One of the most common mistakes new puppy owners make is giving their dog too much freedom too soon. It might not seem like a big deal at first, but this often leads to long-term behaviour problems that can take months—or even years—to correct.
Of course, puppies are cute, and it is very entertaining to see them exploring the world. However, letting a baby dog wander around freely and without supervision is a proven recipe for multiple behavioural issues. Here is just a short list of possible future problems:
- Dogs thrive on structure and boundaries. If you let them be free, they will create and enforce their own rules, and you might not like this process. In fact, giving a dog too much freedom is the foundation for resource-guarding issues
- Forget about quick potty training. Unsupervised puppy, free to roam anywhere, will pick a spot for relieving itself, and that spot ain’t likely going to be outside
- Start saving money for renovations. Puppies will chew and swallow everything around them, including your furniture, walls, family photo albums, and socks. Lots and lots of socks
- While you are at it, start saving for vet bills as well. Whatever your puppy swallows might pass, but it is just as likely to get stuck in their intestines, which will cost a lot of money to take out. In addition to potential blockages, your puppy might try to chew on electrical cords
- Not teaching your dog to chill somewhere in a dog-specific spot is also conducive to your dog developing separation anxiety. If you let them follow you absolutely everywhere, there is a very good chance they will not learn how to exist without you around
Unfortunately, this puppy-inflicted chaos is often romanticized by social media influencers as something unavoidable but cute. You can find long compilations of dogs ruining couches and pillows; compilations which are meant to be amusing. However, there is really nothing amusing about the badly behaved and confused dog, and even less amusing is the fact that the owners, instead of figuring out how to fix the problem, decided to share it with the world as if it were some kind of special achievement.
Puppies can be difficult, but your house does not have to be ruined because you brought a new dog home. A great way to restrain an untrained dog’s freedom is a crate or a pen – some kind of dog-proof enclosure which will function as a personal space for your dog while simultaneously serving as a safety mechanism.
When a new puppy is out and about, it should be dragging a long line, the opposite end of which should be attached to you. For the first two to three weeks especially, be like a hawk: watch over every single move your puppy makes and explain the rules of your house with clarity and consistency. These surveillance and vigilance have to continue until your dog is mature and clearly understands what it can and cannot do when left alone—at least until one, and often until two years of age.
Of course, this way of raising a dog is much more labour-intensive than just letting your puppy roam free. Of course, you are restraining their freedom and, to some extent, their ability to explore. However, by establishing the rules early on, you are also setting yourself and your dog up for a healthy, enjoyable, and happy relationship in the long term.