There will be plenty to do and to think about before buying a puppy. There are some key things you can do before your newest arrival. So here are a few tips to get organised ahead of time
1. Where do we put puppy’s bathroom?
Before you bring puppy home, give some thought to the essential bathroom spot for your pup. This spot should be easily accessible. You can use puppy pads at a doorway closest to your garden and the trick in encouraging pup to use the puppy pad is to place a jar of treats in this zone. Once puppy has finished on the pad you can then use the treat for this good behaviour. This reinforces pups new toileting regime on the pad.
Before long and with heaps of encouragement, puppy will get to know that the garden is the place to pee and poop in. And once pup has outgrown this stage and is starting to go outside to do the deeds, you can continue to use lots of praise and a small treat, again reinforcing your clever pup to pee and poop outside.
2. The safe zone
To be clear – we do NOT advocate using crates as a place to put your puppy whenever it’s inconvenient to have him/her around.
Before puppy comes home if you have decided to crate train, then do buy the correct size crate and do consider where it will be situated. Having a safe zone for puppy to hang out in and sleep is vital. If you are out for a few hours and wish to prevent your belongings from being chewed or strewn, then a crate will offer a safe and comfortable environment until they are old enough and trained enough to be trusted.
For those pups not house trained yet, being confined to a small area instinctively makes them ’hold it’ to avoid peeing and pooping where they should be laying or standing. To prevent accidents in the house when you cannot supervise your pup, crate training could be the way forward for you and for pup.
3. The Right Toys
It is essential to be ready for your new puppy, so toys are a must! When pups are growing their teeth, their gums can become quite sore. Chewing on toys helps to keep their teeth healthy and clean. Many behavioural problems in dogs are the result of boredom or excess energy, and toys offer mental and physical stimulation and enrichment. Directing your pup’s energy into play with toys can help to prevent unwanted problems such as chewing on your furniture, shoes and can prevent them digging up your favourite flowers in the garden.
A new home can be an anxious time for your puppy, so keeping chewable toys close by will lessen the anxiety, making them feel loved, secure and less scared when they sleep. A soft plush puppy toy, with no small parts to choke on, are great for cuddling when your puppy is tired. Stuffed rubber toys are a great toy to entice your pup to seek the treats or the Liver Paste inside of it, creating hours of fun and play whilst trying to lick the content out. Balls for throw and fetch, tugging toys, squeaking bones, Frisbees are all great for physical exercise, stimulation and interaction. We hope you now see the health benefits and importance of toys.
4. Reward Training
All good puppy behaviour must be rewarded. Small, healthy training treats are the way forward for you and for pup. It’s far too easy to overdo it with treats, particularly whilst training. Help ensure your pup maintains a healthy weight by using small treats, or even small pieces of treats. Don’t make the mistake of asking too much from your pup by performing whole tasks at once.
Training takes time and an example of a task could be getting your pup to sit. Even if your pup’s bottom barely lowers to the sitting position, give him/her a treat for encouragement. When your pup does it again, treat him/her. Eventually pup figures out what the treat is connected to. Then you can wait to reward pup until he/she has it’s rear end even closer to the ground…. Until finally pup is sitting and waiting for the treat.
