Building Your Puppy’s Character What are the benefits? When you acquire a new puppy, what you do, or don’t do, can make a huge difference in the way the puppy turns out. Confident and happy adult dogs don’t just happen but are the product of good decisions and correct treatment from birth. When pups are young, they learn so much and what is learned has a lasting impact. Though the pup has a fairly short attention span, what things he learns are learned permanently and resistant to change. They learn to be submissive to your leadership and begin to learn what behaviors are acceptable. What to do? The puppy is dependent upon the correct environment and influences for its development. If the pup cries outside the bedroom for attention at night, whether in a crate or not, give it some attention, as you would a small child. Don’t ignore its cries. The pup is just upset from the separation of the door. You don’t have to pick it up or pet it, just let it know you are there for it and everything’s okay. The less attention you give a pup growing up the needier it becomes when mature the more attention you can give a pup as it is growing up, the more independent it will become. You must help the puppy to make the transition into the human environment. To become acceptable companions, they need to interact with you, your family, and other people and dogs. Try to expose your puppy to a variety of new environments and situations. Deny benefits such as a treat as a consequence for any deliberate misbehavior. What he does now is what he will likely do later. So, don’t allow your puppy to do things which will be unacceptable when he becomes a dog. What not to do? Physical punishment teaches a dog nothing, except how to avoid the punishment. It is far more effective, to teach the pup what to do rather than punish it for something it has done. Yelling and making constant threats about it is not an effective way of going about an issue. Some dog owners believe that puppies outgrow their problems. The truth is, they actually grow into them. Little problems grow up to be big bad habits if they are not addressed. And then of course, the problems are much more difficult to resolve. By Mark S.|2022-08-12T17:06:16-04:00November 4th, 2011|Dog Care Tips|Comments Off on Building Your Puppy’s Character Share This Story, Choose Your Platform! FacebookTwitterRedditLinkedInTumblrPinterestVkEmail About the Author: Mark S. Related Posts Anxious Pups? CBD Products are a must! Anxious Pups? CBD Products are a must! Pet Dental Health Pet Dental Health Lost Pets Lost Pets Is Agility Right for Your Dog? Is Agility Right for Your Dog? Do Pets Grieve? Gallery Do Pets Grieve?