I broke my puppy!! MYTHS & FACTS
MYTH - Getting your dog from a breeder / as a puppy means he will be perfect around the children / other dogs / enter any other situation here
FACT - Early experiences play a huge part in the temperament of your dog. Even before he is born! Your puppy could literally be born with "issues" and no amount of "well, he's just a puppy, he'll soon grow out of it" will help unless you seek professional help.
MYTH - You caused your puppy to grow up into an aggressive dog who doesn't like other dogs / strangers / enter any other situation here.
FACT - It's true that you may have got the early socialising wrong and caused problems however, it's also true that you did absolutely nothing wrong. Good, well trained, well socialised, loved, puppies can still grow up to be aggressive due to genetics, experiences, medical history and can be no fault of the owner.
MYTH - But I socialised my puppy so well. He met loads of dogs. Was always off lead playing with others. He used to love people. I did everything right.
FACT - You can so easily get this part *so* wrong if you are not careful. Socialising your puppy DOES NOT mean allowing him to greet & play with every dog he sees. It DOES NOT mean allowing crazy, puppy playtime with your dog chasing around. It DOES NOT mean letting everyone crowd around your puppy to fuss him / pick him up / pass him around in the name of "socialising "
If you get this part wrong then you will create a puppy who ends up HATING other dogs or is petrified of other dogs and a dog who cannot stand strangers approaching.
MYTH - I made sure I touched his food bowl whilst he was eating right from Day One so that he knows it's ok for me to take his food
FACT - This will likely make your dog aggressive around his bowl / his food / treats / any stolen item he finds .... He will be predicting that you will be coming over to take it away from him so he will have no choice but to start growling at you and possibly even biting you.
MYTH - You just didn't train your dog enough and that's why he is like this.
FACT - It's not always a training issue. Early experiences/ other people / other dogs / how stressed mum was during the pregnancy .... So many things play a part in the way your puppy turns out.
But the biggest thing to remember is that "well, I need to get a puppy so that he can grow up around the kids and I can trust the puppy" or "I need to get a puppy so that I can train him to be friendly with other dogs" are two of the biggest myths in owning a puppy.
What YOU do with your puppy and how YOU train him is just a small part in the personality that develops into an adult dog
Our one-2-one Training Packages are personalised just for you & your dog and your household. We meet at your home or at a local park and we can tailor a Training Program just for you or you can follow our pre-made Program which covers all of the basics you'll need to set you puppy up for success