Raising a puppy can be a fun and rewarding experience. Unfortunately, too many puppies grow up to be misbehaved dogs because the owners let them get away with bad behavior as a puppy because it was ‘cute’. Or, they just didn’t know how to raise their puppy to be a well behaved adult dog. There are a few crucial things you need to do.

First of all, you shouldn’t never bring home a puppy that is younger than eight weeks. During the first eight week of their life, they go through many development periods that are crucial to their long term well being. Removing a puppy from its mother and littermates too early causes behavior problems down the road.

Second, you need to start potty training immediately. Don’t let any bad potty habits form during those first few days you have them home, because those can be hard to reverse. I suggest teaching your puppy to go potty outside right from the beginning, rather than paper training them.

Third, never let your puppy nip at your hands or feet, even if it’s just playful. This is a common mistake owners regret in the long run. Always use toys to play with your puppy, never hands or feet.

Fourth, teach your puppy right from the beginning that you are the alpha dog. Also known as the ‘pack leader’. Even though dogs are domesticated, they still have natural instincts. They still expect to be part of a pack, and every pack needs a pack leader.

Your puppy expects to have a pack leader. If you don’t establish yourself as the leader, they will, and it’ll cause numerous behavior problems down the road. Do a search online for more information on this if you don’t know what it is. It’s important to know and use this information.

Last but definitely not least, you must gradually and carefully socialize your puppy for at least the first year of their life. You need to expose them to new and unfamiliar people, places, things, sounds, etc. Make sure the socialization experiences are pleasant. Carry along treats and make sure to provide plenty of praise and encouragement along the way.

I hope this article has helped you and given you insight on how to raise a well behaved dog. If you follow the tips I’ve given, I know you’ll make a great pet parent and your puppy will grow into a wonderful, loyal companion.

Thanks for reading. Go read more great tips and tricks about solving bad dog behavior at http://www.DogBehaviorExpert.com

Tags: Animal and Pet Articles, behavioral problems, Dog, Dog Behavior, Dog Training, habits, natural instinct, pack leader, Puppy

This entry was posted on Thursday, February 11th, 2010 at 11:08 am and is filed under Labrador Retriever Puppies, Labrador Retriever Training. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.