When a new puppy is in my home, they do not hear the word "no" or any other derivative of "don't do that" until my relationship with my puppy is bullet-proof. When they do stuff that I don't want, I teach and redirect them into what I do want, while I also teach them that I am the best person in the world.
When they engulf my leg in their mouth, I quickly produce a toy and redirect them into a more successful game for me. If they climb on my coffee table, I comment on how high they jumped, guide them off and distract them with something else. When they climb into my garbage, I pull them out, tell them how clever they were getting in there, and then distract them. When they destroy my favourite plant, I kick a toy and start playing so that they forget they were killing the best plant ever. I don't tell them off. I praise the 'skill' that I like in that moment, then distract them from doing it.
Puppies need to explore, and try things out. If they only ever get in trouble for being curious, they learn not to be curious (at least in your presence). Curious is good. It takes great bravery to climb inside my garbage can. While I don't want that particular behaviour itself, they don't know that yet. If I scold the garbage can agility, often you can inhibit the bravery. It took great curiousity, bravery, and determination to get inside the can - this should be applauded, then redirected. If you only ever tell them off for their great adventures that are inconvenient to us, they learn to not have fun around you and part of their spirit seems to dampen.
Now please don't think I have puppies crawling inside my garbage can unattended! When I find them in there, I tell them how clever they are, have a single second of a game, then redirect them to their toy or an activity that I approve of.
Once we are a team, and they realize that I am the best person in their world, and they have been redirected many, many times, the first thing that I will ask them not to do is chomp me too hard when they grab my leg etc. As soon as I've done so, the toy is back out again. This will be the first time they have heard that I don't want them doing something.
Gradually, over the months, rules will be added. They will learn that I can take their prized possessions away to be given right back, that "come" is not a multiple choice question, that their toe-nails do need to be done, and that ripping my arm off when on leash is not allowed. Once again, all will have been carefully taught and shown, and rewarded, and then will become a rule rather than a choice.
And my hundreds of repetitions of redirection from my garbage can, ripped up plant and other household antics will have made those things go away or substantially lessen. During that time all behaviours such as climbing inside their toy-box and pulling out their toy ball, or dinosaur, will all have been praised and acknowledged and built.
Many people are much too quick to tell their puppies off. We must remember to school them on the ways of our lives. We have the next 15 years to be nags with them. Don't start too soon, or you will find your puppy would rather hang out in the rarely used dining room, silently chewing your favourite $300 shoes, unlike my puppies that dive on my chest with my shoes in their mouth, showing and sharing with me the best treasure ever that they found.
Enjoy your puppies. They should not look or behave like an eight year old dog. Puppies should be playful, explore the world with their mouths, be impulsive, smother you with love, affection, and bitey type kisses. We should share and appreciate all of their curious adventures with them, so that they continue to include us, rather than having fun on their own somewhere else in the house, without us.
At the end of the day you should be as tired as your puppy is.
Victoria, BC
www.naughtydogge.com
