Find The Puppy Om
A new puppy does brings lots of fun and excitement. Along with that adorable bundle of joy also comes their natural puppy behaviors that can quickly get overwhelming for folks without a game plan and some know-how. Do you have a new puppy? Are you struggling with your puppy biting, jumping up or running away from you? Read on to learn how to bring some calm into your day.
Set the precedent of calm right out of the gate.
Organize and execute a calm exit from the crate. Have food ready as you open the crate door. Ask or lure the puppy into a sit and reinforce 5 times quickly for looking at you, staying close by or not jumping up. Use a variety of delicious HIGH VALUE food.
Be still.
We can tend to jerk away from a wild, biting puppy. It’s natural! Those razor sharp teeth can hurt. Adding to the chaos is the fact that this movement often makes them more excited. Be aware of your moving body parts. When wanting more calm and focus from your dog become calm and focused yourself. Keep your movements to a minimum. Avoid flailing arms and upper body.
Be quiet.
We can be such chatterboxes with our pups. It seems we never stop talking, singing, cooing or chasing after them while hollering ‘whoa puppy!’
The good news is if you have a pup who is timid or reserved that sing songy communication can be helpful. But if you are dealing with an amped up puppy all this yapping can have a stimulating effect. If there is a situation where you want to ensure your pup is ‘chill’ be mindful of your outside voice.
Please Handle with Care.
Surprise and gasp, often our new furry friends are not as fond of all the reaching, picking up, petting and adoring that we shower them with. Our constant thoughtless ‘hands on’ can manifest into behaviors from the pup such as:
—running away from us
—a negative association with a harness and leash
—not wanting to be picked up
—growling and biting
When it comes time for lifting, cuddles or putting gear on, be gentle, pair lifting with a treat (every time). Pet the puppy in a way they enjoy. Avoid the head or right around the neck.
Use firm long strokes rather than short light pets.
Tie it up and clean it up.
Long dangling hair, clothing or jewelry is a very exciting attraction for a puppy. They will be motivated to jump and bite for all these dangling delights. Be sure that you don’t have bits and pieces hanging down that will inadvertently be encouraging your pup to jump up at you.
One last piece of advice to. Try keeping your play and training sessions shorter. And be sure your pup is getting enough cozy, undisturbed sleep time in their crate.
Happy puppy raising!
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