Puppies are adorable. They are cute and cuddly but they are also mischievous, untrained and in need of guidance from you. The problem is, too many dog owners think that in order to get their dog to behave the way they want them to, they have to punish them. Nothing could be further from the truth. Whether you are talking about a puppy or an adult dog, you should discipline your dog instead of punishing him.
There’s a myth out there that for a puppy to learn they need to experience fear, physical discomfort, even pain. This is simply not true. If you punish your puppy or dog too harshly, you might leave permanent scars. Especially when 5 to 16 weeks of age is their most impressionable time, harsh punishment can emotionally damage your dog for life.
You should know that many of the so-called professional dog trainers operating in communities all over, are still using archaic methods to train dogs. Even now, when there are other proven methods far more effective in creating the results you want without destroying your dog’s emotional well being.
It’s also alarming that abusive discipline is encouraged in all kinds of popular dog books and by all kinds of trainers. Besides, seldom can you execute physical punishment quick enough for your dog to associate the behaviour with the action, nor can you carry it out with the right consistency. As a result, rather than your dog seeing you as a consistent role model you will be seen as unpredictable.
When your dog sees you this way he will become confused. For example, when you arrive home this should be a time of joy for your puppy. However, if you have been using harsh punishments it will be a time when your dog is unsure and therefore your dog will flip between joyous behaviors and shamed behaviors.
A dog owner complains to a trainer that their dog won’t come to them when called and in almost all of these cases, the dog has endured physical punishment. How would you expect the dog to react? If a dog is being inconsistently punished from the same hands that are attempting to be affectionate through petting, it’s no wonder the dog is leery.
When a dog learns that the human hand and the actions that come from those hands are dependable and bring pleasure instead of pain, the dog seldom shows signs of shyness to a hand, defensive aggression, or submissive urination.
If you train your dog with a training system that relies on social rewards as a method of discipline, your dog will have a healthier and more stable behavior than those dogs exposed to punishment. This is even truer with a puppy that is highly excitable or nervous. When you promote the positive and eliminate the negative in dog training or puppy training you will need to be more patient and have more self-control. The benefits have long been shown just how important it is to not punish your dog. 
What kind of dog owner will you be? A dog owner that is compassionate, firm and fair or one that is demanding, nervous and high-strung? Choose to do it right and discipline your dog with compassion so he can learn and become the best dog possible.
