Bad Puppy Habits to Break Immediately

When you welcome a new puppy to your home, it can be easy to let them get away with some bad behaviors. We get it, it is hard to say no to those puppy eyes. But as your puppy gets older, these bad habits won’t be as cute and you will wish you had trained them better from day one.

Before you welcome your new puppy into your home, you have to think about how you want to raise your pet. Will they be allowed on the furniture? Will they be given scraps from the table? How will you stop them from chewing on shoes and other items? These are the things you have to think about so that you can determine how to start training your puppy from the minute you walk through the door.

Our pet experts at Royal Pets Market & Resort want to help by providing you with tips to break bad habits before they start! When your puppy is still young, be sure to use these training tips to help keep your puppy as well behaved as possible. Read on to learn more about common bad habits for dogs and how to put an end to them early.

Stopping Chewing on Non-Toy Items

It is common for puppies to chew on items that they should not be chewing on. Whether it is the couch, shoes, paper documents, clothing, pillows, or anything else, you want to stop this behavior right away. If you don’t train your puppy not to chew on household items, they will continue to chew on stuff throughout their lives. Put an end to it fast!

Start by keeping items out of reach of the puppy that you don’t want them chewing on. Puppies are curious and they are likely to chew on items they find lying around. Keep clothing shoes, books, and any other item out of reach of the puppy. Be sure they have plenty of toys for them as well. This will help distract them from chewing on other items.

When you find your puppy chewing on one of your belongings, interrupt them by making a loud noise. Offer them a toy or a treat to trade with the other item. When they take what you are offering them, praise them. This will teach them that they can have their toys and treats but not other items.

Whatever you do, don’t chase them. When you chase your dog, trying to get an item from their mouth, they will think you are playing. This is fun for them and they will learn that taking an item they aren’t supposed to have leads to a good time! Rather than chasing them, call them to you and offer them a treat.

Stopping Excessive Barking

One of the most annoying habits your dog can carry with them throughout their lives is barking. Whether they bark for attention, bark when you have a visitor, bark at cars passing by, or simply bark to just bark, it can get old fast. And we can guarantee that any guest who visits will find the barking extremely annoying. You will want to teach your pup at a young age that barking is not acceptable.

Many dogs bark at the doorbell or a knock on the door. When your puppy shows this behavior, teach them an alternative way to react to someone at the door. When someone knocks on the door, make your dog sit nearby and wait for you to open the door. Make sure they don’t continue to bark from their seated position. If you do this every time someone shows up at your door, eventually your dog will simply sit by the door, waiting patiently for you to open it. To train your pup to do this, don’t open the door unless they stay in their place. If you open the door and they begin to get up, shut the door right away. When your furry friend stays in place reward them!

During other moments when your dog barks, there are a few ways to show them that barking is not acceptable. If your puppy is barking, calmly tell them to hush. Raising your voice will only make them more excited and may cause them to bark louder. If your dog doesn’t stop barking leave the room. This will tell your pup that she did something wrong and caused you to leave. You should also pay attention to when your dog barks, do they bark when cars drive by? Do they bark when you are not paying attention to them? By paying attention to what your puppy is barking at, you can help reduce the barking. Close the curtains so that they cannot see the cars driving by. Don’t show them the attention they want, instead, ignore the barking and tell your pup to hush. Paying attention to why your dog is barking can help you avoid it better.

Keeping Them Off Furniture

If you do not want your dog on the furniture, you will want to ensure that no one in your family is allowing them on the furniture. Consistency is the best way to help your puppy understand that the couch and other furniture is off limits to them. If your dog does venture on to the couch, be sure to quickly tell them to get down. Use treats to lure them back to the floor. Keep their bed next to the couch so that they can still be close to you. Be sure to teach them the command “off” or “down.” This will help to get them off the furniture right away when they jump up.

When you are not home, be sure to leave your dog without the option of climbing on the couch or other furniture. Keep bedroom doors closed to keep them off of beds. Place laundry baskets or other items on the couch to keep them off. You could even put up a baby gate to keep your dog out of the living room all together.

Stop Jumping

A jumping puppy may be cute but when they grow older, it can be annoying and dangerous. Stop your dog from jumping by training them when they are a puppy. There are many different methods to stop your dog from jumping. If one doesn’t work for you, try another.

The first method you can try is to ignore them. When you come home from work and your puppy starts jumping, instead of reaching down to pick them up, walk away. Don’t acknowledge your dog until they have calmed down and stopped jumping. This will them realize that jumping is not the way to get your attention.

You can also teach them to sit when you come home or leave. Teach your pup the command “sit” and practice it with them while they are calm. Once they master it, try using this command before you leave and when you return home. Use a body position, such as crossing your arms when you teach them to sit, that way when you walk through the door, you can simply cross your arms and they will know to sit.

These are a few of the most common bad habits that puppies will carry into their older years, if not corrected while they’re young. While they might be cute now, they won’t when your dog is much bigger. Stop these behaviors before they become habits! Shop at Royal Pets Market & Resort for training treats and toys for your pup. We have locations in Apopka, St. Petersburg, Palm Harbor, and Carrollwood!