Don’t Make These Mistakes With Your New Puppy

Bringing home your new puppy can be very exciting. However, when adding a furry family member to your household there are a few mistakes you won’t want to make. By avoiding the following four common pitfalls you can help to make sure you end up with a happy and well-trained pooch.

Not Making Your Home Dog-Safe

A new home can be a place of wonder for a curious pup. However, there are many things that can be dangerous for him to get into. You’ll want to make sure that anything potentially harmful is out of reach. Many cleaning products, in particular, can be fatal for canines.

Don’t forget even some of the small dog breeds are excellent jumpers so make sure to keep items secure in cabinets, drawers, or at least high enough up so that they can’t get to them. Anything that might smell or look enticing to your pet could be a target for chewing or eating.

Not only will you want to protect your dog but your possessions as well. Using dog gates to keep your dog in a specific area of your home or keeping your pet in a crate when you’re not home are two ways to help as well.

Not Staying Consistent In Your Training

While training your new pet can be fun and exciting at first, many owners don’t stay consistent with their efforts. This not only will waste time but can confuse your pet. And when a dog does not have clear boundaries on what is acceptable behavior bad habits are formed and can be very hard to break.

You will save yourself a lot of time and effort if you stick to your training methods each and every day. Of course, your pet wants to please you, so this will help him to understand what you want from him and prevent him from becoming stressed.

Punishing Your Pooch

You should stay consistent with your training methods but be sure not to use punishment as part of them. A system based on positive reinforcement will help to build a strong and loving bond with your pooch that is based on trust. Treats and praise can go a long way in the right direction. Punishment on the other hand can cause your dog to be in a fearful state when around you which is not something you want.

Failing To Socialize

How your dog reacts to new people and animals is very important. If you don’t socialize your puppy he may become overly timid, anxious, or even aggressive in the future when he meets them.

Socialization is often overlooked but extremely important, especially with certain breeds that are known for having aggressive tendencies in order to make sure they end up good canine citizens. The first eight weeks of a puppy’s life can make a big impression on his personality so be sure to socialize him as much as possible during this period.

Now that you know what they are with some effort you can steer clear of these common mistakes. And as your pet grows into a well-adjusted you will be glad you did!

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