Puppies are bundles of love; loyal, enthusiastic about life, cute as buttons and absolute bundles of joy. Dogs are the most loving of pets and form a strong bond with their humans.
Dogs in the wild are strongly hierarchical. There is a leader of the pack and all dogs in a pack know where they stand in terms or importance. As they grow, young dogs will try and assert their independence, which will be managed by the leader.
Firm Guidelines
In a human family, the same rules apply. You need to be their loving and guiding master, not the other way around. As with children, behaviour that is not on in other people's homes, should not be tolerated in your own home.
Rules and discipline can seem hard and somewhat unnecessary when you have a wriggling, licky puppy in your arms, but the same behavior in a grown dog could prove more troublesome. A well behaved dog will be welcome in many more places than an unruly one – again, just like children!
Keep Your Dog Safe
Your dog's safety could also be in danger if you don't teach them the ways of the world. A dog needs to learn how to walk on a leash, road safety etiquette (heeling and sitting), toileting, when are where it is appropriate to eat and so on.
Your local pet store, vet or dog club will have information on dog obedience classes. Your puppy will need to be a certain age to start classes, and have their vaccinations up to date.
Old Dogs, New Tricks
If you have adopted or inherited an older dog, it is still worth training them. Dogs will inherently want to please you, but you must show them how. Ask for advice and be consistent. It is not fair to let your dog sleep on the couch sometimes, but not if you have visitors. They won't understand and it will set up conflict.
The same rule applies with play. If you incite your dog to jump up on you, it will jump on other people. Ask your dog trainer for simple cues to teach your dog how to behave. It will take several weeks or months for you to learn the rules, but is ultimately so worth the investment of time and energy. You want your best friend to be a great member of your family, not the leader of the pack!