5 Common Mistakes First-Time Puppy Owners Make (+ Tips For Avoiding Them)
Every dog trainer’s nightmare scenario: A Backyard Breeder giving away free puppies to unsuspecting passerby humans in a busy parking lot who think “Meh, what could go wrong? It’s just a little baby! Dogs are so cute!” Not only is this extremely unethical and contributing to the growing shelter crisis, but please, do your research before getting a puppy! Puppies are a 9-15+ year commitment and you should never get a dog if you do not have the means to do so. While doing puppy research, ask yourself:
What breed suits my lifestyle?
Would an adult dog fulfill that same purpose?
Is the breeder I’m looking at a part of the breed’s parent club, a national kennel club like AKC or UKC (among others), and are they improving my breed?
Have I seen the parent dogs and how the puppies are raised?
Are the parent dogs health tested according to OFA standards?
Does the breeder work with a trainer and their vet?
“But wait back up a second, aren’t all dogs technically bred in someone’s backyard? Isn’t all breeding unethical?” No.
1. The Dreaded Beginning: You Got Duped by a Backyard Breeder
An up close photo of a fuzzy dog
There is one huge reason why Backyard Breeders AND Puppy Brokers/Retailers should not have you guilting yourself into trusting their intentions and the quality of their puppies. Most importantly, it is illegal in the state of New Jersey to operate a pet store that directly sells puppies, but that won’t stop them from advertising here if their location is out of state. Especially — *side eye, looks around* — Cr——tt Doodles, S——t-a-Puppy, PuppyS—t, and other online retailers that connect unverified, unethical, and non-professional backyard breeders to buyers who do not know any better under the guise of “no puppy mill promise & satisfaction guarantee.” They ignore standards of breeding and husbandry, which sets their puppies up to fail. It’s very easy to trust these businesses who put all of their money into marketing and fancy credentials but it means nothing. They’ll happily tell you that Labradoodle mix is a Teacup Yorkie. They don’t care.
The reason I say you shouldn’t be guilted into these offers…
is that these people are NOT on your side and do NOT have the best interest in mind for their puppies, even if they say all the right words.
How do I know?
I always hate to admit it, but my family’s first dog when I was little was from a backyard breeder. His name was Chip, and he had to be put down at 2 years old because of Renal Dysplasia, a recessive genetic condition in Shih Tzus that causes rapid kidney failure… which meant both of his parents were carriers, which would’ve been found through health testing. My parents were told by our vet to reach back out to the breeder and make her aware of his diagnosis because he wasn’t able to be neutered because of this (not fixing a puppy going to a pet home is a breach of contract for many ethical breeders) — and his “breeder” knew all along! But, my parents were told that he was available at a reduced price and older than the others because he was given back “due to unfortunate circumstances,” despite my parents going to look at an entirely different litter that she had available. Under the threat of a lawsuit, she eventually reimbursed my parents for his original cost AND the cost of his vet bills after we lost him.
Easy to Miss Signs of an Unethical Breeder
It’s very easy to be fooled into trusting a backyard breeder, but here are some easy to miss signs of someone who is not in the interest of bettering a particular breed or is educated in breeding, at all, and what to look for instead:
Their website shows pictures of the puppies AND parent dogs, but not OFA health test results or any earned titles displayed, and are unable to show them when asked.
Ethical breeders will most often proudly display earned titles and OFA results of any parent dogs they produce a litter from, or be able to provide it when asked. In order to be a breeder that is endorsed by the AKC, parent dogs must have passing health tests and must be exceptional in the purpose they were bred for.
When asked about their experience and what got them into breeding, they talk about how long they’ve been breeding or how many litters they’ve produced and don’t mention any kennel club participation or mentors in the business even when asked directly.
Ethical breeders didn’t just start breeding the next day after they got a dog: they’ve showed dogs in kennel club events, they’ve been mentored by experts, and they’ve spent years around their breed PRIOR to breeding themselves.
They’re breeding females older than the age of 4, or have too many puppies of different breeds available at once.** Or worse — don’t know the breed of the dogs they’re breeding.
Typically, ethical breeders will breed about 3-4 times, maybe more if they’re exceptional, with one titled and proven female of their breed between the ages of 2 (sexual maturity) and 4 (young adulthood) at a time. These numbers may vary between breed. Then, they select the next prospect from one of the litters. After those 3-4+ times, the dam is either spayed and adopted out to find their next purpose, or spayed and kept home and out of the show ring to aid in raising future litters.*
*They spay their dams at a certain age after being bred to eliminate the risk of pyometra and overbreeding consequences.
**If an ethical breeder is involved with multiple breeds, they may have multiple litters of different breeds kept seperately and closely monitored.
They breed for color or looks based on what is trending or cute and charge more money for those colors, which is a red flag even if their dogs are well-behaved and they’re bred from show dogs.
Ethical breeders have to adhere to their breed standard in order to remain in good standing with the AKC and earn titles in conformation — OR — they have to adhere to their breed standard if they’re breeding for another purpose like work or sport to preserve the original history and need for the breed.
These breed standards include:
Standard colors (colors that naturally occur and are desired)
Non-standard, accepted colors (colors that naturally occur and are not desired)
Non-standard, non-accepted colors (colors that do not exist in their genetic code naturally and are not desired indicating the introduction of a different breed into their genetic code).
Standard temperament and variations of temperament
Standard physical features like height, weight, and shape variations
Standard of handling in the show ring
Among other reasons. But, these are hidden in plain sight to those who know what to look for.
2. The Infamous Puppy Class. You Need Training BEYOND Puppyhood.
Puppy classes are a great introduction to training your dog, and an even better way to get your first title for an AKC registered dog: AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy! Any Canine Good Citizen evaluator is eligible to offer this title. But the quality of your training is only as good as the quality of your trainer AND the quality of your own training at home.
But — training does not stop after puppy class.
The most common mistake I see in new puppy owners is they think puppy training is all they need. They get their graduation certificate, head home, and immediately stop building on the fundamentals; before they know it, their puppy is now an adult who still pulls, still jumps, and still barks, and “is very stubborn.” Not every dog needs to heel or place, but every dog should be able to listen to their handler even among distractions and that is the next step beyond puppy training: proofing in the real world.
Your Lack of Proofing As Your Dog Matures is Setting You Up To Fail
Proofing your dog’s training is not the same as proving that your dog has been trained out in public.
Proofing is how trainers help owners translate the skills they learned in puppy class into everyday situations like trips to the park or to the vet so that their dog is prepared and can generalize cues and conditioned behaviors to different environments and with different distractions. Training beyond puppy class isn’t just for dogs who have problem behaviors like you see all over social media — it is essential for a well-mannered dog that is reliable in many situations. Most dog trainers will offer programs beyond puppy class, and you should absolutely do it.
Understand that proofing is a training process, not an outcome, and lasts almost forever. You can’t expect your dog who has only learned to sit at home to be able to sit when meeting a new person on a walk without being taught that meeting a new person on a walk is also a sit, like at home. Even less so if your dog is at all nervous or reactive! Part of the proofing process is also desensitizing our dogs to many different distractions without expecting them to follow cues just yet. I said it lasts forever because each life stage of a dog requires different skills, frequency of vet visits, or means of handling that may change over time depending on the circumstances — if your dog only lets you help them on and off of surfaces when they’re older, how do you expect that a groomer or vet can without being bit? You can’t. You have to prepare and practice even in their old age, which is still proofing,
How does one proof their dog?
Go back to your trainer and they will help you.
I beg.
Your Puppy is a Menace Even While Taking Some Puppy Classes (And the Trainers Know it but Can’t do Anything About it)
Because if your dog does well in front of these trainers in their place of work, they can’t see how crazy they are at home if their employer won’t let them travel. Unfortunately, that’s pretty common in trainers who are dependent on an employer.
Trainers through franchise models and corporations like [REDACTED] have a set curriculum they are required follow for puppies that will not address everything you need to be successful at home. Whether it’s a weekly class or a board and train, rigid curriculums leave room for owner error and confusion after the training is done. It’s designed to make you need additional training or to feel like something’s missing, or that their trainer has the magic touch that makes you want to come back. It’s kind of scummy, but they’re designed in such a way that leaves a wide space for error at home that can confuse your puppy and confuse you.
Well-rounded and educated trainers will always encourage you to treat group classes as supplemental to private sessions, because group sessions alone by design cannot be tailored to the individual in the way most dog owners are needing for day-to-day success.
My advice is to find a trainer who is independent, certified, insured, and experienced.
3. “Kibble is Bad” Propoganda is Only Hurting Your Puppy
While it is true that wet food is preferred to dry food from a nutritional standpoint because wet food has a moisture content that keeps them full for longer and dry food doesn’t, there is nothing wrong with feeding dry food if it’s what your puppy will eat and is healthy on. Yes, even Pedigree or Iams.
It’s an ongoing debate, but you shouldn’t let a stranger on Facebook persuade you into feeding raw if you haven’t confirmed with your vet that they will accept raw fed dogs — some vets don’t because of the added risk of infection if they get bit by a raw fed dog. It may seem silly, but really, feed your dog what they like and will eat. However, switching up a puppy’s diet too frequently trying to find something they like better than their kibble they were eating before will cause them to have the issues you’re afraid of them having like diarrhea, vomiting, food avoidance, and pickiness which forever damages their perception of meal time. Fed is best. If you really do want to change your puppy’s food, you have to do it gradually and over a few weeks.
Remember, some dogs will eat literal sh-t if it smells good, and they can’t tell the difference between wholesome grains and grain free. These companies are banking on you having an emotional reaction, getting concerned about grain intolerance, and buying an upcharged product when your puppy is doing just fine on Hill’s Puppy kibble.
Stop Assuming Everything is a Chicken or Grain Allergy if You Haven’t Asked Your Vet
Allergies do happen, but assuming without verifying is hurting you and your dog while you try every type of protein and assume allergies for each one.
A food allergy may cause dermatitis, but so can pollen.
A food allergy may cause a hotspot flare up, but so can swimming.
A food allergy may cause diarrhea, but so can stress.
Unless you’ve done a diet trial with your vet where you’re feeding a prescribed hydrolyzed protein diet to see if symptoms lessen and keeping a record to show your vet (because commercial foods always have trace amounts of chicken or grain when they’re being made in all the same factories even if it says lamb or beef or bison like how regular M&Ms may contain peanuts) you can’t assume it’s a food allergy.
Which means NO, it’s NOT normal for 12 week old puppies to have chicken or grain allergies even if the internet says that’s why their dog has dry skin!
Poodles and “Doodles” especially are predisposed to skin conditions when not groomed regularly because of how their coat traps oils and dirt. In general, dogs who have hair that grows have a predisposition to skin conditions because they’re non-shedding, which is why they need regular grooming and should be blow dried after being in water because they don’t have a moisture resistant coat like Labs who were bred to retrieve fowl in water.
Please trust your vet.
4. Socialization Doesn’t Mean Bringing Your Puppy Everywhere With You Even When They’re Scared
We call that flooding, and that’s a huge no. This I think is self-explanatory, but just in case:
This means something different to our dogs.
When humans socialize, we might go to a party or a bar and strike up conversation with others there. Socialization for our dogs is introducing your puppy to new situations while they’re confident and young to reinforce the positive interactions over and over to encourage curiousity and neutrality. A well-socialized puppy leads a completely different life than an under-socialized puppy and us trainers see it all the time. Under-socialized puppies are very insecure.
A barking puppy
An under-socialized puppy may exhibit the following behavior in adulthood:
Marking frequently while out on walks
Marking to appear confident even though nothing is coming out
Codependence on people or other dogs
Reluctance to explore on their own like never being in a different room than you
Overarousal in everyday situations
Becoming stressed in everyday situations like going in the car
Fear of newness
Fearful or reactive in situations that introduce something new like meeting somebody
Resource guarding their people
Becomes aggressive when outsiders get too close to their people
Over-Socialization is ALSO a Problem
Dogs go through a few different fear periods in their lives before adulthood, and during this time our puppies may regress and become less open to new experiences. This usually happens around 6-8 weeks old and around 4-6 months old and then again around 12 months old. In some breeds, the last fear period doesn’t end until 24 months.
Doing the same things anyway is not always a good idea.
It is possible to over-socialize a puppy into fear because appeasement is the first sign of discomfort in a well-socialized dog, and it can look like excitement. Rolling over on their back, licking hands, offering their back, accepting pets — are all behaviors that are confused with happiness when they are sometimes appeasement when they want to diffuse an uncomfortable situation.
All it takes is one bad experience for a puppy to become fearful, so it’s important to advocate for our pups and learn how to read when they’ve had enough.
5. Your Puppy Doesn’t Match YOU
I don’t mean aesthetically.
One of the biggest things I see is someone who got a puppy who doesn’t fit with their lifestyle, or got their kids a puppy that doesn’t fit their lifestyle. A busy, hustle bustle family that is never home does not need a Poodle mix just because they’re sometimes going on hikes, and that sweet old couple down the street doesn’t need a reactive Pit mix just because they have no kids and no other animals and own a house.
It’s unfortunate, but not everybody cares to coexist with their dog and just want quick fixes to behavior embedded in their genes. A Border Collie will stalk you, a Belgian Malinois will bite you, a Yorkshire Terrier will bark at you, and a Labrador Retriever will try to join you in the bathtub.
Rehoming Isn’t a Sin, But Making Your Dog Suffer Is
Exactly as I said, some situations warrant rehoming. Maybe you’re risking homelessness, maybe there’s a behavioral issue out of your control, whatever the case may be. Regardless of what people have to say about it, if you genuinely cannot take care of an animal, it needs to be rehomed to someone who can.
No judgment from me.
What I do judge is when people choose to let their dogs suffer with behavioral issues because of their pride and incompatible lifestyle over making necessary changes and implementing training routines that will help them coexist, and I will call it out each time. Just because anxiety, reactivity, and aggression are common issues in dogs who are under-socialized, under-enriched, with higher expectations than they can offer, doesn’t mean that’s how they should live.
With All That Said…
Be mindful of where you get a puppy from, and make sure they are ethical.
Save money for training beyond puppy class — trust me.
Feed your puppy what they’re healthiest on and will eat
Socialization for our puppies is gradual confidence building, not direct meetings.
Make sure your new puppy will fit into your lifestyle to minimize stress.
With love from Pawfect Partner,
~ Ashley
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