American Kennel Club offers tips on raising a puppy

Raising a puppy can be a life-changing experience, but it can also be a big challenge for both new and experienced dog owners. The goal is to provide your puppy with a safe environment, but you can run the risk of becoming overprotective.

To help your pup develop into a happy, healthy, well-adjusted adult dog, The American Kennel Club offers a few ways to keep your new puppy on the right track.

• Don’t play too rough. Puppies love to play, but they also need to learn the appropriate level of rough play at a young age. Your puppy needs to learn good manners when it comes to playing with other people and other animals. If you let it play too rough when it is a puppy, it can become a bad habit in its adult years.

• Don’t overdo the treats. As much as those puppy-dog eyes may make it hard to say no, you should limit the amount of treats you give the pup. Treats can alter your growing puppy’s appetite for nutritious, better-balanced meals. You also don’t want to spoil it. Don’t let your puppy get the idea that by begging, crying and acting out, it can get its way.

• Provide plenty of exercise. New experiences are important for puppy development. Help stimulate your puppy’s mind with puzzles, toys and appropriate playthings, and give your puppy plenty of outdoor exercise. Bored dogs are more likely to engage in aggressive or inappropriate behaviors.

• Consistency is key. Decide which furniture or parts of the house are off-limits and be consistent with enforcement. Don’t reprimand your dog one day for being on the couch and then let it up there the next.

• Eliminate household dangers. Make sure there aren’t places in your home where your puppy can easily fall or become trapped. Also, don’t keep substances that can sicken your pup, such as the garbage, medications and pesticides, within its reach.

• Don’t let it go untrained. That puppy misbehavior will become a lot less cute when it’s older. Make sure you teach your pup good manners when it is young. Training and socializing it as a puppy will go a long way throughout its adult years.