In my ongoing series of raising a puppy, I wanted to talk about the balance of managing the joy that a puppy feels and instilling manners. I frequently talk puppy owners off the ledge of being embarrassed by their puppies “being extra” when they meet new people or dogs, and when they are out in the world. A puppy that is happy to see new things and people, no matter how extra they get, is exactly what you want in temperament. Let me be the first to tell you that it is OK to let your puppy be happy and excited! It is perfectly normal and, quite frankly, what you want to happen.
My little Bento Box went on his first big dog show adventure last weekend, all the way to West Virginia. It made me happy to see how happy he is meeting new people and seeing other dogs. For me, a young puppy that is overly joyful to see things is exactly what you want in a temperament, as it is much easier to bring that down than it is to bring scared and shy temperaments up. You do want people to be able to pet your puppy without being jumped on, and, of course, want to teach your puppy how to meet stranger dogs. However, I believe that you should never punish a puppy with a correction or collar pop when the puppy is on lead out in the world and is happy about it. I never want Bento to not feel happy about those situations, and I don’t want him to associate the sight of a new person or dog with being punished.
Here are some tips to shape the behaviors you want from your young puppy when they are learning to both walk nicely on leash out in the world and learn impulse control to control themselves. When I take Bento places where he will be meeting new people and dogs, I always carry heavy-duty ammunition with me in the form of chicken or roast beef, both of which stop the boy in his tracks. When people are approaching him to pet him and using their high-pitched “I want to pet a puppy” voice, I warn them that he is a baby with zero manners, and to wait until he settles himself before bending down to pet him. Secondly, I prevent my puppies from being able to jump by keeping the leash short, but not tight. I reward them with bits of chicken when they are not jumping or if they are checking in voluntarily with me, asking for the food, even if it is for a split second. A frustrating sight for me is seeing a young puppy dancing around with joy while their owners express embarrassment or frustration, telling the puppy “no” or “get down.” The puppy has zero clue what either word means and is honestly not even listening anyway!
When Bento first arrived at the dog show, of course, he was overstimulated and needed a few minutes to take it all in. Trips to the park or walks will be exciting for your puppy. However, you should never want to squash the joy while trying to teach them to dial their enthusiasm down. Instead of punishing them or being embarrassed by their behavior, try taking another approach, which is rewarding them for what they are doing right. I reward Bento all day for checking in with me at home and for not jumping on me. It has paid off now that we are starting to take him out into the world.
So never squash the joy of watching your puppy be happy at seeing new things. Take a breath and reward them for offering polite behaviors, which will balance the joy you want them to feel with learning manners.
If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at heidi@fouronthefloordogtraining.net.
Heidi Clayton started Four On the Floor Dog Training to provide positive, reward-based dog training in South Jersey. She breeds, trains and shows bull terriers under the SoraBully’s Bull Terriers kennel name. Email questions to heidi@fouronthefloordogtraining.net or learn more at https://fouronthefloordogtraining.net
