Puppies need a lot of attention. They crave for it and when they get it, they will do anything to keep that attention focused on them. And they don’t care if the attention that you are giving them is in response to something positive or negative. All they care about is getting attention from you. That’s why little dogs sometimes do so much damage in the house. They may chew the sofas, destroy the plants, make carpets dirty, bark and howl. Let’s say that you’re trying to have a peaceful dinner, but your puppy keeps jumping up and down trying to get your attention. When you try to correct him by pushing him down or shouting “Off!”, he just gets more and more excited and continues to jump up and down. He’s doing so because you just responded to his behavior and he got the attention he wanted.
By yelling at him and pushing him down, consciously or not, you are actually giving him what he wants. The response that you gave him, even though it’s not positive, motivates your puppy to keep going because he knows that whatever he’s doing is working. Are you surprised? Here’s another example: your puppy gets a hold of your keys and starts running around the house with them. What do you do? You stop whatever it is you are doing and start chasing him. Your puppy does not perceive this as a form of discipline. In his mind, you are either playing with him or that whatever he has must be really good because you want it. So he will keep on running until you stop or one of you eventually gets tired of playing this game.
But the attention may take various forms. To your puppy, it can be as simple as giving him a smile. This acknowledgment is saying to him that what you approve of his behaviour. Puppies think that we, humans, are just like them. Therefore, when your puppy gets excited and you respond back by getting excited, whether it is positive emotion or a negative one, the puppy’s behaviour is reinforced. That’s why we should learn to respond in a particular way in order to achieve a particular effect. The puppy will then learn to recognize the responses and our emotions behind them and behave accordingly.
The fact that you are upset with your puppy’s action does not mean anything to him. His reaction is based on your body contact and excitement. Even if you yell at him and then push him hard, he will most likely stop and walk away. However, the only thing that you have accomplished is scaring him. It is possible to train your puppy without having to establish fear. No one wants to scare their pets but teach them that certain types of behaviour are unacceptable. Therefore, show him that through positive behaviour he will get your attention
The best time to do this is when he is calm and resting or chewing on a bone peacefully. Slowly approach him and give him a gentle pat or a belly rub while whispering a praise. Eventually, your puppy will realize that being calm and quiet is what gets him the attention he wants. He will then repeat the behavior.
In order to learn some more methods of dog training, consult specialists or buy guidebooks or specialist books written by experienced professionals in the field who, in this way, want to help dog owners to establish a day-to-day interaction with their four-legged friends. After reading such books or talking to an expert we will understand our dog’s needs and behaviour. This will help us to choose the best methods of training our little family member.