Everyone agrees that training a puppy is imperative for him to learn how to behave and to teach him his boundaries, but there are some basic tips you need to know before starting your dog training. Magazines, books and online articles addressing the basics of acquiring a new puppy abound. They may all sound repetitive, and a lot of the tips and advice are actually simple and requires common sense, but they are vital nonetheless.

When you bring home a new puppy, keep in mind these 6 things you should avoid doing:

1. Never hit your puppy, whether with your hand or with a rolled up newspaper or any other object, regardless of what he does. Keep in mind that your puppy is like a baby — it is very delicate and is easily injured. Hitting your puppy will only frighten him and be a traumatic experience for him that can possibly lead to behavioral issues when he is fully grown. Remember that being taken away from his mother and litter mates is a traumatic and scary enough experience for him so be a little patient with this new addition to your family. Your puppy will probably whine for a few days, but he will soon get used to his new family, and will give you all his love and loyalty.

2. If you have objects in your house that you cherish or have sentimental value, keep them out of your puppy’s reach. Your puppy, and all puppies for that matter, will eat everything it can get its mouth on. If you want to keep your socks free from holes, don’t leave them laying on the floor or in places where your puppy can easily reach them. If you smoke, don’t throw the cigarette butts on the floor; your puppy won’t think twice about chewing on those. The same goes for any gadgets you have that can be easily scratched and damaged.

3. Don’t let other people, family members included, handle your new puppy — at least for the first couple of weeks or so. It is better that you and another family member handle the new puppy first. If too many people are handling the puppy, he may become nervous and have problems socializing.

4. Avoid picking up the new puppy by his forelegs. Children tend to pick puppies up this way so if you have kids in your house, tell them they should not pick up the new puppy this way. Your puppy’s legs are not strong yet and if he can get injured if he is picked up by the forelegs.

5. Don’t leave holes inside your house uncovered. Puppies are incredibly curious and they will literally try to get into everything. It can be fatal if your puppy gets stuck in a hole.

6. Don’t leave electrical wires uncovered or accessible to your puppy. Cover any exposed wires in your house because your puppy won’t spare those. Many puppies have died from electrocution because the house they were living in were not puppy-proof.

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