Be consistent. Puppies crave consistency in their daily routine and in puppy training. Correct bad dog behavior immediately and firmly every time it happens with a firm voice, a loud noise like a hand clap, or through redirection, like offering them a chew toy when they exhibit biting behavior.
Ideally, you should also take things further and integrate the behavior into playtime by having your puppy sit before playing a game. “This kind of training can start as soon as your puppy comes home (as early as eight weeks), provided you plan to use positive-reinforcement training,” says Naito.
Start by making sure your dog can follow a command with no distractions. Then, work on the command with people in the environment talking, eating, engaging with each other. Then, work on the command out in the yard and start with minimal distractions and work up to more significant distractions.
But don't neglect discipline.
If your dog misbehaves, ignore him (for example, turn your back when he's jumping on you), give him a short time-out in another room, or redirect his energy toward something more positive, like a toy.
Approximately 35% of owners and trainers voted 8-9 months as the toughest age citing new challenging behaviors associated with their puppy's now larger size such as pulling on the leash or counter-surfing.
When your dog is doing something bad, it can be helpful to have an interrupt command the dog is trained to obey. You may use "Stop!" "No!" "Drop it!" or "Leave It!" to get your dog's attention and let them know their behavior is unacceptable.
Once they're calm you'll once again place your open hand at their eye level about 6 inches away from their mouth. Once they go for it you'll once again quickly close your hand into a fist while saying the word “No.” Repeat this process 5 times then stop for 5 minutes. The 5 times/5 min break is a session.
Allow your puppy to chase other dogs, cats, or other animals. Confine your puppy for long periods of time during the day. Allow your puppy to chew, nibble, or bite on people. Allow your puppy to play with or chew on toys that aren't on the approved toy list (listed in section 3-5).
Never punish your puppy for biting. Your puppy is only doing what they think they are supposed to do. Instead, stick to the guide above to help them learn better behavior choices. As they get older, the biting habit should decline.
Whether it's hitting, tapping, or bopping a dog on the nose as means of discipline, this aversive technique still falls short of the success found with using reward-based or positive training. Contemporary experts urge against all uses of physical discipline.
On top of potentially evoking defensive aggression, hitting dogs may cause them to become insecure. They may cower, engage in submissive urination and have low self-esteem. They may no longer walk with their heads high; they will rather walk with their tail between their legs and their head carried low.
Don't Ignore It
If your dog's safety is at risk because of their behavior, never ignore it. Ignoring any behavior that isn't motivated by attention won't do anything to change the behavior. For example, a dog barking at passersby while watching out a window.
This is well-intended but incomplete advice – if you only ignore the behavior, your dog will probably never learn to stop barking, jumping, or pulling. Just ignoring unwanted dog behaviors misses an important piece of teaching your dog what TO do instead. Dogs learn by association.
If they are not in any kind of danger from the behavior or behaviors (for instance, eating something bad from the garbage), ignore the behavior and reward when the behavior stops. The key to helping prevent negative, attention-seeking behaviors from your dog is by giving him plenty of love, attention and playtime.
Keep in mind that aggressive and fearful behavior, such as growling, snapping, biting, stiffening, and cowering are not normal behaviors in puppies. A healthy and psychologically sound puppy should be naïve and at least somewhat eager to interact with people and animals.
There is so much you're trying to teach your new puppy, that it can feel overwhelming: house-training, sleeping through the night, not to nip, not to chew, and all the other household rules you've established. Add to that a puppy's natural curiosity and energy, and you might start to feel as if he'll never get it.
Some behaviors like chewing, play biting, jumping up on people, and getting on furniture are typical puppy behaviors. They don't know the rules yet and want to have fun and show everyone how much they love them. Common destructive behavior in dogs is chewing. Puppy chewing can be a big issue in the teething phase.
Providing your dog with an activity such as a set of action cues (sit and stay) with food rewards for compliance or playing with your dog's favorite toy in the presence of the stimulus that exacerbates the negative behavior, will redirect his attention onto doing something more positive, while building up a good ...
Instead, opt for reward-based training tactics that focus on giving the dog things he desires, like treats, petting and play, when he responds to a command in the desired manner. And rather than punishing him for unwanted behavior, redirect him to a more acceptable behavior and offer him a reward for that.
Some reasons dogs don't come when called include distraction, confusion, or fear. Gradual training and positivity are ways to help build a reliable recall so your dog will come when called.