When you adopt a new puppy, whether it is a dog or a cat or any other species, you must help it develop healthy behaviors that strengthen the relationship with you, your family and the surrounding environment through methods that preserve its physical and mental health. Through veterinary psychology, or Ethology, you can learn several useful tips for raising your new puppy to avoid behavioral problems in adulthood.
1. Recognize problem behaviors
When choosing a pet that is only a few weeks old, it is important to research its gender, breed and age, as training will begin within a few weeks of birth. According to Dr. Angelo Gazzano , problem behaviors could be: excessive barking or meowing, aggression or anxiety when separated from their owner, which is why it is important that you observe behaviors that could be a problem in the future.
2. Establish good habits
When you are disciplined with your puppy in routines such as meals, play and socialization. For example, small dogs should be socialized with other canines between 3 weeks of age and 8 weeks. This socialization will prevent aggressive behavior in the future with other species or with members of your family.
On the other hand, you must establish play routines, which are fundamental to develop the behaviors of their species and also allow your pet to control its environment.
3. Prevent aggressiveness problems
According to Dr. Emily J. Blackwell, the most aggressive pet behaviors detected in a survey in the U.S. are related to the absence of early training and to punishment and reward methods that result in anxiety, fear and aggression problems.
On the other hand, early training through positive reinforcement methods such as meals, petting or play to establish habits such as toileting, sitting, picking up objects, coming to the master’s call, give better results and prevent behavioral problems such as aggression in adulthood.
4. Prevention is the best cure
So that your puppy does not suffer problems in its fur or skin, such as scratching, baldness, bad smell due to obsessive compulsive behaviors due to fears, phobias, anxiety, it is important that you provide a healthy environment that will prevent in the future a demartologic affection to your playmate.
