Doggos are blessings in life, and our home wouldn’t be the same without our precious furchildren.❣️ However, new pawrents might find themselves up for a new set of challenges when it comes to taking care of an overexcited pupper.
While dealing with your latest four-legged family can be a little stressful, the love for them is still strong and unconditional. 💕 All you need are some tips, techniques and a little patience!
Here are 3 common challenges that new dog owners face (and how to overcome them)~
1) Potty Training
When it comes to being a pawrent, you will most likely stumble upon your pupper doing their ‘business’ in inappropriate places (like your living room floor or your car ><). So, how can you effectively potty train your pup so that they can integrate into a new home life?
First off, you have to quickly interrupt their ‘business’ with an "ah-ah!" and get them to their designated potty place. It is important for you to always accompany them during this process through rewards or praise as active feedback can greatly help with their learning progress!
While you’re working with your pupper on potty training, you can temporarily reduce messes by having your doggo wear washable diapers or belly bands that are designed to prevent leakage! This way, you can have a clean house whilst you work towards your furbaby’s independence. Quality life for the win!
2) Socialisation
Socialisation isn’t only important for hoomans, but doggos as well! Without proper guidance, your furchild might find it hard to interact properly with kids, animals, adults and even other doggos — which might cause unnecessary chaos or squabbles from both sides.
By teaching your dog how to socialise, they will eventually learn how to respond and adjust their behavior depending on who they’re interacting with! This can also help reduce any chances of your doggo developing aggressive behaviors. You can ease your doggo into socialising with others through constant exposure, such as bringing them to dog parks or pet-friendly cafes and positively reinforcing good behavior with high-value treats!
However, make sure to exercise caution when introducing your doggo to different pets and people! The other party has to be friendly and open to interactions before organizing a Meet-and-Sniff so that accidents that may cause distress to your doggo (and potentially set back all your progress) can be avoided!
Socialisation is super important in turning your dog into a great, well-adjusted companion. As they say, manners maketh man (or dog, in this case!) and most people prefer interacting with dogs that can get along well with pets, family and strangers!
3) Household Destruction 😢
While your pup can be your favorite partner-in-crime, the “crimes” can sometimes get a little too far. For example: the destruction of furniture, curtains, clothing and even your best shoes. 😭
Chewing through your household items and causing havoc are usually actions that are exhibited through dogs that lack mental stimulation which causes boredom or stress. This leads them into looking for an outlet to vent their frustration!
Without proper training, dogs tend to resort to chaotic behavior to relieve anxiety, frustration and even boredom. Other “undesirable” traits may include: excessive chewing, general aggression and constant barking.
So, how can you overcome this challenge? One of the best ways is to spend time with your dog, like bringing them for walks or playing fetch. This can keep them physically active and mentally stimulated, which can also be done by providing them with entertainment like enrichment toys, brain puzzle games or dog chews!
If your dog’s destructive behavior persists, you can use pet-friendly chewing deterrents by spraying it onto household objects. This will discourage your dog from chewing due to the unpleasant taste, which will prevent them from making the same mistakes.
However, deterrents are not permanent solutions to your dog’s destructive tendencies. Training your dog to become disciplined and well-behaved will take a lot of patience and time. If your efforts with your pupper isn’t showing any progress, you can consult the advice of certified dog experts that can help identify the root cause to your pup’s behavior.
(Meanwhile, you can dog-proof your house by putting away valuable items until your dog’s chewing tendencies are under control!)
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Thanks for reading this far. :) We hope that this list was helpful to all dog owners out there who are looking to be a better pawrent! Save this article for future reference and share it with fellow doggo owners! 🐕
If there are more that we should include or any updates, hit us up at our Instagram or email us at myforeverdoggo@gmail.com.
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