Help! My puppy is......
I have written some information and tips to help deal with the most common puppy problems, if you feel that something is missing, please get in touch and I will add it.
It is a work in progress so please bear with me and excuse any spelling mistakes... I will proof-read it eventually!
My Puppy Is Biting/Nipping Us.....
Puppies are not born to understand human behaviour or what we expect of them. They will play with their mum and litter mates by biting and chewing so it is understandable that they will play with you in the same way. Your puppy has yet to learn that this is an unwanted behaviour with humans.
The best way to tackle this is to nip (pardon the pun) it in the bud as soon as possible, so be prepared for it before you bring your pup home.
I have found that persistent nippers are usually in a home with someone who will rough-house with the pup, you will not be able to correct the nipping issue if this is happening. It is never a good idea to encourage a dog to put it's mouth around a human, the pup will not understand that they can do this with you but not a small child. They will not learn it is unacceptable unless the rule for the whole household and humans in general is the same.
TIP: Carry a small toy around with you, in a pocket etc so the puppy can't see it, then when the puppy puts his/her mouth around a human a loud UH! or NO! will get their attention, then stop what you were doing for a few seconds and do not give the pup any attention. After a few seconds play with the puppy with the toy and praise them for biting/chewing the toy.
My Puppy Wont Sleep.....
Puppies need a lot of sleep and like babies they will benefit from a routine.
Several times a day, the puppy should be separated from the hustle and bustle of the house into a quiet room/crate to rest, they need this rest to be able to grow and develop properly. Like babies they don't always want to, especially if they think they may miss something exciting. Once a routine is in place they will settle much easier. Initially they may have a cry when seperated, but it is beneficial for your pup to be happy to be away from you for short periods of time, this reduces their liklihood of having seperation anxiety when they are older and means that they may not be as stressed if they have to spend time away from you at the vets or while you're at work/shopping or on holiday.
TIP: Put a crate/bed in a room away from you and put the puppy in there several times a day for at least 30 minutes. Start doing this the day they come home with you. If you use a crate, cover the crate with a blanket, this will make it feel like a safe and secure place for your pup to be - make it a household rule that the pup isn't to be disturbed while in their crate. If at first they resist being away from you, put their favourite chew toy in with them so they have something to do, they will fall asleep when they get bored. Once a routine is very much in place, start entering the room quietly every now and then for a short time and coming out again, this will get them used to being relaxed with people coming in and out.
My Puppy Is Hyper....
Puppies have huge blasts of energy, so will be lively.... when they're not sleeping. If however your pup seems to be overly hyper all day, then there could be a reason for it:
1: Check the quality of the food they're on, if your puppy food is very colourful there will be E numbers in it, there will also be preservatives etc in it, these can make pups hyper in the same way they do in children. Also if the food isn't a good quality it may not have the right balance of nutrients for them. Food is an important thing for dogs as it is with humans, good quality, healthy food can make a huge difference on the health and life span of the dog.
2: If you are already feeding them a quality food, then it could be that they have learned that they get the attention they want from being playfull. This is fine, however you also need to 'reward' them when they are calm. Interactions with the family, especially young children as they are always on the go are a lot of fun for puppies. It is important to make at least half of these interactions calm ones.
3: They may not be getting the right amount of sleep (as above) and may be over-tired.
TIP: When your pup is at rest in his/her bed (or on the sofa) stroke them gently and quietly so they learn that they can also get 'rewards' from being quiet and calm. The more you reward calm behaviour, the calmer dog you will have. Fun, playful times can be rewarded during training and on walks.