Teaching Puppies Good House Manners
Prevention is a crucial part of teaching dogs good manners at home. It’s especially important with puppies because it can stop them from developing bad habits in the first place!
Here are a couple areas to focus on in the weeks following your puppy’s arrival.
Chewing
This problem is absolutely predictable and easily preventable: put stuff away. Keep the shoes and socks in the closet or hamper; put the remotes in a drawer; shut the laundry room door, roll up the area rug, etc. If pup never gets a chance to chew on illegal things, he’ll never learn they make good chew toys!
You do not have to live like this forever, but it is the smartest way to get through the chewing phase without creating more work for yourself. Some pups will go after things that cannot be removed (such as walls, baseboards and large pieces of furniture). These pups need the “sterile” environment of an ex-pen until the phase is over.
PRO TIP: puppy proofing is immensely easier when you don’t have to puppy proof the whole house! Use baby gates or an ex-pen to section off a portion of the house that is large enough for the puppy to stretch his legs, but small enough for you to keep cleaned up.
Keep Away
Years ago, I had a little boarder who loved to play Keep Away. He wasn’t so much interested in destroying the objects, he just wanted me to chase after him. One day, I was working in our dog area and I saw him come around the corner with a piece of clothing in his mouth. I don’t like to anthropomorphize, but the glint in his eye seemed to say, “what are you going to do about it?”
Nothing. I did nothing. I continued my work and ignored him.
Here’s the thing: Keep Away is only Keep Away if someone is chasing the dog. If you never chase, puppy never learns that grabbing something and running away makes you play with her.
“But what if she grabs something illegal?”
Preventing Chewing will also almost eliminate Keep Away. However, if and when an accident happens, calmly go over to your pup and offer some yummy treats right by her nose. Gently and slowly toss them 1-2 feet to one side of her. She should drop the illegal item in favor of the treats.
Counter-Surfing
If there’s one message I could get to puppy owners about preventing a problem behavior, counter-surfing might win. Here’s why: counter-surfing takes VERY FEW wins to become a deeply ingrained, deeply irritating habit.
My foster pup, Eclair, had the beginnings of a counter-surfing habit when she arrived in our home at 14 weeks old. We worked diligently to discourage the behavior and she was doing well. Two months into her stay, she grabbed a clean plastic lid off the counter and it set us back. The number of surfs increased dramatically and she consistently checked out the same area. And this was with a clean lid; imagine if she’d pulled food off!
In terms of puppy management, never assume food placed on counters, end tables, coffee tables, sofas, or chairs is safe. Pretend you have a full grown Great Dane: don’t leave things on low surfaces, push dishes to the center of the kitchen table, and food items to the back of counters, don’t leave your pup unattended with food out.
Again, if the pup never practices the wrong behavior, he can’t learn it’s a fun thing to do.
Resource Guarding
Resource guarding is when a dog guards something he has. The guarding isn’t always as obvious as a growl, lunge, snap or bite. Sometimes it’s just a freeze, a hard stare, or consuming the item faster. Resources can include objects, food, toys, people, and locations such as couches, hallways, beds, etc.
Here are some Dos and Do Nots for prevent resource guarding, specifically bowl or object/toy/food guarding:
Do NOT take your pup’s food bowl or food toy away while he’s eating. This makes him anxious and he’ll start guarding to make you stop.
DO approach your pup, drop a tasty treat near his feet, and walk away while he’s eating.
Do NOT remove items from your pup’s mouth by prying his jaws open.
DO offer a tasty treat to trade when your pup has something you want.