BRINGING HOME YOUR NEW PUPPY

Along with the rewards of bringing a puppy into your home, come responsibilities – daily care and exercise, medical visits, obedience training and many years of commitment. Owner knowledge and training is one of the keys to a successful adoption.

Before Bringing Your Puppy Home

Purchase all the necessary supplies prior to bringing home your new puppy. Supplies you will need include:

  • Leash, Collar & ID Tag/mICRO-cHIP
  • Carrier
  • Bed
  • Toys
  • Treats - Training & Dental
  • Pet Gate; Pet Door
  • Puppy Food
  • Food & Water Dishes
  • Food Scoop & Storage Bin
  • Odor/Stain Remover
  • Shampoo, Conditioner & Cologne
  • Grooming Brush
  • Lint Brush
  • Nail Trimmer & Kwik Stop
  • Tooth Brush & Paste
  • Flea & Tick Prevention
  • First Aid Products
  • Training Crate
  • Chew-Stop Product
  • Tie-Out Items

Prior to bringing home your new puppy you will also want to take into consideration the importance of “puppy proofing” your home. This includes:

  • Moving small items that your puppy may chew on or swallow to out of reach areas.
  • Making sure cords and wires are not where your puppy can reach them.
  • Placing trash cans in cupboards or using ones with lids.
  • Removing dangerous chemicals from the reach of your puppy.
  • Using deterrents on items you don’t want your puppy to chew on.
  • Using pet gates or a dog crate to keep the puppy in or out of certain areas.

The First Days at Home

Introducing your puppy into a new home, to new family members and other family pets, can be very stressful to your new puppy. Too much stress can suppress your puppy’s immune system causing him to become ill. ANIMART suggests the following tips to help create a less-stress transition to a new home.

  • Introduce your puppy to their new home, family and other pets very slowly and preferably in a calm environment.
  • Allow the puppy to explore his new surroundings, while being supervised.
  • Establish routines right from the start. Meals, bathroom breaks and bedtime should all be done at approximately the same time every day.
  • Just like growing children, puppies also need a lot of rest. Limit puppy play sessions and allow quite rest time.
  • Treat a puppy the same way you would a toddler: with patience, constant supervision and a gentle touch.

Housetraining

Housetraining problems are one of the top reasons people give up dogs. Knowing what to expect and knowing how to successfully train your puppy can greatly reduce the stress associated with housetraining. ANIMART suggests the following tips:

  • Count on your puppy to have accidents.
  • Routinely take your puppy to the designated bathroom area. This may be your yard, a litter box or puppy training pads.
  • Reward your puppy with verbal praise and/or treats, if he goes to the bathroom in the designated area.
  • Watch for cues (sniffing and circling) that your puppy needs to go to the bathroom and immediately take him to the designated area whenever you observe these behaviors.
  • Allow your puppy to urinate approximately every 3 hours. A young puppy has very little bladder control.
  • Feed your puppy at designated times whenever possible. Don’t leave food out.
  • Do not punish an accident by pushing his nose in the waste or by scolding him. He won’t understand and may learn to go to the bathroom when you are out of sight.

Crate Training

Dogs like small, enclosed spaces because of the security it offers them. The idea behind a dog crate is to provide your puppy with a safe and comfortable “den” for him to have as his own.

Another benefit of a crate is in potty training. Dogs try not to go to the bathroom where they sleep. If you keep your dog in a crate when you’re not together during potty training, your dog will try to hold it until you let him out and take him outside. Your job is to keep a reasonable schedule with plenty of chances to play and eliminate.

You can help successfully crate train your puppy by following these suggested tips:

  • Do not allow the puppy more room than he needs to comfortably lay down.
  • When possible, let your puppy investigate his crate by leaving the door open.
  • Remove all collars before you crate your puppy.
  • If your puppy is frightened by the new noises, place a towel or mat underneath the crate to muffle noise and prevent slipping.
  • Toss a treat or toy into the crate, then use a simple word like ’kennel’ to get your puppy to enter.
  • Praise your dog and close the door. Open it after a few moments.
  • Slowly increase the time your puppy spends in the crate with the door closed.
  • Do not open the door because your puppy whines. It will only teach him to whine more.
  • A general rule for determining how long your puppy can be confined is 1 hour for every month that your puppy is old, plus 1 hour. Most 3-month old puppies can stay in for 4 hours.
  • Do NOT crate your dog for more than 8 hours. It is unfair to leave the dog without an opportunity to eliminate or exercise any longer than that.
  • Put bedding and chew toys in the crate to encourage your dog to use a crate as his “den”.
  • Put your puppy in his crate and close the door at random times, such as while you are eating dinner or watching television. This helps to prevent your puppy from associating his crate with the family leaving.
  • Do not put your puppy in his crate as a form of punishment, as he will then associate it as a negative place.

Basic Obedience & Socialization

Training and socialization is one of the most important things you can do for a new puppy when it joins your family. Sound training and great social skills are as important as vaccinations and parasite prevention for the health and wellbeing of your new puppy. The key is to teaching your puppy manners and good behaviors are to use clear, simple, consistent commands and positive reinforcements. Reward good behavior with treats, hugs and a happy voice. The earlier you train and make lifestyle rules, the easier your dog will be to handle and the fewer problems you will have. And when you do encounter problems, you will be much better able to resolve them.

ANIMART also recommends that you enroll in a training class designed for teaching basic obedience and socialization for puppies. Puppy Training classes are an excellent way to play and bond with your puppy, while at the same time, learning strategies for communicating and teaching your dog desirable behavior patterns.

Chewing

A new puppy will be teething for approximately the first year of it’s life and could get into the habit of chewing one everything; from your shoes to the leg of your dining room table if not corrected. Most inappropriate chewing happens when motivated by curiosity, stress, anxiety and boredom or by the need for pleasurable experience. This can not only cause a large amount of damage and be expensive; it can also endanger your puppy’s health and erode the human-animal bond. As with many behavior problems, destructive behavior can often be avoided by providing acceptable alternatives. Here are some suggestions to help you and your puppy successfully get through the teething phase:

  • Provide your puppy with a variety of chew toys and/or rawhide bones.
  • Give him positive verbal cues to reinforce this wanted behavior of chewing on appropriate items.
  • Use a chew-stop product on things you do not want your puppy chewing on.
  • Use a firm redirect, such as “No chew” when your puppy chews an inappropriate item and replace with one of the puppy’s toys.
  • Use a crate when your puppy cannot be supervised.

Health & Grooming

Caring for your puppy requires maintaining good health through proper Veterinary care, as well as knowing how to properly take care of his coat, skin and nails. One key is to get your puppy used to grooming steps from early on in your puppy’s life.

Veterinary Care- Many dangerous infectious diseases can be prevented or lessened in severity with a proper vaccination program and yearly health wellness appointments. ANIMART offers both vaccinations and wellness health checks.

Bathing- Bathing can help control odor by removing excessive dander oil and bacteria. Use a special mild shampoo formulated to meet the needs of a puppy. While bathing be careful not to get shampoo and water in your puppy’s eyes and ears. Be sure to rinse your puppy thoroughly.

Brushing- Not only does brushing our puppy’s coat feel good to him, but it also helps to clean the coat, to remove loose hair and tangles and to stimulate the oil glands of the skin.

Oral Care- Without proper oral care, your puppy will be more susceptible to health problems. Puppy owners should practice a regular dental care regimen at home. This would include brushing your puppy’s teeth with a specially formulated toothpaste and toothbrush, as well as by offering various chew toys and treats proven effective in combating plaque and tartar buildup.

Nail Trims- Puppy nails are sharp and may scratch you, children or your furniture. For this reason it will be necessary to trim your puppy’s nails. In addition when a dog’s nails become too long they interfere with the dog’s gait and can become very painful.

Walking on a Leash

Walking on a leash is a crucial skill to master for both you and your puppy’s future. After training a puppy to walk on a leash they are much safe and more manageable, plus it will mean walks will be a much more an experience you can both enjoy. For help with training your puppy to walk on a leash follow these steps:

  • Get your puppy familiar with and comfortable wearing a collar. Do this by placing the collar on your puppy and wait until he has forgotten about it before you take it off.
  • After he is happy wearing his collar, introduce the leash. Show him the leash. Clip the leash to his collar and under your supervision; allow your puppy to drag it around the house, until he forgets about it.
  • Once your puppy is comfortable in his collar and with the leash, pick up the other end of the leash. Make the first leash training sessions short, sharp and fun. To start, walk around the house with the leash in hand and your puppy trotting along side you. When he is walking along on a loose leash give him plenty of praise, petting and even some treats.
  • When your puppy strains on the leash, stop immediately and call him back over to you and praise him when he comes. Do not keep walking when your puppy is pulling on the leash, this only rewards his behavior and reinforces the habit.
  • Continue to make these practice walks longer, while continuing to keep them fun and filled with praise for your puppy’s good behaviors.

Bringing a puppy into your life is a big responsibility and commitment. Puppies have a long list of requirements that must be met for their well-being and longevity. ANIMART wants to remind you that tasks like housetraining, crate training, basic obedience, socialization and leash training are best being addressed from the very start. We welcome you to contact ANIMART with any questions you may have about your new puppy.