How to Punish a Puppy

Puppies in the early stages of development often don't understand when they're doing something wrong. The communication barrier this creates between a puppy and its owner can cause great confusion and frustration for both puppy and human as the training process begins. Fortunately, there are several ways you can punish your puppy when it does something wrong. These ways are similar to how a dog would react in a pack, making it easy for your new puppy to understand and adjust accordingly.

Instructions

    • 1

      Pin the puppy down on the floor. This should be done firm enough that your puppy cannot escape your grasp, but gentle enough that you don't harm the animal. If the dog tries to bite or nip at you, place your hand over the muzzle to prevent biting. This helps to teach young dogs that you are the dominant one, not them. Keep the puppy pinned down until it stops struggling and looks away to the side. This is a sign of submission. Once this happens you can let the dog go.

    • 2

      Ignore the puppy. Puppies often act out for attention. In some situations, the best way to deal with this behavioral problem is to ignore them. For example, if your puppy will not stop snapping at your pant legs, simply get up and walk away. Avoid eye contact and don't say anything to the dog. This teaches the puppy that acting out doesn't lead to the attention it craves, which will prevent it from doing it in the future.

    • 3

      Yelp loudly when your puppy bites you or does something wrong. This may seem like an odd approach, but young dogs are use to being able to 'play bite' other dogs in their pack. When a puppy bites another dog too hard, the dog will yelp loudly to let them know. Humans don't have the same protection that dogs have, making our skin more susceptible to pain during these play bites. Yelping loudly whenever the puppy bites you will teach the puppy that biting humans is wrong.