There is truly nothing like the love and connection you receive from a new puppy. Their infectious energy keeps everyone on their toes and a lot of their naughty behavior gets overlooked by their cuteness. But it’s still important to properly train your puppies starting from a young age so they can learn basic house rules, but also so their behavior problems don’t continue as they get older.

We’ve rounded up the top 7 behaviors to look out for when starting to train your new pup 🐶.

Chewing

Since they’re still growing in their adult teeth (and yes—you will see their baby teeth fall out, don’t worry it freaked us out the first time too!) they will chew on EVERYTHING! Shoes, toys, carpet, furniture, and everything else is at risk when you have a chewer. To help prevent them from chewing invest in some chew toys and treats, and consider an anti-chew spray like bitter apple for your important cords and other items that could be dangerous to an adventurous puppy. 

Biting

This is different from chewing, because while their little toofs 🦷 are super cute, they hurt! If your pup is biting or nipping it could mean a few different things such as they want to play, they have anxiety or fear, or even aggression. As time goes on be sure to monitor when and how they start biting and, in the meantime, teach them the word “no” during your trainings.

Barking

As your pup starts to find their footing—and their voice—in their new home they may be barking a lot. This can be a sign of protection, playfulness and/or a way of communicating. But as your dog starts to grow up it’s important to make sure they get a lot of dog-to-dog and dog-to-human interaction. Socialization will help with learning the appropriate vs. not appropriate times to bark.

Digging

Imagine this: When we first got our pup, we lived on the beach and thought it was just the cutest thing when she would dig and dig and dig in the sand. But when we would go back home, she started to dig holes in the yard. Even though digging in the sand is fine, digging the flowerbeds is not so much. Digging can be a sign of boredom so when we would go outside, we would keep her attention away from her digging spots by playing fetch or running laps around the yard to tire her out.

Tail Chasing

Chasing their tails and running in circles when they’re the size of a loaf of bread may look cute, but as they get older it could mean your dog has an underlying health condition or is simply suffering from boredom. Be sure to speak with your vet about any health conditions that could be affecting your dog.

Excessive Panting and Yawning

All dogs yawn and pant at the right times. Yawning before stretching out for bed is good. Yawning while they stare out the window isn’t. Panting after a long walk or playing with friends is good. Panting with little to no exercise isn’t. These too can be signs of boredom or stress. Make sure that your scenery isn’t causing any additional stress and be sure to keep your dogs active and give them lots of exercise every day.

Skittish Reactions

As a puppy starts to discover the world they will encounter people, other animals and material items that are bigger than them, make loud noises, or just don’t look right to them. They may jump at loud noises, whimper during storms, or try to escape when someone holds them. This sensitivity can be from not enough socialization and outside interactions.

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