When you first get your puppy home there are typically a few things you will notice relatively quick. First is normally just how stinkin cute it is, but don’t let her cute little face fool you! Behind every sweet loving face is a set of razor sharp puppy teeth and extremely sharp puppy nails.

It is important to start teaching them right from wrong at a young age. Don’t let the fact that “He’s just a puppy” or “She’s so cute though!!” be an excuse to let your pup get away with murder. It’s not a good reason to let them jump all over you scratching up your legs and arms, or using your pants and fingers as a new chew toy.

This is something that our newest AAD (Autism Assistance Dog) Carolina is working on very diligently every day. As a normal growing puppy she is prone to trying to gnaw on my knuckles, finger, and shoes. It’s my job to teach her that as tasty as they may be, my fingers are not food and as much as she might want the attention, jumping is not the proper way to go about getting it.

There are, of course, many ways to work on this. One of the things I do with Carolina is to give her a toy to chew on instead of fingers, or close her mouth and tell her “no bite!” I teach her that she will only get the attention and love that she wants by sitting nicely and being patient. Because every puppy is different in not only their personalities but also the way they learn, it is always good to figure out what works best for your pup as an individual. There is no ‘one size fits all’ when it comes to training your puppy. Patience and consistency is key!

Part of teaching her right and wrong is watching her like a hawk, knowing where she is and what she is doing at all times. I want to make sure that she isn’t set up for failure by being able to potty in the house when no one is paying attention or chewing up things she is not supposed to, whether it’s my shoe or the electrical cord in the corner of the room. Look below to see a few places that I have found our sweet Carolina when I turn my back for 2 seconds and she “disappears”!