Not a bad dog

I want a puppy! Look how cute!

You will be my best friend. We can watch movies together

We can cuddle together. With you, I won’t feel alone.

I’ve always wanted one just like you.

 

Good morning, are you awake?

I woke up three hours ago and needed to pee, but you were asleep.

I tried to wake you up, but you ignored me.

I know you woke up; I could hear your breathing change

But you chose to roll over and go back to sleep

So, I did too, because I know you know best

But now you’re awake! I’m so excited!

Why don’t you sound happy?

I know! Let’s play; that always makes me feel better!

Play! Play! Play!

Yay! Chase the ball!

Wait, how did this door get closed?

Come back! I still need to pee!

 

Why won’t you stop chewing on my chair!

My adult teeth are coming in, and I don’t have any appropriate toys to chew on to help work the new teeth through my gums. The wooden chair leg is just the right texture.

 

No! Bad! Don’t pee in the house! Why don’t you understand?

I woke up from my nap and needed to go potty. You never seem mad when I go in my kennel, and this carpet feels just like those pads you put in it.

 

Ok, I’m off to work, be a good pup now, and I will see you when I get home.

Wait! Where are you going? You always take me with you!

I don’t understand…

Why aren’t you back yet? I have to pee; I hope you come back soon.

This crate is so boring. I chewed on this toy yesterday.

Was that a squirrel? Bark, Bark, Bark! OW! What just bit my neck?? Bark, OW! It bit me again!

I’m so bored… maybe if I can get out, I can find you! HA! Freedom!

Oh… you really are gone…What was that??

 

You destroyed my favorite pair of shoes!

You left, and I got really scared that you wouldn’t come back, so I found something that smells like you and looks like the old shoe toy that you gave me. The smell of you and the act of chewing helped me calm down.

 

Shut UP! Stop Whining, always with the whining!

I have so much energy I’m going to explode! There’s nothing novel or interesting to do, and this has worked in the past to get me attention, exercise, and mental stimulation.

 

I just let you out; you don’t need to go out again

I forgot to pee because I saw a squirrel and had to chase it, then I came in and had a big drink of water. Now I really need to pee.

 

STOP PEEING IN MY HOUSE!

Why are you mad? I don’t understand what you’re angry about. I’m scared of you when you get mad. Stop! That hurts!

 

That’s it; you’re ruining everything, you’re untrainable, and you’re aggressive.

You’re a bad dog. I’m getting rid of you.

What did I do wrong? Why did you leave me at this place? Everyone seems so scared.

I’m scared; I’m lonely; I’m confused; I just want to come home.

 

It’s commonplace for first-time dog owners to feel blindsided by the requirements of raising a puppy. People often expect dogs to instinctually know good behavior and blame the dog whenever bad behavior arises. The reality is that it takes a lot of time, energy, and patience to educate puppies and create well-behaved adult dogs, just as it takes time to teach children to become functional well-behaved adults. Puppy training is not something that can be done one hour a day in the evenings, and in fact, hour-long training sessions are likely to be ineffective, as attention during a long training session is difficult for a puppy to maintain. Puppy training is an all-day, everyday commitment that requires consistency, clear expectations, and patience. While training sessions to learn a specific skill, such as come, sit, and stay, can and should be kept short and timed appropriately for the age of the puppy being trained, consistency is important to ensure the skill becomes part of a puppy's repertoire of desired behaviors. Most dogs don’t understand that “sit” at home means the same thing as “sit” at the dog park. It also takes compatibility. Bringing a dog whose heritage is herding, hunting, or working into a small apartment with little to no options for mental engagement and virtually no exercise is a recipe for behavioral issues. It’s important to realize the difference between a breed that needs a jaunt around the block once a day (see older dogs, some lap breeds, as well as some large breed dogs), a breed that needs a half-hour walk every day and a longer excursion on the weekends (most dogs) and a breed that is built to run for 4-12 hours every day (most every working, herding, and sporting breeds). Just because a dog is small doesn't mean it's low energy, and just because a puppy misbehaves doesn’t mean it is trying to do so. Before adopting the cutest breed that you’ve always wanted because of its aesthetics, consider your desired lifestyle and how that would match the breed you are looking at.

 

Follow us on LinkedIn for the latest updates on all things happening here at BSM Partners.

About the Author

Irene Lambregts formerly served as Assistant Manager of Technical Sales at BSM Partners. Originally from Idaho, her childhood was full of caring for and learning from the pets in her and her friends’ lives. Irene has a master’s degree in animal science.