Managing Puppy Behaviour
You should have already desexed your pup before it turns six months, it can be done as young as 10-12 weeks old. Do your part for your community and keep your furry friend safe and healthy by calling Animals Fiji to book their desexing appointment asap.
Getting a new puppy is a very exciting time. You get a cute little friend to play with that loves to spend time with you.
But then they get big and the behaviours that used to be cute are not fun anymore.
Puppies are inquisitive and playful. They are like a small toddler, with so much to learn and explore as they grow up.
But they do need some boundaries to help make them into well behaved adults.
It can be overwhelming but if you follow a few consistent rules, are gentle with your puppy, and reward correct behaviours, they will become excellent companions.
The first thing to think about when raising a puppy is when should you get it?
Right time to adopt
Many people adopt dogs at four weeks or five weeks, and this is way too young.
Eight weeks is the perfect time to take the puppy away from his mom and littermates.
Puppies need the socialisation time with their littermates to help them learn important life skills like teething and bite inhibition, proper dog body language and how to be brave.
Taking them away from their mum and siblings too young can set them up for a lifetime of failure. New sites and sounds can be quite scary to them and if new experiences are not introduced carefully can lead to having a fearful dog. Puppies should get lots of rewards and reassurance when they first come to live with you.
What a big change they have had, leaving their home, their mom and siblings, and now meeting their new family.
Never yell at or hit your puppy when they do something wrong, and do not force them into situations they find scary.
Instead encourage bravery by tempting them with treats and rewarding them when they face their fears.
If they are doing something you don’t want them to, like chewing on your favourite shoes, don’t yell at them, instead show them something they are allowed to chew on and remove the shoes from their reach to keep them safe.
Potty training
Potty training is very important as well.
You need to teach your puppy how to pee and poop outside, and not in your house.
Make sure you take them outside frequently and give them lots of praise and treats when they eliminate in the correct area.
If they do have an accident in your home that is ok, they are just learning.
Do not yell at them or get mad, just clean up the accident and try remember to let them out more often. Puppies usually need to pee and poop after they eat, when they wake up from a nap and when they finish playing.
Do you ever wonder why puppies nip and chew on your hands so much? That is because they are teething, just like a toddler would. It feels good to chew when you are teething.
Biting inhibitions
Puppies are also learning something called bite inhibition, which is where they learn how hard they can bite before it hurts.
Have you ever seen a dog fight where it looks like the dogs are trying to kill each other, but neither dog actually gets hurt?
That is because they have learned bite inhibition when they were young and know how hard they can bite.
This is a pretty important life skill. When your puppy chews on you, redirect them to something else.
Give them a bone or a chew toy instead of your hand. If they are starting to play too rough, say “ouch” and walk away so they know the game is over for now.
But it is important that they get time to play with other dogs so that they can practise their biting skills with them.
It can be very useful to teach your puppy some basic commands like sit and come. Teaching a puppy to come is very easy, call his name and give him a treat.
Once he knows you are a treat dispenser, he will be more willing to come.
Teaching a dog to sit
When teaching sit, slowly move the treat upwards over his face so he has to look up, which will naturally make him sit.
Then give him the treat. Once he knows he gets the treat for sitting, you can then start to say the word so that he learns to do it when asked.
Having a puppy who knows how to sit is very useful when you have friends over that your puppy is trying to jump on, or when you come to the Animals Fiji clinic for vaccinations.
Around five months old, your playful pup is entering their teenage phase.
Desexing
You should have already desexed your pup before it turns six months, it can be done as young as 10-12 weeks old.
Don’t wait until six months! Early desexing helps curb unwanted wandering (“looking for girlfriends and boyfriends”) which can lead to dangers like disease, fights, traffic accidents–and most importantly overpopulation.
Do your part for your community and keep your furry friend safe and healthy by calling Animals Fiji to book their desexing appointment asap.
Animals Fiji helps animals all around Fiji, with clinics in Savusavu, Labasa, Nadi and Lautoka, and they also hold outreach clinics in other areas.
If you want to support Animals Fiji in their work or to find out more about Animals Fiji’s services, contact their Savusavu Clinic at (+679) 998 6253 or Nadi Clinic at (+679) 993 6647 or visit their website at www.animalsfiji.org.
As a non-profit charity, Animals Fiji depends on the kindness of donations to continue its work of supporting animals across Fiji. To learn more about Animals Fiji and how you can help, contact their Savusavu Clinic at (+679) 998 6253 or Nadi Clinic at (+679) 993 6647 or visit their website at www.animalsfiji.org.