Life is a party for a little puppy and how you play with him can affect his future behaviour.
Your job is to sort out the games that will help your puppy's training and avoid those that may cause problems later.
Tug-of-war is a no-no. By playing this you are actually encouraging aggression and competition between your puppy and you.
Kids almost always want to play 'chase' with a puppy. Unfortunately this also causes problems for your puppy in learning 'come', one of the most important commands he can learn. If you give the 'come' command to a puppy who has been encouraged to chase, he may pounce with his front paws, tail wagging as if to say “catch me!”
Some puppies tend to be biters. Needless to say this creates bad habits.
'Attack' games may seem cute when your puppy is little but you usually end up with an adult dog that bites.
The same goes for jumping all over people. You'll quickly find that this isn't cute or friendly once your puppy gets older. Teach him to sit when someone enters your house, and when he responds to the 'sit' command, reward him with heaps of praise or a small treat.
Whenever you give a command, maintain eye contact and remember the importance of your tone of voice. Don't laugh at naughtiness when you say “no”. The whole family should use the same commands spoken in a firm, no-nonsense voice. It's important for a puppy to accept the dominance of its human companions.
On the whole playtime is a great chance to teach your puppy to retrieve, to play with toys and to do simple tricks. All of these games build a bond between you and your puppy.
You can also enrol your puppy in obedience classes from a young age. Many vet clinics run puppy preschools where pups can mix with others of a similar age and learn simple commands in a scare-free environment.
Older puppies can go to obedience school any time after they have had their puppy shots. Even if your puppy is well behaved, good behaviour can be reinforced through obedience classes.
Another great thing to do with your puppy is to take him for a walk.
Important: remember not to take him to
public places until it at least 10-14 days after he's had his last puppy vaccine.
(Usually at 12 weeks of age)
