Who can fathom the mind of a puppy?

Squirrels drive them crazy, garbage is their favorite snack, and immediately after chewing your one-of-a-kind, handmade leather jacket into confetti, they can give you a look of such innocent love and adoration that you forget all about it. This kind of behavior can baffle and frustrate even the most conscientious of dog owners, and rightfully so.

When you bring a puppy home

It becomes part of your family; you need to be able to trust it with your home, your belongings, and even your children. That's why controlling your puppy's behavior is the key to having a peaceful relationship with it.

To have a dog that makes a good, dependable companion, you're going to have to spend some time training. There's no other way for your puppy to know that chewing on an old knotted sweat sock is acceptable, for example, while chewing on the Irish lace tablecloth is not. It needs to be taught appropriate behavior calmly, gently, and most important consistently. As soon as you get your pup, you can start teaching it how to obey you, how to act around people and other dogs, and generally to be the best-behaved dog ever.