Puppies need to be at the bottom of the pecking order in a household.  Puppies that are aggressive become calmer when they realize that they are the lowest ranking member of the family.  The first step that you must take goes back before you take your puppy home.  Be sure that the breed and individual puppy that you choose is right for your family. If possible,  sit alone in a room with the entire litter. You’ll notice that the more dominant puppies will take charge while playing.  They’ll also seek out strangers in the room. The more fearful ones will sit by themselves in the corner looking frightened or sad.  If you want a well behaved puppy, don’t choose the most dominant or the most fearful puppy. Breeds such as Rottweilers, German Shepherds, Akitas and pit bulls are not good breeds for timid owners. Lap dogs are great pets but they don’t like loud, rowdy children.

All puppies need to be handled frequently, gently and firmly between the ages of six and eighteen weeks. They should be hand fed by everyone in the family and they must learn to accept food in a gentle manner.  They should be verbally scolded and affection withheld if they jump, on people, growl or ride legs. Aggression prone dogs should not be wrestled with or engaged in a tug of war. They should only be verbally reprimanded with a firm “no” then denied them affection for ten minutes. You can reward them with a treat when they begin to understand the rules.

Puppies can learn good behavior from other dogs. It’s always good to expose them to well trained, people friendly and non aggressive dogs as playmates. The good behavior will rub off pretty quickly on a pet who is misbehaving.

Remember, your pets count!