It is common for puppies to be lively and mischievous. They are energetic, very playful, and quitE a handful. These kinds of behaviors are generally normal for puppies. Certain behaviors, however, are to be discerned as disorders. These behavioral problems usually happen within the first six months of the puppy’s life.

These behavioral disorders have to be addressed and corrected. If your puppy has been experiencing any one of these traits, try to figure out what’s causing them and then correct the situation. Correcting the situation, however, does not have to involve punishment. Below is a more detailed description of two behavioral disorders and what you can do to fix them.

Aggression: The typical type of aggression we see in puppies is possessive aggression that occurs during feeding. This behavior is not normal and should not be accepted. Tolerating this kind of behavior in puppies can lead to a potentially dominant aggressive dog that can be dangerous.

This is one behavior where slight punishment works and should be enforced. This can be done by performing a training exercise. Give the puppy food and then interrupt him while he’s eating. Take the food away if the puppy starts showing signs of aggression or misbehaves and offer him a treat for staying calm. Do this repeatedly until you establish your dominance.

Separation Induced Behavior: This occurs primarily when the puppy gets separated from his mother and breeder to be with his new owner. The worst time for this new puppy usually happens during bedtime on his first night. This frightening experience usually shows in the form of howling and yapping, urination and defecation, and destructive activities.

Do not take this sign as simply signs of teething or a breakdown in housetraining. You need to address this problem with great care. Often times, coming home to see a crying puppy in bed triggers excessive excitement. Owners find this act gratifying and pet the hyper puppy or give him a treat. This can lead to reinforcement of the behavior that can also lead to excitement urination.

When this situation occurs, do not restrict your puppy in a smaller bed area. Doing this often results in psychosomatic diarrhea and/or hyperactivity once the puppy is released. Punishing your puppy is not only cruel but it can also add to the degree of attachment or causes your puppy to attempt to escape.