O....M....G! Don't you just lurve puppies?

                           Some useful tips for New Puppy Owners

 

Owner's of  a new puppy reach day two  of ownership and then start asking themselves the question, “what the hell have I got myself into?”  Owning a puppy is full of new challenges and you are suddenly faced with obnoxious puppy behavior - whining, biting, jumping, chewing, boisterousness and peeing and poohing everywhere, not forgetting the sleepless nights that you will have to go through.

And if you’ve done any research at all, you will know that proper care and training is critical during a puppy’s first few months. The things your puppy experiences now are going to affect him/her for the rest of their lives.  So no pressure, then? By now you are totally overwhelmed with well-intentioned but often incorrect advice from family, friends and tv shows, it  is any wonder a new owner wants to throw in the towel after one week or perhaps sooner.

So here are some bite-sized puppy tips to get you through the next few months, when the sleep deprivation has set in, and you can’t remember the difference between a clicker and a Kong.

Get a crate.  It makes house training incredibly easy and also acclimatises the puppy that going into a crate means safety, security and a place to nestle down for the night. Tip: Cover the cage with a dark cloth. That will guarantee you unbroken sleep as puppy cant see daylight nor can it see you moving around.

Don't buy expensive puppy pads. Buy cot mats called Drynites from the baby section of the supermarket. These are bigger, cheaper, square in size with stick on pads on the back  and  they do the job perfectly.

Start  off your puppy's digestive system the right way by giving it a tablespoon of natural yoghurt every day. Supermarket own brand is just as effective as an expensive brand. It will build up the immune system in your puppy's gut and stop those worrying puppy squits.

Let your puppy sleep in your bedroom, at least for the first few nights. This whole experience is scary for a pup. Remember he has been taken away from a whole group of family and will be very frightened. Don’t make him sleep in the kitchen on his own. Put the crate next to your bed so you can reassure him.

Set a daily routine. House training proceeds more smoothly if your puppy knows what to expect from his day.  Put them straight out once they have eaten breakfast, lunch, dinner but don't expect them to instantly know that they can't pee on the floor. House training is a tortuous proceedure for both dog and owner. (Think of it as training a 2 year old to use a  potty).  Patience is necessary, not a good slap, yelling or kicking . Besides, that traumatises the animal and sets the pattern for future behaviour.

Enroll in a puppy class and a puppy creche. Your pup will learn some basic obedience, but the real benefit of puppy classes is socialization with other puppies and people.  Ask at your local pet shor or the vet's practice.

Make sure everyone is on the same page. Discuss the puppy rules with your whole family. Figure out who will do what and when. Pick one set of training rules and stick with them.

Don’t encourage behavior that you’ll regret when they gets bigger. Jumping up is cute when the  dog weighs six pounds. It won’t be so cute when they reach 160 pounds. Each time they do it, say in a low voice "Down". This sounds like a growl that an alpha dog would do to a puppy.

Get your pup used to being handled from day one, touching feet, nails, tail, ears, mouth, teeth, and belly with love. Let your puppy meet and get squeezed and cuddled by at least, two new (friendly and gentle) people every day. Your vet will thank you because the more the dog is handled, the less chance there is that it will bite the vet.

Groom your dog every day. It only takes a couple of minutes.  Its a good bonding exercise for both you and the pup.

Introduce your pup to all kinds of novel things. People in funny hats. Balloons. Paper streamers.  Remote control cars. Kids playing. Agility equipment. Cats. Car rides. This will stop them from getting scared of strange shapes and noises. Socialize, don’t traumatize. Introduce new experiences slowly and never let your puppy get overwhelmed.

Frozen wet washclothes and baby carrots make great chews for teething puppies. Lots of puppy hide chews and latex rubber rings from a pet shop will also help with those sore gums.

Reward good behaviour, don’t wait for bad behaviour. Praise lavishly and then reward the puppy when you see them doing something you like. Don’t wait until he’s misbehaving to give him attention.

Pick up anything you don’t want destroyed.  If it’s on the floor, it WILL be chewed. Make sure all elextrical flexes are taped over and not trailing. And clear things off coffee tables. Above all, dont leave pills, chocolates, cigarettes or anything else that is easy to pull off the surface.  Your puppy is a furry toddler and will explore everything and anything.

I don't need to remind to get your puppy micro-chipped. It’s your best chance of being reunited with your dog if they ever gets lost. You can get this done  at your vet or local shelter.

Check your puppy’s poohs for the first six months. Disgusting? Yes, I know! But it could save your puppy’s life. If you notice anything like diarrhea or blood, take your puppy to the vet ASAP.

Provide toys. If you provide them with their own toys, they are less likely to chew on yours (ha! Yeah right. It’s worth a shot, though).  Like human kids who would rather play with the box than with the toy that came in it, puppies are usually happier chewing on an empty plastic water bottle than an expensive store-bought toy. Toilet roll inners and old tee shirts that they can rip up and shake vigorously, or play tug of war with, make good play things. If you can stand the noise, then get a toy with a squeaker.

Learn to read your puppie's body language. If you think your puppy needs to go to the toilet, don’t hesitate to plonk them outside! You’d be surprised how often puppies need to go. They don't know how to say so and certainly don't have the ability to keep their legs crossed for many hours. And, please! don't thump them for going where they shouldn't. As a general rule of thumb, the number of hours a puppy can “hold it” is his age in months plus one. So a two month old puppy should be crated for a maximum of three hours at a time (during the day. When they sleep at night, puppies can usually hold it for longer).

Practice separation. As tempting as it is, don’t let your puppy be glued to your side all day. Letting your puppy have time to himself in his crate or room will help prevent separation anxiety ie yelping, screaming, barking, yapping, scratching at the door.

Playing with other dogs in the park, no matter what size is very important. Don't yank the dog away as I have seen many 
owners do. Interaction with other dogs is necessary for the puppy to learn socialisation skills.

Don’t get angry and smack your puppy when it chews on you.  Sometimes painfully. It is NOT aggression. Do not react by yelling, smacking them, rolling him on their back or holding their muzzle shut. This is how they play with others in a pack and it doesn't mean that they will become aggressive in later life.

Don’t use ammonia-based cleaners. Your puppy will think it smells like urine and it will actually encourage them to pee there again. Use an enzymatic cleaner that you can get from a pet shop.

Leave the TV or radio on when you leave your puppy home alone. I usually leave on the news because the talking makes them think there is someone in the home.

Teach good lead manners early. Better to teach your puppy to walk nicely on the lead than to teach your adult dog to stop pulling on the lead. Tip:  Hold the lead so that your arm is at your chest level. This makes the puppy walk alongside you and not zig zagging across you tying you in knots.

 Remember that your puppy is a baby – don’t ask too much of them. Don’t worry about whether they will perform a perfect sit/stay or heel. Plenty of time for that when they are older. Focus on socialization and having fun.

Take lots of pictures. Puppyhood goes by SO fast and you want to be able to look back with nostalgia. One good thing is that a puppy never grows up and says "Oh! Mum! No! and gets embarrassed when you dig up old pictures of it on a fluffy mat to show people.

Be prepared for your pup to become an obnoxious little brat around age 6-12 months. If you thought puppyhood was awful. Wait until adolescence. This is even more challenging than puppyhood. They become the teenager from hell.  I don't mean that they start going to clubs, taking drugs or drinking to oblivion.  They become the doggy version of the worst human teenager that you know.  Disobedient, quarrelsome, irrational, noisy and chasing after joggers and cyclists, deaf to any commands. They will also explore by squeezing into places that have railings or jumping after birds in rivers and ponds, swimming around for ages giving you a heart attack.  Sadly, adolescence is the time that most people have had enough and decide to re-home their dog.  I hope that you will be patient and stick it out.

I know I keep banging on abut this, but during these swelteringly hot days, here is a video to watch and take note, when leaving your dog in the car for "just five minutes."

                http://www.theinternetpetvet.com/video-vet-shows-you-how-hot-it-gets-in-locked-car/


                                        That's it for this month. Have a good August where ever you are.

                                                                              Dawn ("")