Puppy 101

Who doesn’t love a puppy? They are so sweet and cute little bundles of fur. Beware of what lies underneath - sharp puppy teeth and nails and some sleepless nights.

No, we aren’t trying to scare you away from getting a puppy. On the contrary, we want you to be prepared. Sadly, many dogs are turned in to shelters because people couldn’t care for all their puppy needs, or care for them as they got bigger.

When you pick out a puppy, be sure to check the size of its paws. Many people are surprised that their little 8 pound puppy with the cute floppy paws grew up to be a 110 pound dog.

Puppies need to have constant supervision and patience. They need socialization and training. They need vaccinations and loads of playtime and excerise. Take some time to educate yourself and your family on the merits of raising a puppy. You may find that it is the perfect decision for you or you may decide that an older dog is more suitable to your lifestyle.

Housetraining

Housetraining your puppy takes time and dedication but it doesn’t have to be painful. Most people begin housetraining when the puppy is around 6-8 weeks.

Methods

There are different methods for housetraining a pet. In our opinion, all require constant supervision to ensure your pet is easily housetrained. Two of the more popular methods are:

Paper training - put pretreated papers near a door or area that you want her to use. When you see her “pre-elimination” pattern starting (circling, sniffing), gently pick her up and put her on the papers. When she does go potty, praise her.

Crate training - purchase a crate that is large enough for your pet to turn around in and lay down but not big enough to “section off”. Dogs will not typically soil their own beds so this method can be very effective. When you can not be supervising your puppy, put him in his crate. These times may be when you are out of the house, cooking or helping the children with their homework. Never use the crate as a punishment. Your dog should enjoy his crate and see it as his safe place.

You do not want to put food or water in his crate. When you take him out of the crate, take him outside to his potty spot. Before you put the puppy in the crate, take him to his potty spot.

When crate training, your puppy should always spend the night in his crate.

Use praise, not punishment

First and foremost, if you don’t catch your puppy “in the act”, don’t punish her for it. She has no idea why you are acting all crazy. Rubbing her nose in it doesn’t help either. She doesn’t get it. If you didn’t see her doing it, clean it up and move on.

Now, if you do catch her in the act, pick her up and sternly - but not loudly - tell her”No.” If you are paper training, carry her to her papers or take her directly outside. If you are crate training, take her outside. You may want to push her tail down while you are taking her to her potty spot.

Use a consistent verbal command

Pick a word and use it consistently so that your pet begins to associate that command with a specific behavior. Make sure your whole family uses that word. For example, use “outside” when you want your puppy to go outside. You can then lead him to his potty spot and say “potty”. It doesn’t matter what word you use, just so it is consistent. When your pet performs the desired task, praise him abundantly and give him a treat.

If you are having a hard time housetraining your puppy, seek professional help from your veterinarian or a trainer.

Handling

Spend some time handling your puppy’s paws, looking in its ears, looking at its teeth, etc. so (s)he becomes used to being handled. This will be very helpful when you take him or her to vet appointments or if you need to get something out of its paw or mouth.

You also will want to remove items from your puppy’s mouth - a favorite toy or food. This will keep the puppy from becoming a resource guard. If you have concerns about doing this, or if your puppy displays aggressive behavior, please consult a training expert.

Nutrition

Up until the time they are about 6 months old, puppies need more protein and fat than adult dogs. And with their tender digestive systems, they need highly digestible food. Make sure to buy a food specifically for puppies.

Training & Socialization

Training should begin as soon as all vaccinations are complete. Puppy kindergarten is a great place to start, where the puppy learns some basic commands and has the opportunity for interaction with other puppies.

Socialization is important to having a well-behaved, happy puppy. After your initial puppy class, you can decide if you want to continue with classes or buy some good books and do it on your own.

Puppies respond best to positive reinforcement so look for instructors and books that use positive reinforcement to train puppies. Books are great resources, new puppy owners may appreciate the extra attention and knowledge from a trainer or behaviorist.

Exercise

Puppies seem to have unlimited energy so it is up to you to make sure they don’t over do it. Exercise is fun, burns off their energy, and helps you and your puppy bond, but puppies’ bones are soft and still growing; so you have to be careful until they are done growing.

Chewing

Puppies chew - especially when they are teething. Be sure to provide lots of safe, chewable toys for your puppy to use. Spend time correcting him when he chews on something that isn’t acceptable - like your table. Do not use physical correction. Simply remove your puppy from that activity and provide it with an acceptable toy to chew on.