The personality of the canine develops radically between the ages of eight and sixteen weeks. How the average family dog will eventually turn out, is determined by the environment in which the puppy lives during that critical emotional time period.
When an eight week old puppy comes into its new home, it arrives with a mind that can be likened to a blank chalkboard. What may be written down on the chalkboard certainly will shape the puppy’s personality and character. Unfortunately, it is purely a lack of knowledge on the part of the dog owner that is responsible for what later turns out to be a “problem dog”.
Bad Dog Behavior Is Not Born Into Them
No dog is born being problematic, however they can become that way if there is a lack of training or their environment may encourage or lead to problems. The responsibility rests solely and squarely upon the shoulders of the person who owns the dog. Your dog needs dog obedience training.
Most puppy obedience classes will not accept a puppy for training unless it is six months or older. This is really understandable because most trainers know that some dog owners do not possess the patience needed to deal with puppy training. It is unfortunate, however, that by the time a dog reaches six months of age it has already become a “problem dog”. You are alway responsible for your dog behavior problems. It may be true that dog obedience training might or might not help, however it may not in some cases because the dog is too old.
There are sad stories about the disasters of poor training and the understanding of what needs to be done. One example pertains to owners requesting that their standard Schnauzer be put sleep. Each person in the family had been the victim of a bite, with at least one being serious. The dog was only eight months old, still a puppy as far as dog trainers’ are concerned. The first incident of biting happened when the puppy was only 12 weeks old, the last came at eight months old. In between, the bites became progressively worse, yet not one single member of the family could bring themselves to properly discipline the dog. They “loved” their dog too much and thought it would be too mean to discipline the animal. Mistaken kindness can be a bitter and unneeded cruelty and the responsibilty solely rests upon the head of the dog owner.
The natural instinct of the canine is to try and assume dominance within the pack. The pack in this case is you and your family. Just because it may push your buttons from time to time and try to be the one in control is not a sign that you are not loved. It doesn’t mean you are not respected by it either. If you act weak and too permissive, you are allowing dominance and the dogs respect and love for you will fade. You then become inferior in your dogs eyes and will be owned by your dog,therefore suffering the consequences. Knowing your dog’s motives is one of the secrets to dog training. Begin early with your training and don’t let your dog become a problem dog.
