Puppy behavior problems?
You're not alone

Puppies are adorable little creatures who are almost impossible to resist. Puppy behavior is just as irresistible, their expressions tug at our heart-strings and their antics make us laugh.

But, cute as they are they're not perfect (well, who is?) and every puppy parent will have times when they wonder what on earth is going on in their precious puppy's mind.

We're going to cover a few of the most common puppy behavior problems and help you find the best way to handle them. That way you get to enjoy these short-lived days of puppyhood more and worry less.

The Big 5

When little Fifi comes to live with you she is like a little sponge who is just waiting to soak up all that you have to teach her. She doesn't yet understand why she shouldn't 'potty' in the house or why your dining room table isn't an appropriate chew toy.

Your role, as her parent, is to teach her what's expected of her and what is not allowed. You set the puppy behaviour rules, but in order to help her to 'get it right' you also need to understand the way her mind works.

Some puppy behavior is breed specific, in other words it tends to be much more pronounced in some breeds than others, but that doesn't mean you have to endure it to the point that it becomes disruptive or unpleasant. The five biggest puppy behavior problems that most new puppy owners are faced with are -

• Barking
• Biting
• Chewing
• Housebreaking
• Guarding

Barking
Barking is part of normal puppy behaviour. When Fifi barks it's most often to get your attention, she wants to tell you something - sadly, since we humans don't speak 'dog', it sometimes takes a while for us to get the message and even then something is often lost in translation!

Perhaps your little one is bored or hungry, maybe she needs to go 'potty' or hears a stranger at the front door. Does she always get loud when she's been inside or in her crate for too long - then perhaps an extra walk and a bit more playtime is the answer. Do you feed her at the same times every day, or is it a bit 'hit and miss', then perhaps her little tummy is grumbling.

A bit of barking is normal puppy behavior, but in order to prevent it from becoming excessive you need to pay attention to the when's and why's. Check out our Puppy Barking page for lots more information and advice on this specific problem, and don't worry, with the right approach and timing this puppy behavior will soon be a thing of the past.

For stubborn, nuisance or excessive barking, a no bark collar is the perfect answer. Choose from tonal, impulse or citronella spray corrections. Find out more, and see the most popular models on our Petsafe dog training collars page.

Biting
There are several different terms for this puppy behavior - biting, nipping and mouthing are the most widely uses. This is probably the second biggest and most common puppy behavior problem of them all.

In fact ALL puppies bite from time to time, some breeds and personality-types are more prone to it than others of course, but it's very, very common. The word 'biting' can be a bit misleading as young puppies rarely bite in the way we humans tend to think of biting - aggressively, intentionally and with aim of causing pain.

Although it's very common, this behaviour needs to be stopped while your little furball is still young as it can lead to potential problems if left untreated. A 10lb puppy nipping playfully at your hand hurts but it's not serious, however if that puppy is still doing it when she weighs 50lb it's a whole different ball game.

Discover the other reasons behind this puppy behavior issue and the best and most effective ways to deal with it by looking at our Puppy Biting page.

Chewing
This is the biggie, it's a puppy behavior that every puppy parent in the world has had to deal with, although as usual some breeds tend to go at it with a bit more intensity and persistence than others.

Chewing is a basic need for your puppy, she doesn't know why she needs to do it - she just does! You and I know that it strengthens her jaws, helps to keep tartar and plaque from building up on her teeth, minimizes the pain of teething and is a great stress reliever - but Fifi doesn't.

Given that this puppy behavior is an actual 'need' the only thing to do is to make sure you teach your puppy what is OK to chew and what isn't.

If you want to protect your belongings, as well as your sanity, check out our Puppy Chewing for loads of advice, tips and moral support.

Housebreaking
Housebreaking a puppy can sometimes be problematic but there's a lot of things you can do that will help Fifi to understand what you need her to do in a fairly short time.

It's normal puppy behavior for your puppy to try not to eliminate where she sleeps, this is why crate training is such a successful method of housebreaking. It actually works WITH your puppy's natural instincts rather than against them.

Obviously your house is much larger than Fifi's crate is and so you need to help her to understand that your home is her home and that it's not OK to 'potty' indoors.

With a young puppy this can take several weeks of dedicated supervision and training, but once she understands and is old enough to have reasonable bladder and bowel control you'll be very glad you put in the time and effort to teach her properly in the beginning.

As a poorly, or unreliably, housebroken dog is not easy to live with it's important to make sure that you get this right. See our housebreaking advice for tips that will put you on the right track.

There's a question that's often asked, and although not directly related to house-training, it's in the ballpark as it were. "Why does my puppy eat poop?" is something that many puppy owners wonder. Find the answer (and how to stop this 'icky' habit) right here

Guarding

Although guarding is an understandable puppy behavior it's one that can be dangerous and needs to be dealt with early and firmly. The desire to guard or protect her food or people is an instinctive behavior but Fifi must be taught that it's not acceptable.

Some breeds (and not just the Guardian ones) are more likely to indulge in this kind of puppy behavior and although it may seem harmless, even cute, to listen to Fifi's tiny growl it's a very dangerous habit to allow. Nip it in the bud quickly.

Dogs, even puppies, often realize that the adults in the home are in charge and in their minds the children of the family are just other puppies.

To Fifi this means that she's entitled to guard her stuff from the kids as she's their equal. To help prevent this attitude involve your children in feeding, playing and training sessions so that Fifi sees that they are also the source of food, treats and discipline.

As well as teaching her basic obedience commands, taking your puppy to training classes will help her to learn to respect, trust and obey you which will in turn help you to curb any extreme tendencies towards guarding you.

Guarding their people and possessions is a very puppy behavior and although it's more pronounced in the guardian breeds almost every dog will defend and protect it's home and family if needed. Never encourage guarding or aggressive behavior, it will develop naturally as your puppy becomes more mature and it's very dangerous to try to heighten that desire.

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