If you are a first time puppy owner, you may be feeling overwhelmed with happiness and love. But without a basic understanding of the do’s and don’ts of puppy raising, things can go sour fast. Common sense takes you a long way, but you might want to consider these four most common mistakes people make with their new dog and how to prevent them.
Prior to this, puppies are still considered vulnerable to some serious canine diseases. So, while you want your new dog to meet other dogs for his social development, it is important to avoid any place that is heavily trafficked by other dogs such as dog parks and parking lots.
We often reinforce bad behaviour unknowingly. Puppies are adorable and know how to use those puppy-eyes, but those are not good reasons to bend the boundaries. So, don't give them food or open the door when they bark or give them attention when they make noise, pee on the floor or chew on shoes. Consistency decreases stress and builds trust and respect towards the owner.
Dogs love routine. Knowing when they will eat, play, walk, and sleep creates a confidence in them that minimizes stress and builds a healthy anticipation. For puppies, it is especially important to establish a reliable schedule for feeding, walking, eliminating, and playing. Whatever schedule you set, sticking to it will inspire confidence in your puppy and make her transition into adulthood easy.
Did you know your puppy learns more new things during the first 12 weeks of their life than during the rest of their life combined? Starting obedience classes as early as possible helps prevent your dog from developing bad habits like food aggression, human aggression, dog aggression, or any other types of behavioral issues. Dog training should be a preventative tool, not just a path to solve issues after they crop up.
It takes a little training – of both species – to get on the same page. But by avoiding these common errors, you can increase the odds of enjoying the experience, and mentoring that puppy into adulthood. Unleash your dogs full potential with our puppy head start program - fast results guaranteed!
A FREE phone consultation is available for all dogs.
We do appointments by scheduling only as we are not open to the public. No dog is permitted on our property without undergoing a complete behavior assessment and temperament test.
We can’t say enough about the amazing training our puppy, Sadie, got with Dillon and his staff at Full Potential K9. Sadie came to us as a rambunctious and rebellious puppy who definitely did not know structure or rules. After 6 weeks in training, she came back to us a more organized, rule-abiding puppy who was also happier as she had structure and better understood her boundaries. Dillon taught Sadie commands, such as sit, heal, and to go to her place, crate trained her, got her acclimated to walking on a leash, and also helped us navigate the sometimes treacherous process of potty training. Additionally, he helped to guide us on how to have a respectful puppy with two wild toddlers. He helped ensure we understood what Sadie was taught through our own training sessions with him so we could make sure to continue to reinforce her learning at home. Everyone who meets Sadie comments about how she’s well behaved, obedient, and what a gem she is to walk on a leash. Every step of the way through training and since returning home, Dillon checks up on our girl and is invested in her success (and happiness) in our family. Thank you Dillon and Full Potential K9 for shaping our sweet Sadie into our awesome puppy and helping her achieve her full potential. With gratitude, The Williams Family
