Don’t buy a dog without any knowledge of how to take care of him. There is a lot of time and patience involved in owning a dog, and one must be prepared with that knowledge and commitment.

I was reading about this woman who has a 7 month old German shepherd/lab  mix and had several questions like, how to stop him from digging holes, jumping up on her or her guests, how to stop him from pawing at her and whining for attention from her because he wanted to play. It sounded like this was her first puppy and didn’t know how to cope with him. I would think that if someone was going to get a dog, either a pup or an adult, they should have at least read up on the care and responsibility of owning a dog.

For those who are new to dogs, I have these suggestions:  Read, learn, talk to others, and get answers before you get a dog. It’s okay to ask questions, but don’t get a dog without any knowledge of how to take care of him.

First of all you must remember he’s only a puppy. Just like small kids, they have to be taught some manners. Hitting is definitely a no-no, unless you want a dog that becomes afraid of you, or one who becomes aggressive.

Basic “manners” you need to teach him.

1. Sit - Keeps him from running all over while you are trying to talk to someone and keeps him from jumping up on you

2. Stay - Keeps him where you want him

3. Heel - This keeps him more under control when you take him out for walks.

4. Come – This is important for his safety. If he should get loose, you need to get him back to you before he gets hurt.

5. Off – You can teach him off so he doesn’t jump up on you, or to teach him not to get on your furniture. Etc.

6. Give – This is also important. If he has something in his mouth that is harmful, you want him to give it to you before he eats it.

Puppies and adult dogs love getting attention from their masters. Have time to play with him and pet him. This builds the bond between you and your dog. When playtime is up, give him a treat and keep toys for him to play with to keep him busy. Kong toys are great, because you can put treats inside for him to dig out. It will keep him busy for quite some time. Try putting peanut butter inside the Kong toy. That will keep him busy for a while.

As for the jumping up on your guests, teach your dog to sit. If he’s sitting, he can’t jump on anyone. I taught my German shepherd, Zeus, not to jump on me. He was a year old and was not taught any manners when he came to live with me. When I saw him make his move to jump on me, I just stretched both arms out in front of me and pushed him away (gently), saying the word, OFF and finally he gave up playing that game and doesn’t jump on me any more.

Don’t give up on him. After all, he’s just a puppy and puppies take work. He needs your love, time and patience.

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