We all love our puppies, especially when they are being cute and well behaved. We also adore them even when they are acting out in bad ways with annoying habits.

These annoying habits, however, are based on our standards of how they should behave. To our puppies, they are only acting like - well - dogs! But in order to keep the household a safe and peaceful place, they must learn to behave in the human world, and it is our job as their owners to make that happen.

With proper training, any puppy can learn to stop unpleasant habits such as the ones discussed below:

Your puppy should not be displaying a biting or nipping problem once he reaches the age of 15 weeks or more. By that time you should have already administered proper training techniques and specific commands to get your puppy to stop his mouthing behavior. However, if this is still a problem or if you have adopted a puppy that's a little older than 15 weeks and is new in the home, then the following tips can help you get your puppy to stop biting your hands and nipping at your fingers:

One thing you can count on when bringing home a new puppy is the fact that he will nip and bite at your fingers during the first few days or weeks. This is perfectly normal and there is no reason to get alarmed that you may have purchased an aggressive dog. However, like any behavior you wish to change about your dog, you need to take a few steps so that he realizes that nipping is not something you as the “pack leader” want him to continue doing.

So how do you change this natural biting behavior that a little puppy has? Well the first thing to do is determine his age. This is important because puppies under the age of about 15 weeks need to be handled a little differently when it comes to mouthing and nipping than puppies over the age of 15 weeks.

Puppies are like little children in that they need constant discipline and a watchful eye to be sure that they can learn the rules of your house. Some puppies have major behavior problems, while others display the typical scenarios, such as stealing clothes and other small items around the house as if it were a game.

Puppies are notorious for stealing anything that they can get their mouths on and then run away with it. At first this little habit is cute and very comical. However, after a while it needs to be seriously addressed because as the puppy matures into an adult dog, he will think that he is allowed to eat anything in the house, including your expensive shoes and nice furniture.

Puppies love to dig! It's in their blood and it is quite often their favorite pastime. This is especially true for young puppies that stem from the sporting group, the terrier group, and the Nordic group.

Digging is also a dog's way of relieving stress and "letting it all out" so to speak. If a puppy is experiencing anxiety levels due to a new baby in the house, a recent move, strange people, or lack of attention, then he is going to dig in order to help himself feel better.

Fortunately there are ways in which you can help diminish your puppy's digging behavior so that it is less destructive to your belongings while at the same time giving him a place to dig without being punished for it.

For any new dog owner, handling all of the loud barking of a new puppy can be quite an unnerving experience. Most new dog owners are not prepared for the intense amount of barking and yelping that young puppies start doing the minute they arrive in their new home. Although it is totally natural, some puppies do not give their owners the luxury of quieting down, especially at night.

One of the biggest phases that a puppy will go through is the fear of being alone. And I'm not talking about being alone in the sense of you leaving the house. Some puppies will go absolutely nuts even when you only leave the room for a split second. They just can't bear to be alone because they are used to having their mommy or littermates around non-stop.