If you are preparing to introduce a new puppy in to your home, or you are in the initial stages of puppy training, then you may have read about the need to teach impulse control to your new puppy.
But even before you get to that stage it’s important to think about our own impulse control.
Getting a new puppy is exciting, and you want to be training your new puppy and doing other exciting things like taking them on long walks or showing them off to the family.
For example, I had one client ask whether they can take their new puppy on a bus trip to Oxford for lunch as soon as they are vaccinated. If you think about all the things needed for that to go right for them and the puppy you would hesitate.
So a few tips for controlling our own impulses:
1) When introducing your new puppy to family and friends think about how you want your puppy to act long term. Do you want them to be over excited and over stimulated every time they meet someone new or do you want to introduce them calmly to new people?
2) When your puppy is able to leave the home think about whether are you going to go somewhere noisy and bustling or slowly introduce them to new sights and sounds?
3) Before you even get to that first walk, make sure the puppy is comfortable with a collar and lead and understand that it’s not a big deal.
4) Don’t expect to be teaching your puppy a long list of commands and tricks before you have the foundation behaviours you need in place.
5) Think about what your dog really needs versus what you want them to have. Do they need 20 collars or one? Do they need a box full of toys or a few special ones?
So before you even get to your puppy’s impulse control, stop and think about how acting on your own impulses will effect your puppy’s development and training.
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