Getting a new puppy is one of the most exciting experiences. You’re welcoming a new furry friend into your life and lots of unconditional love. But while all of the new kisses, love, energy, cuddles, and great company are awesome, raising a puppy has many challenges that pet owners have to overcome.
Puppies are known to be active and energetic and since they are living beings, you are going to have to take great care of it if you get one. However, there’s no reason to be intimidated as raising a puppy isn’t the hardest thing in the world to do. There are certain challenges that you are going to face, but once you do, you’ll have a well-trained pup who you can be extremely proud of!
Today, we’ll be sharing our top challenges puppies need to overcome. For you as owners, we recommend doing your research and tackling these challenges as soon as you get your new puppy!
Training
Training ultimately includes potty training and following orders. These two are the most important things to master quickly upon getting your new puppy. Training your new puppy really establishes you as the alpha in your relationship. It is going to be quite difficult in the beginning because your puppy is simply not going to understand, but at the same time, if you start early enough, they will learn and catch on quickly. If you still have trouble training your puppy, we recommend signing them up for training classes as soon as possible to alleviate the problem while they are still young.
Teething
It’s important to keep in mind that the reason your puppy is chewing on everything is that teething causes your puppy a great deal of annoying pain. This means you are going to have to put in a lot of effort to help them alleviate that pain. We recommend buying them as many chew toys as possible, and when you see them start to chew on your table leg, switch it out for that new bone you just bought!
Socializing
It’s important to start socializing your puppy with other dogs while they are still young. We’ll be honest, your pup is going to have a tough time socializing at first. Antisocial dogs are quite common. It’s important to remember to take things slow and do not force it. If you force your dog to do something they don’t want to do it can cause a great deal of anxiety and make you look like the “bad guy” to them. We recommend taking it slow and being patient. They are likely to warm up to the other dogs after a few visits.
Separation Anxiety
We know, we hate those little squeals when we leave the house too. But, we as humans have to leave the house every once and awhile. If you work, you are going to have to deal with your dog suffering from separation anxiety and whining every time you have to leave home. During this time, it’s important to stay strong and continue to leave the house. This will teach your puppy that you are serious, but that you always return to see them. Eventually, your pup will get used to the idea that you need to leave for a few hours every day and they’ll be excited to greet you when you get home.
Staying Firm
This is the most important challenge to overcome. If you do not stay firm, your puppy will never learn and will quite honestly think they can get away with anything. While our new puppies are absolutely adorable even if their chewing on something they shouldn’t be, it’s important to punish them if they deserve it and to not give in on that treat if they don’t follow orders. Failure to not stay firm and to always give in will result in a misbehaved dog.
Now that you know a few challenges puppies need to overcome are you ready to get started? If you overcome these challenges with your new puppy you will have a well-behaved dog who you can enjoy life with!
