Ah, that new puppy smell! Who doesn’t love the soft fur and puppy eyes on a new furry friend? Although puppies may seem like cute companions, they are a lot of work. All dogs have different personalities. Whether this be based on breed, litter size, or life as a newborn, dogs act differently from one another. If you just added a puppy to your family, there are traits to look for to determine the best means of training.
Here’s 5 behaviors to look out for in a new puppy:
Dominance
To determine how a dog reacts when it is physically or socially dominated, you can softly turn the puppy belly-up and hold it in that position for half of a minute. If your puppy seems to be noticeably uncomfortable and is starting to show signs of aggression through biting or flailing, your puppy is dominant. Contrarily, if your puppy is avoiding eye contact and is not displaying signs of escaping, your puppy is more submissive.
Confidence
In order to assess your puppy’s level of dominance, you will need to take them to a new park or other unknown area and attempt to gain their attention and call them over. You will kneel and gently clap. If your puppy comes over to you, it is exhibiting confidence. On the other hand, if your puppy shyly avoids going towards you, it lacks confidence.
Trainability
If you are looking for an obedient pet, there are tricks to determine the likelihood of this at a young age. According to research, there is a “high correlation between ability to retrieve and willingness to stand by humans.” To test this, you will need to show your puppy a ball. Track its interest in the ball and throw the ball a couple of feet in front of you. This will determine how likely your puppy is to be attached to you in the future months.
Independence
To determine your puppy’s dependence to you, simply get up and walk away while they are watching. If your puppy happily follows alongside you, they are more dependent. If they are uninterested in your leaving or walk in the opposite direction, this is a sign of independence.
Sensitivity To Touch
Some puppies like being picked up more than others. Some may beg to constantly be in your arms while others fight against it. A way to test your puppy’s sensitivity is to gently squeeze their paw between your two fingers. Gently start to increase the pressure at which you are squeezing and count. If your puppy can make it to ten seconds, they are less sensitive while if they can only make it a few seconds, they are more sensitive.
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