What we do with our pups in the first few days, weeks and months of bringing them home will shape the rest of their lives and our relationship with them, so it is important to know what we are doing. Whether we realise it or not from the moment we start a relationship with our new family member they start to pick up on messages that we are sending them, through our tone of voice, body language, touch and how we treat them. Based upon these interactions they will start to form a mental picture of their environment, including us, and where they fit in to it. If we send them the right signals then we will have a happy balanced dog that will look to us for guidance. If we give them the wrong impressions we will could end up with a tyrant. One who lives by their own rules and who dictates to us. Unfortunately, the latter is a very common scenario, one which causes misery for all concerned and can be difficult to turn around. Below are a handful of common Q and A’s which will help you to avoid some of the common pitfalls when bringing a puppy home and during the initial stages of Puppy Training.

Q.) How do I choose a breed of dog?

This is a very good and important question and has a number of answers. Firstly, assess your energy levels and ask yourself why you want a dog. What activities do you want to do with them and what breed will fit in with that? Are you low, medium or high energy people? If you are low energy and enjoy spending time in the home and want a dog to fit in to your lifestyle them you need to avoid high energy breeds such as Border Collies or working Spaniels, for example, as they require lots of attention and exercise! If you did make the mistake to bring home a dog that was a higher energy than you are and don’t raise your game to their levels then you will have huge problems as they will become frustrated and display behavioural issues, such as persistent barking and chewing, or worse. You would need to research low energy dogs and the type that would suit you and your family. Remember that most breeds need stimulating both mentally and physically to one degree or another, so although you may run 15 miles with your high energy dog some breeds will still want more input, so be prepared! The good news is that there are hundreds of breeds out there to choose from but it is important to do lots of research before choosing as well as asking breeders lots of questions before making a decision. The other main important factor when choosing a breed to bring home is does your previous experience live up to the breed that you want? If you have never owned a dog before it is unwise to bring home a large breed or powerful dog, especially one that is a guarding or fighting breed, for example. That is not to say that all dogs in breeds are the same in nature, as some guarding/fighting breed dogs can be extremely gentle and submissive and avoid conflict at all costs, but it’s better to research and choose based upon the general breed specific temperament. Another important point on some of the more assertive breeds is that dogs are experts on reading emotions. If you are a nervous person then a guarding breed is not for you as they will pick up on your energy and might become over protective of you, something that could be hugely problematic when around other people, or on the other hand they may not receive the leadership they require and begin to dominate you. Prey drive can also determine how a dog reacts to moving things, such as children, bikes and joggers. High prey drive dogs will need lots of impulse training to keep them under control more than low prey drive dogs. Although basic training is defiantly required for all dogs, at the very least. You should also ask yourself how much time will the dog spend home alone. If it is all day every day then you should look at buying another pet that does not need human interaction because dogs in general are social animals. There are some breeds that are more prone to separation anxiety when they are left alone, but other who are fine with it as long as they get enough exercise. However its best to be home for part of the day at least if you only have one dog because an under stimulated dog can make a real mess of you house when left alone. When you have chosen a breed to bring home speak to at least three different breeders for information and ask lots of questions to find out more about breed specific characteristics. Make sure the breeders are experienced and are not a one timer trying to make a quick buck. Lastly, make sure you can see both parents when you choose your pup as genetics determine temperament as well as physical characteristics. If you cannot see both parents as one may have been a stud, ask to see a video recording of them before you set out to go to the breeder, and only buy when you have seen and made sure that aggressive and fearful behaviour are not part of the parents characteristics. With these considerations in mind you should be in a better place to buy the right dog for you and your family.

Q.) How do I introduce my puppy in to our home?

Bringing a puppy home is a bit like bringing a baby home. They will need lots of things that you would not normally have if you do not own a dog so go out a buy everything first. At the top of the list is puppy food – including chews suitable for pups, 2 bowls – for food and water, a soft and cosy bed, a blanket covered crate, and toys – a rope to pull, a ball to chase, a teddy or two to carry around and snuggle up to in bed. You will need to start toilet training immediately too so you may choose to buy puppy pads, although I personally avoid them. Note that they can cause more problems than solve them if you do not know how to use them properly. Even so you will also need disposable cloths and spray disinfectant to clean up accidents. You will also need a lead and collar, although your pup will not be able to leave the house for a few weeks at least you can still get them used to the strange sensation of lead walking whilst in the home and garden. You will also need to register with a vet, so do your research and find a good one locally before picking up your pup.

As far as introducing the puppy in to the home make sure family members are calm and going about their normal business. It’s important not to overpower the pup at this point as if they are a new toy as they will be out of their comfort zone already. First take them to where you want them to toilet and wait until they go there and praise them for doing so. Take them around the house afterwards allowing them to sniff everything to make a mental picture of their environment. Make sure there is not too much noise and movement as this will frighten them. Lots of strokes and cuddles are important, but not too much. Take them to their crate and leave them in there for 10 minutes with a chew. Don’t sit outside looking at them, just walk away and give them some space. Repeat the process of spending some time with them and then a little crate time so they become accustomed to going in and coming back out again. Remember to take them to toilet frequently, especially after playtime and when they start excessive sniffing as this means they are about to go.

Q.) Should I allow my puppy to sleep in my bed?

In my opinion I would say for one night at the most and preferably in a spare bed not your own. I don’t think it’s a healthy habit to get in to as it is more of an emotional dependency on the part of the owner and this can cause doggy behavioral problems later. You dog also needs to learn how to be alone and sleeping with you is not going to aid this, otherwise they have a good chance of developing separation anxiety later on when you start to leave them home alone, and this is a big and unwanted problem.

Q.) Should I crate train my puppy?

Crate training is very healthy for dogs and they learn to love their own little den, however some pups will not take to it immediately, especially pack breeds such as a Weimaraners or Beadles. Even so, persevere with the crying as they will get used to it soon enough and benefit from it as they will become accustomed to spending time alone. Make sure the crate is nice and comfy and has toys and chews in there as well as being covered with a blanket (if its hot outside maybe a thin sheet) so its dark inside. They should be treated a bit like a baby initially. Put them in the crate 3 or 4 times throughout the day for 20 minutes at least, preferably after play but make sure they’ve been to the toilet first, and give them a chew when they go in. If they cry at night its best not to return to them once they are in, not unless they wake to go to the toilet that is, but make sure they’ve gone before bed to try to prevent that. If you can, have the crate near your bedroom so you can hear them if they need to go in the night. Some pups need nightly toileting some don’t, so be aware. Carry them to the garden if they do, stand with them until they go, then return them to the crate without talking to them. Never make them go to the toilet in the crate, not even on paper, as this will cause problems in the future and you will have to work really hard to solve this problem. After a few months you will find that your dog will start to spend time in their crate without being taken to it. Normally around 6-8 months of age I stop locking the crate door as you will find that they stay in there voluntarily all night and can hold themselves until the morning.

Q.) How long can I leave them in their crate for?

In the day time you should not leave a pup crated for more than 2 hours in one day. As an adult dog the rule is no more than 4 hours per day. More than that is going to cause stress and they will probably toilet in there too.

Q.) We have just brought a puppy home when should we start training?

The short answer to this is moment you bring them home! If you read the above question How do I introduce my puppy in to our home? you will have noticed that I said to take the puppy out to the garden to toilet. That is the first thing we do for obvious reasons. But it shouldn’t end there. Think about it for a moment. You puppy can learn where to go to the toilet at such an early age in a foreign environment, so they can learn much more too! The early months of a pup’s life is a huge learning process. So much so by the end of their first year we could compare them to a 13-year-old human being, as far as development is concerned! The most important part of this learning process is from 12 to 16 weeks of age, so the moment they are good to leave the house they should be experiencing cars, people, dogs, noises, in short everything. They should also be engaged with training too. How to sit, recall, stay, leave, walk on lead, how to lie down and the meaning of release. Impulse control cannot begin early enough, especially because puppies are super impulsive. How to be fed effectively should also be taught from the outset among other rules and boundaries. All of which will encourage the correct relationship between dog and owner. I hear it so often with dogs who have behavioural problems that the owners thought that it was a good idea not to do any training until the dog was older because they would be more mature. They couldn’t be more wrong! If you are inexperienced in dog training it is worth investing in a trainer to work with you in the early months, at least.

If you would like to discuss this subject further please do not hesitate to contact me.