Building confident habibi bear puppies
We here at Habibi Bears are sending all of our prayers and well wishes to all of those affected by the firestorms in Southern California and we sincerely hope that you and your Habibi Bear puppies are well clear of any type of fire danger. It is a good time to review for all of us, whether we are in an evacuation zone or not, where our Emergency Puppy Kit is and have it ready to go at a moment’s notice. Here is a link to the full article (Bugging Out: Making a Dog Pack for Emergencies) that we wrote way back in the summer of 2023 when we in the PNW were under evacuation warning and we had to be well-prepared to leave with our precious cargo of roly-poly Habibi Bear puppies. We had to know ahead of time what our escape plan would be and how that procedure would look. Communication, consensus, and chain of command is the key for both emergency preparedness and today’s topic, confident puppy parenting. Let me explain.
Communication is key in a family especially when puppy parenting to make sure that:
- Everyone is on the same page (Everyone knows what to do).
- Everyone knows the rules (Everyone knows what NOT to do).
- There is a group consensus about who is the primary caretaker of your Habibi Bear puppy (Everyone agrees and knows WHO feeds the puppy and is the ultimate decision maker).
As you can see, the trick to avoid confusion for you and your Habibi Bear puppy is communication, consensus and a chain of command.
Be on the same page for when your Habibi Bear puppy eats, has quiet time, exercises, potties, and goes to sleep. Consistency helps your Habibi Bear puppy make sense of their world and their place in it. A puppy who knows their place in their home is on their way to being the most confident Habibi Bear guy-or-gal on the block! You know what doesn’t happen to a confident puppy? Separation anxiety!
Be on the same page on rules for your Habibi Bear puppy, like where they are allowed to be, chew, and do. Having everyone in the family know the puppy rules keeps your Habibi Bear puppy from being confused. When your Habibi Bear puppy knows the rules, they feel safe in their world. Do you know what happens when your Habibi Bear puppy feels safe? They grow in confidence!
Make sure everyone knows who the primary caretaker is for your Habibi Bear puppy.
Dogs thrive and flourish in a hierarchy and knowing their place in your home is instrumental to their well-being. Dogs have respect for a leader, so decide as a family ahead of any conflicts who is your family leader so your Habibi Bear puppy will know too! You can be confident that when you take the role as leader, your Habibi Bear puppy will respond accordingly.
Sometimes your Habibi Bear puppy might show a preference for one of the family members, so have a conversation to clarify who has the ultimate responsibility for decision making in regards to your Habibi Bear puppy and their daily care. Just like in an emergency situation, the hazard lies in thinking that the responsibility is someone else’s job. Some of the issues that we get calls or emails about all have to do with conflicting signals, miscommunication and no clear leadership, then the poor puppies don’t know what is expected of them.
If this happens in your household, don’t worry! We have you covered! Check out our “Human’s Guide to the Dog Galaxy” which is an awesome foundation or reset for any dog, big or small! Keep us in the loop in a timely manner if there are any issues so that we can turn it around and get you and your Habibi Bear puppy back on track. Never be afraid to reach out to us for help because we are always here for you, cheering you on! Be safe out there, folks!