Puppies are huge commitments. Investing in a puppy is almost like deciding to have a child. They require education, food, love, potty-training and much more. One thing a future dog master should consider is sending their pup to dog obedience training . This will save you from years of chewed up couch cushions, cleaning up accidents on the living room carpet, and most of all stress. Dogs are not meant to stress you out, they should make you happy. Also, be sure to consider expenses such as grooming, boarding or dog sitting and other care your pet will need. Similar to expecting parents preparing when having a baby, dog owners need to be prepared for their first puppy.

The first common quirk for a puppy to have is to use, and perhaps destroy your furniture. There are a few ways to alleviate this issue. However, if youfail to take care of this in the puppy’s early years it will become a force of habit for them. You may end up replacing pillows for the next fifteen years. One thing that will keep the dog off is a shock mat. These mats are portable and are battery powered. It will send an electrical impulse into anything that comes in contact with it. You simply turn it off when you want to sit on the piece and turn it on afterwards. These mats will save you money and help you and your dog be happier together.

Another bad habit your new puppy will have is to eat out of your trash bins! This is a problem a lot of adult dogs just never grow out of. One thing you can do, especially if you followed the last piece of advice, is place one of the shock mats in the way of your garbage bin. This will train your dog not to go near the garbage, and over time you won’t need the mat anymore. Another quick solution is to child lock your garbage bins. This may be a hassle, but you have to make small sacrifices for your dog.

In addition, your dog may make it his thing to jump on people. This really makes having company over hard, because they get berated by your dog. To fix this, it takes persistence. First, when your dog jumps up, grab their front paws and step on their back paw. It won’t cause them real pain, so don’t worry, its simply negative reinforcement. It teaches them that when they jump, something uncomfortable comes with it. By doing this every time and reprimanding, your dog will break this habit fast.

Dogs are very needy pets, and worth-it in comparison to the great friendship and memories a dog brings. Instilling good habits during their younger years is important. You have to teach the dog the difference between what is right and what is wrong, just as you would teach a child. If you fail to do so, your dog will develop a twisted perception of reality and bad habits.