That new pup - what should I do

Having placed a number of pups from my latest litter, the new owners have asked for some hints and tips for settling the pups into their new homes. The following could apply to any pup. It is very important that the new owners treat the pup as a pup and not a little human in pups clothing.

1. The most important thing to keep in mind at this time is; THIS IS A PUP, LET IT BE A PUP. Pups are playful so let the pup play. This is how pups learn and it should help you later on when you start your training program.

2. The pups have been started on puppy chow and gradually changed over to a good quality dry dog food around 8 weeks of age. It would not hurt, if you are so inclined, to add a little raw meat to the diet. I feed the pups twice a day and usually as much as they will eat in a 15 to 20 minute time limit. I then remove the dish. If the pup is fed away from other dogs and in a quite location, the pup should eat slowly and chew its food completely. This aids in digestion. Water is very important to the pup but too much water can kill (see earlier post on this topic).

3. The only training in the early stages should be a recall and a sit stay command. This is not formal training but rather fun training and taking advantage of the situation ie if the pup sits you give the command. The commands I use are: For recall - “here”. Sit is sit. I do not teach any of my dogs or pups at any time, a down command.

4. The most important thing you can do is to have the pup with you as much as possible. This facilitates the bond that is so important in future training and ultimately will make training easier and faster. In the earlier stages of ownership I like to have a crate beside the bed and that is where the pup goes at night. As they grow older I move them to an outdoor kennel and run.

5. As early as possible the pup should wear a collar and you should start leash training as well. The collar should never be on the pup when the pup is by its self. It does not hurt to gradually start tying up the pup for short periods of time. This can be started around 3 months age.

These few hints will help you get started with your new partner but remember this IS A PUP LET IT BE A PUP.