The anticipation and joy when preparing for a new puppy to join your family home is tremendous fun. This is to help you along on the right path so that they feel right at home as soon as possible. Everything I explain will help the puppy to relax faster and respond better to you. Having seen so many simple mistakes being made by wonderful people who love their dogs please don’t be offended if some of them seem very obvious!
Sarah’s To Do List:
One bag of the same food your breeder uses. In my case AVA Medium Dog puppy food. Our local Pets at Homes in Newport only ever have one in stock at a time, so order online.
Food Rewards to reinforce positive behaviour (ie. when they poo and wee in the right place!) something that smells delicious and doesn’t make the dog put weight on; we use our biltong. You can get dog jerky and cut it into small pieces.
A normal bowl for food, medium size and water bowl, not too little or you just get water all over the floor when they drink.
A bed that they can grow into, they grow so quickly . Just add a towel or blanket to the large one so that they can snuggle into a small space.
Dog toys are made for humans! Get whatever you want the puppy won’t care. However, DO NOT get ones that squeak – if they do then cut the squeaker out. Squeakers torment dogs and wind them up, they spend their life desperately trying to kill the toy which never dies. Toys are trophies… (but thats a whole other story)
Identity collar, we use ones that have contact numbers embroidered on them as lost so many tags.
I am an advocate of the soft rope slip lead. I find catches fiddly and they have failed me in the past. I think harnesses are for huskies to pull a sled. Any lead that subverts the dogs natural carriage is an unnecessary unkindness to your dog. You will only walk your dog on a loose smiley lead, its just there for their safety and slips on and off with ease and can be worn round your neck and not lost when walking off lead. Buy one medium length/thickness lead and it will last for years.
Flea shampoo and flea comb, be prepared you will at some point need them! Brush and metal wide tooth comb – I breed sproodles and their coats do need to be kept tangle free to avoid the shave of shame!
Small pair of round ended hair snipping scissors to trim their nose so they can always see.
Biological washing liquid to use to clean up any accidents, the enzymes destroy the smell.
I have had clients who when given a list of things to do then go off piste, the dog continues to have problems…..and they say to me “but You didn’t say NOT to….”
So please DO NOT BUY toys that hide food inside, Toys that are designed for tug of war games, and food bowls that make it hard for the dog to eat. Food is fundamental for survival it should be provided with kindness.
How to Set up your home to make your dog calm and relaxed.
(see diagram of example house floor plan below and adapt)
Keep bag of food up high in the Utility Room (or similar) with the dog food bowl next to it. Fill bowl with dry kibble and any extras you want to put in and place down instantly.
Do not make your dog wait for, or do anything for food, put simply its cruel and is just us humans exercising our power unnecessarily over the dog. Food is fundamental for life.
I have seen owners make a bowl of food up in one room and walk across to another room carrying it before feeding. Always feed in the same place where you make it up but vary the time a bit. Always feed the dog before you eat. Never feed in somewhere that is busy, feed somewhere that you can walk away from your dog so there are no distractions and the dog can eat in peace.
Create zones your dog will feel safe in. Use child gates to create success zones and prevent them having to get used to a large house/cats/children all in one go. It also protects your carpets and furniture in the early days. You can slowly introduce them to the house bit by bit. Get them settled, happy and toilet trained in one room at a time.
Place their bed in a quiet corner, as part of the family, but as far away from routes you commonly walk in the house. Try and not give them a field of vision of every doorway. It should be somewhere they can feel safe with nothing to worry about.
Make sure this first room is close to your outside back door, if there are any other doors in the way leave them open. Your puppy needs free access to the door they will use to tell you they need to go outside into your back garden area you have created for them to toilet in.
Do not give them every toy you bought on the first day. One or two at a time, and change them over. You must control the toys. Keep whatever their favourite is back for you to be solely in charge of. Ours is unquestionably the tennis ball!
0 Comments