19/10/2023
Puppies are capable of much more than we give them credit for. It’s a common belief, and something I hear quite frequently, that you should wait until a dog gets older before you begin training. The problem with this, is that puppies start learning the day they come home. They’re constantly accessing you, and your family to see the role they play in your house.
Waiting = missed opportunities.
Set your dog up for success. Make it very clear what is expected from them in the beginning. In order to do that you need to understand what structure looks like and how to convey leadership to a dog in a way they understand. Structure is what makes your dog feel most secure. It plays a big part in allowing our dogs to develop trust in us. If we allow certain behaviors one day, and then disagree with it the next, our dogs can’t trust us. Same thing goes for having a puppy that we allow to “be a puppy” and 6 months later we start introducing boundaries. It’s not fair to the dog.
These are 14 week old pups in a place they’ve never been. They are not fearful of their surroundings, and are looking to me for guidance. This is possible because of structure that was put into place since day one. Your dog is capable of this too!
Being a puppy is not an excuse for allowing bad behavior. Be aware of how important this time is for your puppy as the experiences they have now will set the foundation for who they will become in their adult life.
