March 23rd, 2019 is National Puppy Day! Who wouldn’t want a cute puppy? Those adorable looks and silky soft fur are pretty irresistible! If you are ready, a puppy can make a fantastic addition to your family. However, a new puppy comes with new challenges. When bringing home a puppy please keep in mind that everything is brand new to him so be  Patient  and don’t have unrealistic expectations. To teach your puppy how to be a great pet it takes a lot of dedication and love on your part. So, if you are up for the challenge, here are some useful tips to help the new member of the family feel right at home.

Use Confinement-Give your puppy a confinement area when you first bring her home. Too often, people want to give their puppy the run of the house right away. Then, one day they come home to find that she has chewed the baseboards, their favourite pair of shoes or the leather couch. Then that is when they decide that they have to confine the puppy. The problem with this is that now she will see the confinement as a punishment rather than her area where he can go to relax.  The confined area is supposed to be a place where she feels safe, or just a place to have some alone time. Confining your puppy, after she has already caused some destruction, will send a negative message as opposed to a positive one.

Make sure to leave toys and some pee pads in the confined area for the puppy to use so that you don’t come back to an unwanted surprise. It is also best to puppy-proof your house, which means removing anything that can be destroyed by chewing.  Consider installing baby gates to keep puppy safe.

Try the Replacement Theory- Puppies love to chew.  To help teach your puppy what is acceptable to chew and what is not acceptable to chew, try using the Replacement Theory.  For normal chewing behaviour, replacing the object that your puppy is not allowed to chew with something that she is allowed to chew is a great technique that will help her to understand the difference between what an acceptable chewing object is and what is not. For example, if you find your puppy chewing on your shoe tell her NO, take the shoe away from her, and replace it with either a toy or a treat, then be sure to give her plenty of praise.

Puppies love routine. The more you can stick to your established routine, the more secure and confident your puppy will feel. One good way to ensure that your dog’s routine is maintained is to hire a dog walker or pet sitter to walk or visit your puppy on those days that you are away from home for long hours.

Socializing is essential to growth and development. The more you expose your puppy to the world, the less likely it is that she will develop behaviour problems as an adult dog. A great way to socialize  your puppy is to enrol your puppy in classes where she will be taught basic commands as well as how to socialize with other dogs.

A picture says a thousand words. Don’t forget to take lots of pictures! Your puppy will grow up faster than you think and you will want to look back and remember all your favourite puppy moments!

If you get a new puppy, please share! We would love to her about it.

Please feel free to post any questions or comments below or leave us a message on our Contact Us page to book your complimentary meet-and-greet.