At first, getting a puppy seemed like effortless fun. I mean, they’re cute, they provide unconditional companionship, and girls really dig them – what’s not to love?
What’s not to love, it turns out, is when they chew on the leg of your couch or you step in a puddle of dog pee for the 15th time in one day. What’s not to love is when they howl and anger the neighbors when you leave the little fuzzball alone to go to work.
Your pup is still cute and you love him a lot, so you’ll be happy to know that with a bit of attention and training, you’ll be able to help them unlearn these undesirable behaviors and replace them with some good ones. Then you can focus on the unconditional companionship and “getting attention from girls” part.
Crate Training
First things first: when you’re at work or can’t pay 100% attention to your pup, they need to be in a crate. While this might sound harsh, it’s actually more comforting to a puppy to be in an enclosed space than to have free reign of your entire home. (The crate needs to be big enough for them to turn around and lie down with no problem.) You’ll find that it makes them feel safer and more secure, which will help cut down on the howling when you’re away. It will also help cut down on the potty accidents…which we’ll discuss next.
Potty Training
Puppies have tiny bladders and absolutely no concept of holding them. To potty train your pup, they need to be taken outside every half hour. When they make any small tinkle or poo outdoors, make a huge deal out of it by celebrating with them, petting them, and giving them food treats. In time, they’ll be able to hold it longer and will associate pottying outside with being rewarded for good behavior.
Training Them Not to Chew
Finally, to teach your puppy not to chew on your belongings, teach them what they CAN chew on. If you see them chewing on something they shouldn’t be, distract them by clapping or making a loud noise, then replace the couch leg/wallet/cell phone with one of their toys. It make take time, but they’ll soon learn which items are theirs and which are off-limits.
Training your puppy isn’t hard; you just have to think like a dog and take the time to teach them what you’d like them to do. Once you do, they’ll become your best friend and partner in crime.
