Puppy training is a life-saver!
There are no bad puppies
You’ve seen it: Hero or Heroin has had a *very stressful day. They’ve dealt with their impossible boss, their ungrateful co-workers, couldn’t reach the Doctor’s office about something that’s been bothering them, forgot to pack their kid’s school lunch, and ALL they are looking forward to is a nice relaxing night at home. Pop some popcorn, get on your comfies, cuddle up with your fur-friend, and read a book. But, the fur-friend had a different kind of day.
Door creaks open, and Hero or Heroin sees the reality: cushions torn apart, an “accident” in the middle of their rug, their sherpa-lined new slippers in remnants all over the floor, and foil wrappings of what *looks like chocolate smooshed into the ground.
Your pup can read your tone
As frustrating as this is, and boy is it ever!, there is no such thing as a bad dog. Only an untrained dog.
Dogs instinctively want to please their owners.
A cushion isn’t so different from a chew toy, and slippers aren’t so different from that squeaky duck toy in their crate, and who doesn’t love chocolate?, and, of course, when you’ve gotta go… you’ve gotta go.
Will this ever end?
So, what are you supposed to do?
Often I hear well-intentioned people say something like, don’t worry; they won’t be a puppy forever. And while that is biologically true, those types of behaviors don’t just “go away” on their own. At least not every time.
Puppies and Dogs NEED to understand the boundaries in order to be happy, healthy pets. You need it, yes, but so do they.
There are a lot of options for pet training, but that does not mean that pet training is optional.
You can take them to a Puppy School.
You can read a book/take a class.
You can ask a friend who has a well-mannered dog.
But, and here’s the kicker, the best “method” you find won’t work at all if you don’t DO IT.
It’s going to take effort and consistency. But you can do it! And there is some truth to them outgrowing their puppy stage.
My favorite dog-training videos are Brandon McMillan’s. We all LOVE his Masterclass, and watch it together as a family. His two leash method is a life-saver, and the videos are short enough that you can easily watch them in one sitting.
For us, it’s worth the fee for Masterclass alone.
We loved this series of videos, but you may have a different favorite.
It bears repeating: there are a lot of options for dog training out there, but dog training is not OPTIONAL.
Trust me on this.
Happy dog = Happy dog owner