Q&A for How to Discipline Your Puppy

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Is it OK to punish your puppy?

David Levin
Professional Dog Trainer
David Levin is the Owner of Citizen Hound, a professional dog walking business based in the San Francisco Bay Area. With over 9 years of professional dog walking and training experience, David's business has been voted the "Best Dog Walker SF" by Beast of the Bay for 2019, 2018, and 2017. Citizen Hound has also been ranked #1 Dog Walker by the SF Examiner and A-List in 2017, 2016, 2015. Citizen Hound prides themselves on their customer service, care, skill, and reputation.

David Levin

Professional Dog Trainer

Expert Answer

Positive reinforcement is usually most effective, however, you can show you disapprove of a puppy's behavior by giving a time out. As soon as you see your puppy acting up, remove it to the time-out spot. Be sure to do this every time you notice the bad behavior.

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Question

What should I do if my puppy won't eat any food?

Boo-Boo

Community Answer

Take him to the vet. It could be something serious, or as simple as pain from teething. Either way, the vet will know what to do and how to best advise you.

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Question

Should I ever punish my puppies by not giving them a meal?

Community Answer

No. Use a commanding voice, ignore and redirect. Taking away a meal is akin to abuse.

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Question

My 2 dogs (2 1/2 yrs) have started chewing on throw pillows and rugs. I've tried shunning, yelling, and slapping a newspaper on my hand. They chew on them at night when we're sleeping.

Community Answer

You could try some bitter apple or bitter cherry spray, but usually when dogs are chewing at night it's because they're not tired enough to sleep, I'd recommend upping their daily exercise. After all, a tired puppy is a happy puppy!

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Question

My puppy gets so excited and snaps when she is trying to nip me. Is this normal?

Community Answer

This is a very normal occurrence, and it sounds like your puppy is teething. You may want to get some chew toys to help with this.

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Question

I don't want to take my 1-month-old chihuahua pup outside to potty cause it's negative temperatures out and she gets cold easily and has already been really sick from the cold. I don't know what to do. Help.

Community Answer

Hopefully you don't mean your puppy is only 4 weeks old. A four-week old puppy doesn't need to go outside; she needs to be kept inside a warm whelping area with her mother. Assuming your dog is older, you could train her with puppy pads for now. Then, when it gets warmer, train her to go outside. Or get her a warm coat and booties.

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Question

How do I get two sibling puppies to stop fighting?

Community Answer

It's natural for puppies to play-fight, and very healthy for them to do so. If you need a break from it, separate them by putting them in their individual crates, or different rooms.

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Question

My dog is a seven month old german shepherd. She jumps when people comes to visit - especially on my grand children. Please help!

Community Answer

Take the dog to obedience classes and try keeping her on a leash when people come over until she calms down.

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Question

Does yelling at the puppy help?

Community Answer

Never. You want to be calm but firm. Getting angry and yelling sends the wrong tone and may just excite your puppy, teaching it the wrong thing.

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Question

Should I punish my dog for going into the street?

Community Answer

It's a good idea to at least sternly rebuke your dog so he knows that's not okay. It's pretty important for him to learn not to run out into the street like that.

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Question

My 16-month-old puppy will not go to the bathroom outside. The front door can be open and she still does her business on the floor. What should I do?

Community Answer

Make sure you take her out every 2 hours, don't give her the chance to do her business inside and heavily reward her when she goes outside. If you catch her going in the house, pick her up and bring her outside so that she starts to get the idea. If you're still frustrated, you might want to look into pee pads, I know it's still peeing in the house but at least the cleanup is easier and it's confined to a couple of small areas.

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Question

My puppy will not calm down enough to start any kind of training. What should I do?

Community Answer

All puppies will calm down eventually, just be consistent. In fact, the more consistent you are, the more it will help your puppy calm down.

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Question

Why doesn't my puppy bark?

Community Answer

If your puppy is new to the family, it might be afraid or nervous. Try playtime, cuddling, and talking in a soothing voice to make it feel welcome. Eventually, through time, it should feel welcome and get used to its new home.

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Question

My puppy keeps biting my foot everytime I walk and even pulls my clothes. I have several wounds already. What should I do?

Community Answer

Every time your puppy does this, at the exact moment he does so, tell him a strong firm, "no" and put him in a cage for at least 5 minutes.

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Question

How can you housebreak a dog that has been tied up till time to go out to potty?

Community Answer

Every time the dog is off leash with you at home, you can use the same training techniques you would with any dog, praising the dog when it goes potty outside, etc.

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Question

What else can I try if I have a new puppy that bites, and showing my back and turning away is not resolving the issue?

Community Answer

Try pinching his neck and making the tsch noise, or saying no. Consistency is key.

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Question

My puppy keeps crying at night. What should I do?

Community Answer

This is pretty normal for puppies, and most likely it's a behavior that your puppy will outgrow as he becomes more accustomed to your home and your routines. If possible, cuddle with your puppy and make him feel safer.

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Question

My puppy keeps jumping in my plants and making a lot of damage. How can I stop this?

Community Answer

Try spreading used coffee grounds mixed with cayenne pepper around your plants. It should keep the puppy away from them.

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Question

I just got a German Shepherd puppy who is about 6 weeks old. How do I start training it.?

Community Answer

Search for the wikiHow article 3 Ways to Train a German Shepherd .

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Question

How long does a Pomeranian live for?

Community Answer

The average lifespan for a Pomeranian is 12-16 years, but of course it depends a lot on making sure you care for the dog properly.

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