how to discipline a puppy that won't listen

When cute puppies enter our lives, their liveliness and innocence bring us endless joy. However, puppies often exhibit disobedient behavior, such as biting furniture, urinating everywhere, and not following instructions, which often troubles us. But please remember, puppies are like a blank sheet of paper, and their behavior habits require us to patiently guide and shape them. Next, let's explore together how to scientifically and effectively discipline disobedient puppies, helping them grow into obedient and sensible dogs.

Understanding the psychological characteristics of puppies is the foundation of discipline. Puppies have a strong curiosity and a desire to explore the world around them. They learn about their environment through biting, scratching, sniffing, and other methods. For example, puppies like to bite furniture, not intentionally causing trouble, but because their teeth are uncomfortable during tooth replacement and need to be relieved by biting. It is also their way of exploring the texture and taste of objects. Puppies' attention is easily distracted and it is difficult for them to focus on one thing for a long time, which may cause them to be absent-minded during training and have difficulty concentrating and following instructions. In addition, puppies have a strong dependence on their owners and crave attention and love. Some of their mischievous behaviors may just be to attract their owners' attention.

Positive reinforcement is an important method for disciplining puppies. When puppies exhibit the behavior we expect, timely rewards can help them understand that this behavior is correct and reinforce it. Rewards can be delicious snacks such as small pieces of chicken jerky or cheese, as well as enthusiastic compliments, gentle touches, or fun play. For example, when a puppy defecates at a designated location, it is immediately given a snack reward and loudly praises "you are great", while gently stroking its head and back. Through this method, puppies will associate defecating at designated locations with receiving rewards, gradually developing good bowel habits. When training puppies to follow instructions, such as "sit down" or "lie down", when they make the required movements, rewards are immediately given. After repeated actions, puppies will be more willing to follow instructions.

Establishing a regular lifestyle is crucial for the behavioral norms of puppies. Puppies need a stable and predictable environment to establish a sense of security. Fixed feeding, walking, playing, and sleeping times every day can help puppies develop a good biological clock and develop regular behavioral habits. For example, taking a puppy for a walk at 7am every morning and letting it defecate outdoors will help the puppy become accustomed to meeting its physiological needs at this time and place, reducing the need to urinate and defecate outdoors. A regular lifestyle can also help puppies understand when to rest quietly and when to play freely, thereby reducing unnecessary mischievous behavior.

Appropriate punishment is also an indispensable part of disciplining puppies, but the punishment method must be scientific and reasonable. The purpose of punishment is not to make puppies feel fear or pain, but to make them realize that their behavior is wrong. When a puppy makes a mistake, such as biting furniture, do not beat or scold it, as beating or scolding may cause fear and resistance in the puppy, damaging the trust relationship with its owner. You can use the method of "cold treatment". When a puppy bites furniture, immediately say "no" in a serious tone, then turn around and leave, no longer interacting with it. Puppies crave their owners' attention, and this brief neglect can make them realize that their behavior has led to negative outcomes. You can also prepare a small spray bottle of water. When the puppy makes an impermissible behavior, gently spray water on it and make a serious stop sound. The stimulation of water spray is relatively mild, which can stop the puppy from behaving incorrectly, but it will not cause harm to it.

Providing sufficient exercise and mental stimulation for puppies can also reduce disobedience behavior. Puppies are full of energy, and if their energy is not released, they are prone to venting through mischievous behavior. Taking puppies for moderate exercise every day, such as walking, playing ball, etc., can consume their energy and make them quieter and gentler at home. At the same time, provide a variety of toys and interactive games to satisfy their curiosity and desire for exploration. For example, preparing puzzle toys such as leaky balls for puppies to exercise their thinking skills while playing can effectively reduce destructive behavior.

In the process of disciplining puppies, owners should maintain patience and consistency. Puppies have limited learning ability and may require multiple repetitions of training to master a behavior. Don't lose patience or even give up training just because your puppy hasn't learned for a while. At the same time, all members of the family should have consistent ways of disciplining the puppy, otherwise the puppy will feel confused and unsure which behavior is correct. For example, if owner A allows the puppy to go to bed but owner B does not, the puppy will be at a loss and find it difficult to develop good behavior habits.

Every puppy is a precious treasure in our lives, and their growth requires our careful care and guidance. When puppies are disobedient, don't let anger cloud your mind. Instead, use love as the foundation and use scientific methods to discipline them. By understanding the psychology of puppies and using positive reinforcement, establishing patterns, and appropriate punishment, we can help puppies develop good behavioral habits and grow up healthy and happy.