Tips For Bringing Home a New Puppy

Need a few tips for bringing home a new puppy? Most of us do when we bring home a six to eight week old pup, as they are so full of energy yet totally undisciplined. This is a condition first time dog owners find bewildering, and even intimidating, because they lack the knowledge long time dog owners have gained after many years of raising dogs. Below are a few tips to help you out and get your new pup off on the right paw.

Before you arrive home with your new puppy you should already have several things on hand. Water and dinner bowls, collar with ID tags and a leash, an appropriately sized doggy bed along with a couple of blankets and  know where you are going to put the bed in your home, plenty of chew toys, puppy shampoo for his baths, and of course puppy-appropriate, high quality food.

Training a new puppy begins the first day. He or she will have a short attention span so keep the training sessions to just a few minutes at first and increase the time as the puppy grows.

Always know where the puppy is as much as possible. This is especially true right after he or she eats and drinks because their ability to hold the need to urinate and defecate is nil at a young age. You can count on the puppy needing to go outside to his “business” within a few minutes of eating or drinking.

On the subject of housebreaking you might want to use a training crate to speed this process along. These are inexpensive and because dogs are denning animals they feel comfortable and secure in a crate. The pup will also follow his natural instinct not to pee or poop within the confines of the cage. He might have the occasional accident but they will be far fewer than if you are allowing the puppy to roam around your home unrestrained. As soon as you see the puppy begin to search around with his nose to the floor this is a clear indication he is seeking a spot to go. Immediately pick him up and go outside. After he has finished heap the love and praise on him in a very enthusiastic voice so he begins to understand outside is where he is to go when the time comes.

One very important thing to keep in mind when training a new puppy is never yell or hit the pup for bad behavior. You may use a calm voice and say NO, but remember to always praise good behavior, as this is the easiest way to teach your growing puppy what you expect of him or her.

Has this information been helpful? Please share this article with others.