Raising Puppies

Puppies explore the world with their mouths. There may be days when you feel as if you brought a vacuum cleaner home rather than a puppy! They may pick up some items that are safe, some that may annoy youand some that could hurt them. Your puppy won't know the difference, so it's important to teach her cues to keep her safe.

One of the best cues that you can teach your puppy is "Leave it." This is a preventive cue. It's always best to prevent your puppy from getting hold of something rather than waiting until she already has it in her mouth. Every time she gets hold of something she's not supposed to, she's practicing that behavior. And that's not something you want her to improve. Also, some items may be so dangerous that you don't want your puppy near them at all in the first place. For example, if you spill something hot off the stove onto the floor, "Drop it" isn't going to help your puppy. You want her to leave the spill alone altogether so that she doesn't get burned. You may find that, with a growing puppy, "Leave it" is your favorite cue!

Step 1:

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