In the last two decades, animal health pros have become increasingly aware of the number of puppies that get returned or surrendered. Most of these pets are returned because of normal behavior issues that new owners are not prepared to face.
More than 1 million households give up their pets every year — and it’s not, by and large, because those animals aren’t loved or wanted.” – Arin Greenwood < link >
Today’s Veterinary Nurse recently updated its puppy training handout. It reminded me of the importance of setting expectations with puppy owners about the key training elements needed to allow the puppy to become a good citizen in the home and with family members.
Source: Today’s Veterinary Nurse, July 2019. Link. Here are the first four statements from the handout:
- Puppy training is an important step toward a lifetime of good behavior
- Training should be consistent, involve positive reinforcement rather than punishment, and include everyone in the family
- Puppies should always be supervised or should be confined when you are away
- It’s important for your puppy to be socialized around other people and other pets before they are fully vaccinated, but consult your veterinarian about disease risks before exposing your puppy to other dogs or areas where unfamiliar dogs have been.
INSIGHTS: Every team member in a clinic or in a retail setting needs to be familiar with tools such as this handout, learn to talk the training talk and freely provide training handouts like this one.