The Pet Parent Hotline · February 22, 2026 · 35 min
5 Puppy Raising Mistakes That Backfire Later
Are you dealing with “normal puppy behavior,” or early warning signs of a bigger problem? Some of the most common puppy behaviors, like fear reactions, growling over a toy or food, and mouthiness, can look harmless. But the way they’re handled early can be the difference between a phase and a serious problem, like reactivity or resource guarding that escalates into a bite. In this episode, I’m joined by multi-certified dog trainer Ruth Hegarty of Creature Good Dog Training to break down...