Giving Puppies Early Freedom-What's The Rush?
By Adrienne Mesko
Everyone seems to be in a big hurry to get their new dog or puppy to have total freedom- loose in the house, off leash out and about. The thing is that dogs generally do not make good decisions on their own. If you are lucky your dog will live a long life beside you. Rush nothing in the first year and you will be paid back in all the years that follow.
As an example, if your dog never learns about being destructive in the home, chances are they will never be destructive in the home. Dogs are creatures of habit, and once bad habits develop they can be challenging to break. Good habits will stick around too, you just have to be patient about letting them develop.
Puppies should absolutely be able to explore safe environments and experience new smells, sights and sounds. However, you want to make sure you have some way to assure that your puppy will not run off. Very young puppies will not venture far, as their confidence is still growing, and they rely on you for everything they do. However, at some point in their development they will gain a boost of confidence that can mean they venture farther than is safe. Let them drag a long line while enjoying supervised exploring time. Practice a few recalls during that time by calling your puppy by name, and following with your recall command (come, here) and then after you've called, use the leash to guide them back to you while moving backwards. Lots and lots of rewards finish up the exercise and your puppy can go back to his adventures. Don't get into the habit of only calling your puppy when it's time to go home.
Use a leash at home also, letting your puppy drag a shorter line. You can also attach the line to your belt so you know you do not miss anything. Intervene where needed to discourage any undesirable behaviors. Get in the habit of carrying treats and rewarding your puppy for good choices. These positive moments will help shape all future behaviors.
Get the help of a trainer to guide you through that first year, so that you can guide your dog toward good choices and healthy habits. If you are on a budget, a few private lessons spread through the first year are an incredible value and will provide you with a ton of information and skills to get your training done on your own. Don't make the mistake of waiting until a problem crops up, take a proactive approach and stay a step ahead of your dog.
