15.No House Rules.
Often we bring a dog home, unhook the leash, and set it “free” without any thought about what we want him to do or not to do. Then when he starts doing things we decide are bad, we try to punish him for not reading our minds. Sometimes we allow him to do something for a couple weeks and then change the rules and decide we don’t want him to do it anymore. This creates confusion and sets the dog up for failure, not success. Before you bring a new dog or puppy into the house, sit down with members of the household and decide what the dog will and will not be allowed to do. Choose where the dog will sleep, if it can be on the furniture, when it will be fed, walked, exercised and by whom. Setting the rules and making sure everyone follows them is a big key to success.
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