Is your puppy being destructive? Swiping food off the counter tops, stealing shoes, chewing wood furniture? Don't wait till these habits get out of control, work on these points daily from the moment you bring your puppy home, and this area of the "puppy phase" will be a LOT easier! I promise.
1. Are the boundaries clear?
Not everything in the house should be "free rein" to your puppy. Don't let them carry around your socks because it's "cute". Calmly claim the item (not yanking it away, but putting your hand over it and waiting for them to release) and then give them something they CAN chew.
If you never establish the boundaries till they're 6 months old and getting pushy, they'll eat, use, and destroy your property because there's never been leadership or direction to establish otherwise.
Your dog shouldn't TAKE for themselves, they should be GIVEN & invited, when it's appropriate.
They need to know there are things in the house that are off limits (even if they're an adorable cutie)!
2. Don't leave them unattended!
Puppies aren't good decision makers. They need continual guidance. Like a baby ;)
If you can't see your puppy, it should be in a contained space (like a pen or it's crate). They really can't be trusted to make the right decision when alone, so supervise them or take away the area of weakness (i.e, the socks they keep stealing, the toilet paper in the bathroom, food on the counter).
You want to be able to address/correct unwanted behaviour when it happens, vs finding a wreck long passed and not being able to do anything about it.
When you're present and on the ball, work on...
3. The "leave it" command
The time to "test" your dog and strengthen their ability to listen is when you're PAYING ATTENTION and able to address their behaviour, not when you're away/distracted.
Take some time to have something around that they'd usually take inappropriately, and work on correcting that, and practicing "leave it" instead. Make this a daily habit! Even with fetch -- making them wait to act on impulse is a really good habit.
This helps your dog harness their impulse control, whether that's when food drops from your plate, you left your slippers out or the treat bag dropped and they all spilled out, getting your dog to harness their impulses, and not always take what's in their line of sight will help exercise and strengthen those patience muscles that are SO important for dogs to have.
Having a puppy doesn't mean your home gets ruined. It is quite realistic that by 8 months, if you have worked on these things, your puppy will be quite good at controlling themselves with most things, and your house doesn't get tossed when you turn your back.
You've got this!
The RLD Team
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