The Baby's got a Butcher Knife!
Adopting a new puppy? Remember, you're the adult!
Ok, so maybe the title is a bit much...
…but it’s shocking how often we all forget who’s the adult, and who’s the child. Or, in this case, who’s the puppy.
To train up a good dog, you must start early, be diligent and remain patient. And always, always, always, remember that you’re the adult!
Young pups are going to get into things!
They’re gonna want to chew things! A healthy puppy is curious, adventurous and wants to explore his new home. (One of the reasons we encourage crate training!) So when you walk in and catch your pup chewing on something she’s not supposed to chew on, or when you find a great big hole in your best pair of underwear, remember – it’s not the puppy you should be punishing!
For any of you who’ve had a baby, let me ask you this: If you walked into the living room and found your 1 year old baby (or grandbaby for some of us) standing there, holding a BUTCHER KNIFE that he found on the coffee table, how many of you would spank the baby?
Hopefully, none. Yes, we should teach the baby not to touch knives, but who was the knucklehead who left a butcher knife on the coffee table in reach of a toddler???
Patsy Cline, the Border Collie causes havoc with her razor-blade teeth.
Two nights ago, Libby came into the kitchen and exclaimed, “Well, I left my brand new backpack within reach of Patsy, and guess what? She chewed through the band. It’s useless now.”
Good for Libby. She never blamed the puppy. She knew that she made the mistake and left her new backpack within reach of the dog.
We gave Patsy a firm “NO” and gave her a deer antler to chew on instead.
Here’s the point: Be responsible. If you’re going to take in a new puppy, understand that the puppy will have normal, very natural instincts to chew things, tear things and steal things. It’s up to YOU to 1. keep important or dangerous items out of reach, and 2. teach the puppy which item are ok to chew, and which items are not.
