Summer is in full swing here at the Habibi Bear hub, the home of the Original Teddy Bear Puppies. Our furry little Original Teddy Bear puppies are having the time of their lives playing on the grass, learning from each other and exploring their little corner of the world. When we have a litter of pups, quite often there will be one or two “chatty” pups, those who have a strong desire to share their opinions and advice with all the others! Because pups learn behavior from watching others, excessive barking is something we try to nip in the bud, lest it become a full scale Dog Opera with all the pups joining in! We want to redirect puppy’s “chatty” behavior to one that finds barking doesn't get them the results they want, and they learn to offer more productive behavior without all the backtalk and grumbling.
Let’s go over some of the reasons that puppy might be extra “talkative” with you.
- Communicating a need: Is your Habibi Bear puppy hungry, thirsty, or in need of a potty break? Check to see if puppy is in need of food, water or go outside (or to their litter box). While vocalization is a natural impulse that signals mom that they need food, one of the first things we teach our Habibi Bear pups is that barking to get food is counter-productive. We don't reward bossy behavior, but as soon as puppy offers a quiet “sit” - our pups are rewarded and praised to the skies! Lots of positive reinforcement gets them to pivot to polite behavior. Pay attention to the timing of when they get food or treats- it should be offered to your Habibi guy or gal when they are in a calm and quiet state.
- Communicating their mood: Does your Habibi Bear puppy need more mental stimulation or physical exercise? Barking when bored is one of the most common developed behaviors, because to a pup, just like a toddler, any attention is good attention. Provide puzzles for puppy, or offer them a frozen, stuffed Kong to keep them occupied and working on a project to avoid long gripe sessions or complaints.
- Communicating their physical state: If puppy is barking abnormally, in a different tone or pitch, it could signal discomfort or pain. A good habit to establish is the quick physical run-over of your Habibi Bear puppy in the morning to check their paws, teeth, tummy, ears and torso. It takes a minute and it helps desensitize puppy to people handling them regularly, something that is helpful when they may need to go to the vet!
- Communicating a threat: As we have seen in the last two months, sometimes when our Habibi Bear puppies are trying to alert us to danger, they will really offer extreme vocalization in order to alert us to impending danger, just like Honey, one of our Habibi Heroes who saved her family from a gas leak. If nothing is evident and puppy is barking frantically, it is worth a walk-around the home or yard to see if everything is as it should be.
If your Habibi Bear puppy has developed a desire to “gossip” non-stop and you are stumped as to how to get back on track, make sure you reach out to us and drop us a line. We at Habibi Bears have decades of doggy experience and are experienced with the reverse engineering it takes to uncover the motives for why puppy is suddenly acting out. We are working on new materials all the time in order to bring the best puppy experience to you and your family. We love hearing from you and we’re always here for you, cheering you on!