Please don't correct your puppy for being curious

Puppy Rosebud waiting for her treat

You know what’s sad? Watching a happy, normal puppy get leash corrected for trying to approach someone walking by.

I’m all for respecting other people’s space, and I love teaching dogs of all ages to listen around distractions. But yanking on the leash (especially with a puppy) is a not the way to do it.

We want puppies to grow up to be adult dogs who are comfortable with a wide variety of people. When people are paired with discomfort — like a leash correction — puppy learns that people predict unpleasant things. This is anti-socialization. and a great way to teach puppy to dislike or be anxious about people.

Instead…

Instead of correcting your puppy, station yourself a little further away from people and put a few treats on the ground near your feet each time your puppy notices someone.

This teaches puppy that people predict good things (yay!) and that the good things are found at your feet! With good timing and enough practice, your puppy will notice a person then look to you for his treat instead of rushing over to them.

This pattern of See Thing — Get Treat is a big part of how I do puppy socialization.

Click here to watch me do it with puppy Sully at Lowe’s Home Improvement.

You can have a happy, well-mannered puppy that feels comfortable about other people AND stays out of their business!