So -- you just got a puppy! 

Now what do you do?

"Puppies are full of mischief and piddle. They are fidgety, stubborn, unruly, nosy, noisy, chewy, yappy, and totally dedicated to their 'incoming' and 'outgoing' stuff," says Uncle Matty and his co-author, Mordecai Siegal in their book, I Just Got a Puppy, What Do I Do, 10th Anniversary Edition published by Fireside, 2002. 

It doesn't take long for the delight you have for your little wagger to turn into a bad case of "the crazies!" This can be described as constant anxiety exacerbated by costly destruction with no end in sight. 

The good news is -- you can easily avoid "the crazies" and the unnecessary expense by simply training your puppy, bonding with him and learning about puppy behavior and communication. Oh! What a relief it is!

Of course, the bad news is -- if you don't start schooling when puppy is hopefully seven to ten weeks of age and at least under the age of one, it won't be long before little crazies turn into big, bad habits that take a lot longer to modify. And that, of course, requires a lot more time and money than it would if you educate your puppy early. Puppies do not outgrown their problems. The problems just get worse.

What doesn't work? 

1. Yelling at your puppy doesn't work and neither to meaningless phrases like "Why did you do that?" or "Stop doing that you naughty puppy or you'll be sorry!" or "No, no, no, no, no, no, no!" When you yell, you frighten the little one who hasn't got a clue about what you are saying. 

2. Wrapping your puppy on the nose or swatting him (or threatening to swat him) with a rolled up newspaper is not going to change his behavior. Depending on your dog's temperament, it will make him more shy and afraid of you, or cause him to want to defend himself or protect himself and that eventually leads to aggressive behavior. Never hit your puppy. The only thing that swatting or hitting teaches your dog is to be afraid of your hands.

3. Sending your puppy to his room isn't effective either. He won't know why he is there. He will just know he didn't like the sound of your voice and that it frightened him. Being locked up and lonesome isn't a good thing either, especially a baby. But the "why" will escape him.

What does work?

1. Training your puppy works. The right kind of positive training by a qualified professional helps you and your puppy understand each other. Your puppy learns how to be a "good dog" and respond to you for his own safety and well being, and for your sanity. The money you invest in early puppy education is modest compared to the overwhelming expense of not training your dog. Untrained dogs can run away, dash into danger, chew up your house, dig up your garden, knock down an unsuspecting neighbor and a whole lot more. If there is not a trainer in your neck of the woods, you can follow Uncle Matty's Basic Training videos and books.

2. Love, praise and affection works. Praise is important -- it is positive reinforcement that promotes good behavior in conjunction with training. 

3. Problem solving works. In conjunction with Uncle Matty's in-home training, special attention is given to the problems your dog exhibits. It is no doubt the need for housebreaking. It may also be excessive barking, chewing everything in sight, jumping on people, getting on the furniture, digging, running away and so much more.  

Regardless of where you live, there is an Uncle Matty puppy training solution for you. Stop living with "the crazies" and talk to Uncle Matty at 800-670-9663.