Put your pup on the way to becoming man's best friend with good early training.

Put your pup on the way to becoming man's best friend with good early training.

There are so many dogs in need of homes right now. Shelters and rescues in our area are bursting at the seams. This includes an abundance of puppies! A shelter is no place for any dog to spend his days, but especially a puppy.

The summer is a great time to adopt a puppy while school is out and families have more time to focus on creating a routine that includes a young, energetic, four-legged ball of joy. It’s true: Anyone who has adopted a puppy knows that it initially can be challenging, but it is also important to point out that it is so worth it!

Puppies, like babies, require lots of attention, need to eat often, have lots of potty breaks (and accidents), and will keep their humans up all night long, especially in the beginning. Dealing with unwanted puppy behavior early on and in the proper manner is crucial, as this is a very impressionable time for a young dog.

Here are a few common, unwanted behaviors and tips to tackling them:

JUMPING: When a puppy jumps up and paws at his owner, he is seeking attention. If this behavior is allowed when the dog is young and small, he will grow up thinking this is acceptable as an adult. If he is pushed down or scolded, he is still getting the attention he is seeking, even if it is negative attention. The best response is to turn and walk away without saying anything. The next time he approaches, make him sit before he has the opportunity to jump up, then reward and praise him for sitting.

BARKING: Barking is a normal response for all dogs. When outdoors, puppies will bark at all sorts of things: other dogs, strangers, kids, cats, birds, a leaf blowing in the wind, etc. To be a good neighbor, never leave a dog outdoors unattended if he is a barker. As dogs get older, they will bark out of boredom. Dogs should never be left to entertain themselves day in and day out in the yard. Keep them indoors and part of the family so that the time spent outdoors will be stimulating and enjoyable.

PLAY BITING: Puppy teeth are sharp! Puppies must be taught to be gentle with their mouths and teeth. Gentle “biting” is acceptable early on, but as a pup gets older, around 12-16 weeks of age, discourage him from placing his mouth on hands. Be sure to provide him with plenty of safe items he is allowed to chew on.

CHEWING: Pick up the shoes! Chewing is a very natural behavior for a puppy, so it is important to direct him to chew on his chew toys. Buy several different items, and rotate them to keep him interested. If he is caught in the act chewing something that isn’t his, a stern “no chew” is adequate punishment, then make him sit, praise the sit and give him something that he is allowed to chew on.

If the evidence is there, but he was not actually caught in the act, disciplining the dog after the fact will do no good, as he will have no clue what he is being disciplined for. This holds true for potty accidents, too.

POTTY TRAINING: Puppies need to go out a lot. It is a good rule of thumb when a puppy is very young that he can go the number of hours he is months old before he needs a potty break. For example, a 2-month-old should be taken out every two hours, a 4-month-old every four hours. Crate training is essential to potty training. Dogs do not like to potty in their place, and they will learn to wait for potty breaks to relive themselves.

TRAINING: A formal training class is always a good idea to get some guidance in the proper ways of training a new puppy. Training classes designed specifically for puppies will help with impulse control, address and prevent behavior problems and provide important time sensitive experiences that will set your puppy up to be well-socialized for life!

Traci D. Howerton is the volunteer coordinator for Animal Rescue New Orleans, a nonprofit, volunteer-based, no-kill shelter. For more info on ARNO, visit www.animalrescueneworleans.org.

Traci D. Howerton is the volunteer coordinator for Animal Rescue New Orleans (ARNO), a nonprofit, volunteer-based, no-kill shelter. For topic suggestions, email animalrescuecolumn@gmail.com or for more info on ARNO, visit www.animalrescueneworleans.org.

Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.

News Tips: newstips@theadvocate.com

Other questions: subscriberservices@theadvocate.com