeder versus rescue versus a pet shop puppy, in this article. I have trained and/or owned it all.

Genetics, and environment play a big role in how the puppy will turn out but so does training (which of course includes dog psychology).

So you have your new puppy.

Now what?

It’s peeing on your rug and ruining your carpet.
It’s nipping your hands and you’re afraid it’s getting aggressive.
It barks at you, nips and runs.
It chews your shoes or maybe your coach purse.
It pulls on the leash during walks.
It steals items and runs and you can’t catch it.

Sounds familiar?

I get customers all of the time with these problems and more. It can be so frustrating.

Just some of the things I hear puppies like to get a hold of, toilet paper, TV remotes, shoes, socks, and underwear. We have a solution for that.

Some people will get so frustrated they will just take the puppy to the shelter. That’s a shame.

Scott Depot WV German Shepherd Puppy Training — Yup, I could be a shithead when I grow up, or I can be a well socialized, well trained, respectful dog.
The choice is yours.

Others keep the puppy, & they may even inquire about a puppy class, but never follow through, or they train the puppy improperly.

Then they sign up for a basic class when the dog is older, because they are at their wits end. At this point the dog has had several months, or years, of getting away with bad behaviors.

Also, I get people wanting to learn things I teach in Puppy Class while doing Basic Obedience class, but there is only so much time. You really should do all three classes offered. I think people think they get the same things in every class which is not true. Each class teaches some of the same things, but differently, as well as things that are totally new. Puppy, Basic and Advanced are like Elementary School, Middle School, and High School.

Below are just some of the behaviors a puppy may have, which may even become adult behaviors.

•leash pulling / or refusing to walk on a leash

•aggression

•housebreaking

•nipping

•chewing

•stealing

•jumping

•barking

•digging

•overall not listening

•biting the leash

Bad behavior in an adult dog, that should have been fix or prevented as puppy, can really become a huge problem.

So, what is the best way to raise your puppy?

Proper, early training and socialization!

Puppy Socialization in Nitro WV Puppy Training — Socializing on a playground.

Early, proper socialization, is a must. And if you miss that window of opportunity, you miss it. You’ll never be able to go back in time and do it or do it over. It must be “proper” socialization, improper socialization can ruin your dog.

Puppy socialization in Poca WV Puppy Training — Faith socializing with a little human, when she was just a puppy.

It’s easier to teach the puppy early on what is expected of it. Have rules from the moment it steps inside your door.

It is a fallacy that you can’t train a puppy until it is 6 months old. This is why we offer puppy classes (http://precisionk-9services.com/PetDogTrainingPuppyClass.html) at 8 weeks of age through 5 months.

You must be consistent, in your training, and the correcting of any bad behaviors.

You have to have a proper plan of attack, this of course comes from a knowledgeable trainer (http://precisionk-9services.com).

And a good knowledgeable trainer with years of experience has built up a lot of tools for their training toolbox 🧰

You have to have patience, some behaviors may take you a little longer than others to fix, such as nipping or housebreaking. But, it’s usually something your doing wrong, such as consistency. Watch for a blog on one of those in the future.

You need to be Alpha. (yes I said it) The dog needs to see you as an authority figure, you can’t be a wimp.

And you certainly can not be afraid of your puppy. I have seen people afraid of their 3-4 month old puppies. At this age they aren’t serious, if they were, you’d have a HUGE issue.

Clients tend to tell me their puppy “just has normal puppy behaviors”, as if the puppy will just grow out of these behaviors.

When you allow what seems to be “puppy behaviors” to continue, they can become adult behaviors. And the longer they go on, the harder it can be to fix them.

A dog without structure can become dangerous. It happens.

Puppy Aggression Puppy Training near Nitro — OK, this dog is a Police Dog, but you get the idea.

And who wants a dog peeing in their house for 9 years (true story).

You need a professional trainer that not only has the knowledge but experience in fixing these behaviors.

You can not just wait to see if these behaviors go away as the puppy gets older.

And if your puppy doesn’t have any bad behaviors yet? (Doubtful)

Great! Let’s train it, so it doesn’t develop bad behaviors. Or if something new tries to develop a little later, you’ll have the tools to combat it.

When is the best time to sign up for a puppy class?

Before you get your puppy.

Do it now! Don’t wait!!!

Bonus: DO NOT use pee pads, do not have your puppy potty in your house! You’ll thank me later.