Building Puppy Confidence – Tuffies Waterproof Dog Beds

Posted on February 21, 2023

Building Puppy Confidence – Tuffies Waterproof Dog Beds

Some breeds of dogs are more susceptible to anxiousness than others. Stress is at the heart of many common problems including barking, chewing, aggression, and separation anxiety. Here’s how to develop confidence in your pooch in order to fix or prevent those problems in the future, featuring Wally the Whippet.

Introducing Scary Things Early and Slowly

Being a Whippet, Wally has a higher chance of developing phobias than other breeds so his parents have been systematically going through these to try and get him comfortable around potential triggers. They’ll play firework videos on the TV at low volume, gently shake plastic bags, take him in and out of the car without going anywhere, and introduce him to good-natured cats and dogs as often as possible. Luckily for them, the breeder often vacuumed around the litter so Wally arrived fully accustomed to it. Before he was fully vaccinated, they would hold him in their arms and walk down the pavement so he could take in the sounds and smells of a busy road nice and early. These types of exposure might seem silly at the time, but going through them now when he’s a puppy dramatically reduces the chance of him developing a fear later. Throughout each one, Wally gets tasty treats for just being there, good boy.

Wally Sitting Nicely – Whippet Puppy

Safe space

Make sure your puppy has a safe space at home that they can retreat to if things get too much or they just want to rest, a crate is best because it feels protected from all sides but a dog bed is also fine. If it’s a crate then having a blanket over the top will make it dark and cosier inside. Respect that space and try not to intrude on it, they’ll come out for attention when they want it. Puppies need to sleep a lot and they’ll get better sleep if they know they’re going to be left undisturbed. Without this space dogs can grow up sleeping with one eye open, feeling on edge and even defensive if continually interrupted. If you have kids I would say this is the number one rule to get right – no one disturbs the puppy when he’s in his safe space.

Land Sharks

Most pups transform into “land sharks” at some stage when their energy levels are coupled with razor sharp gnashers. Usually they’ll go for your hands in an effort to play