Pup raised

Bring up your puppy just like the way you raised your kids.

Raising a puppy is just like bringing up a child.

The journey of raising a puppy is filled with fun and laughter as well as hard work. A lot of experienced pet parents will tell you that raising a pup is similar to bringing up a human child. Just like their non-tailed counterparts, the furry ones need love, patience, time and discipline. Here are some of the do’s and don’ts that may be helpful:

Patience: Unlike human babies, puppies cannot be put into diapers. Which means you will have to patiently clean up while they are still being toilet trained.

Good Manners: Just like children, teach your pup good manners. Learning to stop when told to and not jumping on people would be some of them.

Set ground rules: This goes for puppies and dogs of all ages and rules have to be set right from the first day. Do not allow a certain behaviour now if you wouldn’t want it repeated for the next 14 years. So if your couch or bed isn’t going to be available for a large dog to share with, do not let your pup on there now.

It’s not fair to suddenly stop him from sleeping on his bed (read your bed) just because he isn’t tiny anymore.

Communication: Be clear while communicating with your dog. Do not confuse the little chap by giving multiple commands. Remember, puppies do not understand our language. They are only trying to connect the sound of words to actions.

Reward: Reward all good behaviour immediately. It could be a treat, a scratch behind the ear or just a nice praise of “good boy or girl”.

No violence: Do not scream, hit or use any physically reprimanding techniques. This only causes fear which in turn can fester and turn into serious behavioural problems later. Be firm if needed to get the attention but no shouting!

Quality time: Spend quality time with your pup. Teach your dog things he can do around the house. Getting your post or newspaper is one of them.

Reading: Read more on the breed specific traits of your pup and do not let him get bored.

Give him enough mental and physical stimulation as required by the breed. It will help him to channel all that pent up energy effectively!

And most importantly, be the person your dog wants you to be. Watch him and he will tell you all you need to know about him.

(The authors are canine training and behaviour consultants and can be reached at cheekypawscc@gmail.com)