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Follow these steps to raise a happy, well-adjusted dog
Follow these steps to raise a happy,
well-adjusted dog
By Steve Duno
Few experiences in life match the
joy a new puppy brings. The frolicking, affection, and sheer innocence brighten
everyone’s day and add a sweet sense of anticipation to returning home. But
that joy can fade to frustration for those not prepared to face the challenges
a new pup can bring.
Happily, neither you nor your new
puppy need suffer through months of frustration. With the right
preparation and the proper plan in place, acclimating your new little friend to
life with you can be downright fun. As long as you stick to a routine and trust
in your puppy’s ability to adapt, time will turn your new recruit into a happy,
reliable new addition to the pack.
preparation and the proper plan in place, acclimating your new little friend to
life with you can be downright fun. As long as you stick to a routine and trust
in your puppy’s ability to adapt, time will turn your new recruit into a happy,
reliable new addition to the pack.
#1: Housetraining The key to success here is straightforward; your puppy must
be put on a rigid schedule and must be either in your presence or
else in a crate, yard or dog pen at all times. Yes, this requires ten to
sixteen weeks of extreme vigilance but you are setting your pup up for a
lifetime of success. It’s all about the groundwork.
Obtain a properly sized dog crate, which your puppy will eat and sleep in.
The crate mimics the close comfort of a den and uses the
canine’s innate dislike for eliminating where he sleeps and eats. This is why
crate use is the most successful way to housebreak. Choose a plastic
crate,
which provides a more secure feeling than a cage-type enclosure.
,
which provides a more secure feeling than a cage-type enclosure.
Be sure it is tall enough to let the
puppy stand but only long enough to allow her to turn around. It should not be
deep enough to let her eliminate in the back and lie down in the front. In most
cases, a puppy’s growth rate will require you to move to a larger
crate at the four-month stage.
Placement of the crate is up to you;
some find it convenient to keep it in their bedroom, while others, knowing the
puppy will whine, place it outside of the bedroom. Just know that if you
respond to the puppy every time she whines you will be training
the puppy to whine for attention.
the puppy to whine for attention.
Next, set up a schedule. Your puppy
needs to eliminate in the early morning, after every meal, after play or walks, whenever she gets excited, and
right before bedtime. And, for at least a few weeks, you will probably need to
let her out sometime in the very early morning before you would normally
awaken. Don’t expect her to last more than four hours during the first month or
two. The key is to gradually build up her ability to “hold it,” while teaching
her that the home is never a place to eliminate.
Feed her in her crate to endear her
to it. And commit to her sleeping there; as tempting as it is to respond to
whining or crying, if you relent and take her into your bed, you may end up
with an accident occurring while you are sleeping. A major benefit of crate
training is that your dog will happily settle into a crate should crating be
necessary for
travel
. Never allow your puppy to wander
unsupervised in the home until she is thoroughly reliable. Also, be sure to remove all food and water after eight pm. And
never leave food down for more than ten minutes. Called free feeding, this
makes it difficult to predict when the puppy will need to go. By feeding on a
schedule, you “synchronize” your puppy’s system to eliminate predictably.
Never hit or rebuke your puppy for
accidents. If she has an accident in front of you, interrupt her, calmly saying
“no, no no,” then bring to the preferred spot. Avoid cleaning up messes in her
presence as it could teach her that playing with waste is okay. If you stick to
the routine, your puppy should soon grasp that eliminating outdoors is the
ticket.
#2 When to Begin Socializing Your
Puppy Immediately begin introducing your
puppy to family, friends, neighbours, and resident dogs, as well as to dogs you
know are safe and properly vaccinated, in a calm, safe, controlled environment.
The first few months of your puppy’s life are a key socialization window and
you need to acclimate her to as many different people and dogs as possible. You
must, however, avoid interaction with unknown dogs until your puppy is fully
vaccinated, which occurs around the four-month period. After that, socialize
her with safe adult dogs and vaccinated
puppies
as well. When introducing your puppy
to new people, have them take a laid-back approach. Frenetic greetings will
only teach her to get overexcited whenever greeting, so be sure to keep it
composed and dignified. I tell people to practice “calm indifference” with
puppies, much as an adult dog would. Doing so will teach her to be tranquil
around guests, instead of jumpy or nervous. Get your puppy out of the home as
soon as you can, to greet people and to experience the sights and sounds of the
world. Take care not to overwhelm her, though, especially during the
eight-to-eleven week period known as the fear imprint stage. During this
well-defined period of development, if anything frightening occurs—a loud
noise, a backfire, a crack of thunder—it will often stay with the dog for life.
It is vital, then that you be cautious during this period, and make sure no
sudden sounds or scary events occur. If something does scare your puppy, do not
comfort or coddle her, as this will just reinforce and legitimize her
frightened reaction.
As soon as your puppy passes the
four-month immunity stage, take a puppy obedience class with her. You will both
learn basic obedience and get lots of socializing time with people and puppies.
#3 How Much Exercise is Too Much
Exercise? Be sure to walk your puppy, play
with her, and teach her to chase and fetch a toy. But go easy on vigorous
exercise for at least four to six months, especially with large breeds, whose
fast-growing bones can be damaged by over-exercising. Stick to an easy, slow
jog, and keep distances down to half a mile until the dog reaches six months.
Avoid roughhousing and beware of older dogs playing rough. Going for group
walks with family and friends is a great puppy exercise!
#4 When and How to Groom Your Puppy Softly brush and comb your puppy every day, and bathe her
only when needed. This grooming ritual bonds you to her and also allows you to
examine her for lumps, bumps, cuts, or injuries. Handle her legs, ears, tail,
and feet, and even look in her mouth. And, with a puppy-sized nail clipper,
begin tipping her little nails once per week. Just be sure to only snip off
about a sixteenth of an inch, to avoid cutting the “quick” and hurting her.
Also gently brush or wipe her teeth, using a soft baby toothbrush or a “finger
brush,” available at pet stores. You are laying the groundwork for your dog to
welcome handling.
#5 What and How Often You Should
Feed Your Pup Wean your new puppy off of the
breeder/shelter food slowly, over a period of one or two weeks and onto a high
quality puppy food. Feed her three times per day at first, but reduce this to
twice per day at around three or four months. Feed on a schedule and never
leave food down for more than ten minutes. Feed her in her crate and remove the
dish when she is done. Handle your puppy’s food dish in front or her; place a
treat or two into it, let her eat it, then pick up the dish and place another
treat in it. This will prevent food guarding from developing. Be sure to have
all family members do this!
Though most food manufacturers
recommend keeping a puppy on puppy food for a full year, it’s better to switch
over to an adult formula at around six to eight months of age. This is
especially true for larger breeds, that can grow too fast while on a higher
calorie puppy food. Slow, steady growth is preferred to prevent excess stress
on bones, cartilage, and joints. Switching over to an adult food, with its
lower calorie load will help moderate growth and minimize the chances of
obesity.
#6 How to Raise a Confident, Well
Adjusted Dog (It’s all about positive
experiences) At three months of age (this is when your puppy is out of the
sensitive fear-imprint stage), gradually desensitize her to odd sounds,
particularly doorbells, vacuums, lawn mowers, and other potentially distressing
noises that can trigger aggression or worry. Take your puppy to the front door
and, with a treat in your hand, gently knock on the wood while giving it to
her. Praise and repeat. Over a period of days, gradually increase her distance
from the door and continue this process of knocking and giving a treat, using a
helper to knock. You can do the same with the doorbell.
To desensitize her to the vacuum or
some other loud appliance, have someone turn on the noisy appliance inside
while you and the puppy play outdoors. The sound should be barely discernable
to you at this point. Gradually bring her closer while playing and treating
her. Eventually, you should be able to run the vacuum with her indoors without
problem.
Take your puppy into your car right
away. At first just sit in it with her, giving her a treat or two. Then, with a
friend holding her, drive around the block, praise and go inside. Gradually
lengthen the time she can drive until it becomes easy for her. Once she is
content in the car, use a crate to transport her in for safety’s sake. By
patiently following these six steps, by sticking to routine, you’ll be well on
your way to having the perfect puppy that you deserve!
- See more at:
http://moderndogmagazine.com/articles/6-steps-perfect-puppy/57022#sthash.PEOsOdoM.dpuf
Few
experiences in life match the joy a new puppy brings. The frolicking,
affection, and sheer innocence brighten everyone’s day and add a sweet
sense of anticipation to returning home. But that joy can fade to
frustration for those not prepared to face the challenges a new pup can
bring. - See more at:
http://moderndogmagazine.com/articles/6-steps-perfect-puppy/57022#sthash.PEOsOdoM.dpuf
Few
experiences in life match the joy a new puppy brings. The frolicking,
affection, and sheer innocence brighten everyone’s day and add a sweet
sense of anticipation to returning home. But that joy can fade to
frustration for those not prepared to face the challenges a new pup can
bring. - See more at:
http://moderndogmagazine.com/articles/6-steps-perfect-puppy/57022#sthash.PEOsOdoM.dpuf
Few
experiences in life match the joy a new puppy brings. The frolicking,
affection, and sheer innocence brighten everyone’s day and add a sweet
sense of anticipation to returning home. But that joy can fade to
frustration for those not prepared to face the challenges a new pup can
bring. - See more at:
http://moderndogmagazine.com/articles/6-steps-perfect-puppy/57022#sthash.PEOsOdoM.dpuf
Few
experiences in life match the joy a new puppy brings. The frolicking,
affection, and sheer innocence brighten everyone’s day and add a sweet
sense of anticipation to returning home. But that joy can fade to
frustration for those not prepared to face the challenges a new pup can
bring. - See more at:
http://moderndogmagazine.com/articles/6-steps-perfect-puppy/57022#sthash.PEOsOdoM.dpuf
Few
experiences in life match the joy a new puppy brings. The frolicking,
affection, and sheer innocence brighten everyone’s day and add a sweet
sense of anticipation to returning home. But that joy can fade to
frustration for those not prepared to face the challenges a new pup can
bring. - See more at:
http://moderndogmagazine.com/articles/6-steps-perfect-puppy/57022#sthash.PEOsOdoM.dpuf
Few
experiences in life match the joy a new puppy brings. The frolicking,
affection, and sheer innocence brighten everyone’s day and add a sweet
sense of anticipation to returning home. But that joy can fade to
frustration for those not prepared to face the challenges a new pup can
bring. - See more at:
http://moderndogmagazine.com/articles/6-steps-perfect-puppy/57022#sthash.PEOsOdoM.dpuf
Few
experiences in life match the joy a new puppy brings. The frolicking,
affection, and sheer innocence brighten everyone’s day and add a sweet
sense of anticipation to returning home. But that joy can fade to
frustration for those not prepared to face the challenges a new pup can
bring. - See more at:
http://moderndogmagazine.com/articles/6-steps-perfect-puppy/57022#sthash.PEOsOdoM.dpuf
Follow these steps to raise a happy, well-adjusted dog
Follow these steps to raise a happy, well-adjusted dog
Follow these steps to raise a happy, well-adjusted dog
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