Yes, I will admit, this is Sam when he was a young puppy! Was he scolded? Nope. The fault was on our end for giving him access to pieces of clothing. Management is such an important – and easily forgotten or overlooked – part of helping a puppies to succeed in our homes.
When it comes to preventing and stopping puppy behavior problems – we need to remember, they have a lot of needs to meet – chewing, playing, smelling, and exploring are among those needs. If you don’t give your puppy human approved choices (that our puppies value) while limited access for him/her to make unwanted choices, then he/she will come up with his/her own choices…and often those choices are NOT human approved. Remember – you wouldn’t leave a human infant in a room filled with electric chords and open cabinets filled with chemicals and medicine. Think of your puppy as that infant and help him/her to succeed in fun ways. You will not only be teaching good habits, you will be enriching your puppy’s life too!
