Bringing Your New Dog Home
January 18th, 2009 by admin
You’ve done all your research - you’ve asked all the right questions - you’ve chosen the perfect dog - you’re ready to bring her home. NOW WHAT?! Bringing your new dog home is so exciting! Don’t miss this essential guide to making this a pleasurable, stress free experience for all concerned!
Here you will find helpful and useful advice on the best time to get a new dog, preliminary safety arrangements, tips on potty training, sleeping arrangements and your new dog’s diet. You will also find advice on bringing her home safely and welcoming your new dog into your home. And last but certainly not least, we will attempt to prepare you for the first few nights with your new dog!
The Best Time to Get a New Dog
Whether you have decided to get a new puppy or give an older dog a loving home - the timing is crucial. Please, please do NOT get a dog as a Christmas or Birthday present. Dogs are not toys to be bought on a whim and then discarded when the novelty wears off - they are not “presents” to be exchanged or the new “in” must-have accessory. They are intelligent creatures, feeling all the emotions we do and they need the stability of a secure, loving home.
But I’m sure you want only the best for your dog - after all - you are reading this, aren’t you?
Plan a quiet weekend, better still week, when there is just you and your family around, to gently introduce your lovely pet to her new home. When you first bring your new dog home, she will be nervous, confused and apprehensive and her senses will be assaulted with a thousand new sights and smells - so keep things as calm as possible.
Preliminary Safety Arrangements
Keep safety paramount in your mind before and during bringing your new dog home. Pet proof your home before hand. This can be as simple as making sure all electrical cables are out of the way, keeping chocolate out of reach and putting away all poisonous houseplants.
The best way to approach this is to put yourself in your dog’s place. Look at things from her eye level - what do you see - what is temptingly within your reach? Older dogs will want to investigate - puppies will be into EVERYTHING!!
Electric cables from all the gadgets a modern home can’t do without, exposed nails or staples under your bed or sofas and settees, beautiful houseplants which will, at the very least make your dog quite ill, and that stash of chocolates you’re hiding from the kids! - all these need to be taken care of before bringing your new dog home. Look at their world from their perspective and you’ll go far in keeping your beautiful dog safe.
Potty Training Arrangements
If you have chosen to rehome a mature dog, talk with the shelter staff about her routine. You will gather a lot of information which will enable you to make the transition from the shelter to your home as smooth and stress free as possible.
Over the first few days after bringing your new dog home, do be patient with her if she has the odd accident or two - by all means do tell her off in a firm BUT gentle voice and show her where you want her to go. Put yourself in her place - she is nervous and stressed - and her tummy is probably churning with anxiety! And she’s not really sure what you expect of her.
With your patience and understanding, she will settle into her new routine over the next couple of days.
If, however, you have chosen to go down the puppy route - do be warned - it’s like having a new baby in the house. Puddles in the most unexpected places, sleepless nights and chewed EVERYTHING. Fortunately, puppies grow up a lot quicker than baby humans do, so this phase will be over a lot sooner!
Hopefully your puppy has been started off down the road to successful potty training and will just need gentle reminding of what is expected of her. Once again, before bringing your new dog home, do discuss her routine with her breeder or shelter staff - this will help you and your dog.
Do remember, the most likely times for your puppy to need to relieve herself will be
Of course, as a puppy, she will be sleeping and eating a lot, so it naturally follows that she will be relieving herself rather a lot too!
Be vigilant during, simply taking your puppy to her litter tray or garden frequently, will usually do the trick. Lots and lots of praise is the order of the day - your puppy is naturally clean and will get the message very quickly.
Do remember to keep the size of the Litter Tray relevant to the size of your puppy - she needs to be able to get in and out without a struggle - but it also needs to be big enough for her to comfortably stand in.
The less chance you give your puppy to have accidents, the less likely you are to have long term problems with her. Dogs are attracted to urine smells and will naturally tend to repeatedly use the same area. This is the principle on which litter boxes work - so, just start them off right and off they will go!
If you catch your puppy in the act, say “NO!” very firmly, gently pick her up and pop her into her box, rewarding her with huge amounts of praise when she obliges!
Then clean the area where she has had an accident thoroughly to avoid her re-using that particular spot in future. Use a specialised Pet Urine Cleaner - and eliminate odours before they become an annoying recurring attraction with your pet. Many of our regular cleaning agents contain ammonia - this actually makes the matter worse, attracting your dog to the smell, so do be careful in what you choose.
Sleeping Arrangements
With a mature dog, try to bring away something familiar to your dog, if at all possible - something which she has used at the shelter, such as her bed, a favourite toy or water bowl. This will make the transition just so much easier on her.
Your new dog will initially be a bit confused with her new routine, so consistency really is the key to settling her down soon. Show her her new bed, pop a soft toy or comfortable blanket in with her and let her settle down. She may create a bit of a fuss to begin with - but she will quickly get the hang of things.
I would recommend keeping her in a fairly confined space initially - something like the utility room or kitchen is usually a good idea. If she has been accustomed to a crate - continue to use this. A crate will be familiar and increase her sense of safety.
Whatever you do, do make sure she has no way of escaping, and that there are no hazards around for her to get into trouble with if she does decide to do a bit of investigating when you’re not around.
With a new puppy, once again, do try to arrange for your puppy to come away with something familiar, if it is at all possible, such as an old blanket. It will be very reassuring for her to have this when she first arrives in her new surroundings.
When bringing your new dog home, think through the entire sleeping arrangements situation thoroughly - and then stick with it. Your puppy will cry pitifully for the first couple of nights - but so would you if you found yourself suddenly alone and somewhere totally strange and daunting.
Don’t be tempted to go to her when she is making a big noise - she will quickly learn this is a way to get your attention and use it just as any self-respecting toddler would!
Make sure Puppy’s sleeping area is away from draughts and that she is in a fairly cosy, confined space. It seems like SUCH a big world to a small puppy.
Ensure she can see her litter tray so she can find it if she needs to. You may also want to leave a little night light on for her.
One thing that worked a treat for our puppies was wrapping a large ticking clock in their blanket and placing it in their bed. The would snuggle up to this quite happily - try this - it just makes your puppy feel a lot less lonely - I think they equate it to Mum’s heartbeat.
I cannot emphasize enough - it’s never too early to form a routine with your puppy - and remember - just like bringing up children - consistency really is the key!
Your Dog’s Diet
Whatever you do when bringing your new dog home,do not make any dramatic changes to her food. Get a complete dietary guide from your dog’s previous home and follow that for at least two weeks, giving your new dog or puppy a chance to settle in first.
It’s not normally a problem to change a mature dog’s diet unless she has special dietary requirements which you have already been informed of. However, with your new puppy, any changes that you introduce will have to be suited to your puppy’s age and done very, very gradually indeed.
For example, if you are changing puppy over from dry food to wet food, swap one spoonful on day one, two spoonfuls on day two and so on till they are completely swapped over to their new diet. I know it is a painfully slow process - but it’s so much better for puppy. Besides, puppy diarrhoea is no fun at all - you really do not want to go down that road!
Something to Bring Her Home In
When bringing your new dog home, it is kind of acceptable for your puppy to be gently held by someone in the back seat of your car - however, it may be wiser to put her in a travelling crate, not just for her own safety in case of an accident, but also just in case she gets travel sick all over your seat AND the person carrying her. This has happened to us - not very pleasant!
The other serious consideration is the fact that an un-secured dog becomes a lethal projectile if your car is involved in an accident. And, even if she escapes serious injury to herself and manages not to injure anyone else in the car, she becomes a huge hazard if she manages to jump out the car and bolt (as most frightened dogs do) down the highway.
Therefore, for your dog’s safety, your own safety AND for the safety of others around you, it is best to secure your pet while travelling. There are alternatives to crates - such as doggie safety belts and so on - so do look around.
Welcome her Home
Bringing your new dog home is a wonderful occasion for all the family and a little pre-planning will ensure it stays that way.
By now you should have safety proofed your home against all the dangers and mischief a curious dog or little puppy can - and will! - get into.
Her bed is ready and so is her litter tray or box. All that remains when bringing your new dog home is for you to gently introduce her to your home and all her eager fans!
If you have children, explain they have to be very gentle at this stage. We have found it best to bring puppy (in her crate if that is how she has travelled) quietly into the house. Gently pop her down in a quiet area where you can see her and she can see you. Then sit quietly on the floor and ignore her!
Let her come out of the crate in her own time. Don’t go to her - let her come to you. She will sniff around a bit - and may even have a little wee (you’ll just have to put up with this for now!) Let her know you are there. Gently talk to her in a calm, soothing voice. Let each member of her new family have a chance to gently stroke her and talk to her - but keep it very quiet and calm all the time.
It always surprises me how so many owners want to have a rough and tumble with their new puppy and then wonder why they have a boisterous, uncontrollable dog on their hands. The first few weeks of bringing your new dog home should concentrate on just getting to know each other and setting boundaries and parameters, as much for your dog as for the rest of the family. There will be time for lots of fun and mad antics as your puppy goes through her juvenile years - but you can determine the eventual personality of your dog by creating the right atmosphere now.
Let puppy get to know her new surroundings. Follow her around quietly and from a distance just to make sure she doesn’t get into any trouble.
The First Few Nights
Expect a couple of disturbed nights with your new dog - she is new and confused and may decide to bark or howl - oh joy! Ignore her when she is being noisy or you will encourage her misbehaviour with attention.
The first few nights with a puppy can be an absolute nightmare - don’t say you weren’t warned! Puppy will be really upset at being left on her own and is likely to cry a lot … and very loudly …… and very pitifully. It can be just AWFUL!
I must say, what you do at this time pretty much depends on what you want to happen long term. If you want puppy to learn to sleep in one particular part of the house - then you just have to harden your heart and let her cry herself to sleep. Thankfully, it will only last a couple of nights before she gets the message and settles down happily.
I have to confess that we have never managed to make it successfully through this phase. Our puppies have always won and it was usually my husband who brought them upstairs, basket and all, and popped them in one corner of our bedroom.
We’re not ashamed to admit we failed miserably at this phase! However, we’ve welcomed many a dog into our lives and successfully completing those first early days has ensured our lives have been enriched by a string of healthy, happy, well adjusted dogs - and this is our wish for you too.
With years of experience in breeding, training and handling dogs, Marion Herbertson is first and foremost a dog lover. Visit http://www.advice-on-pet-care-and-pet-product-supplies-online.com/Bringing-your-new-dog-home.html - for more of her practical, sometimes humourous advice on pet care.
Tags: Bringing your new dog home, new puppy, potty training a puppyCrate Training Tips How to Crate Train Your Dog
January 17th, 2009 by admin
A crate is a valuable and useful training tool. Its main purpose is to provide security, safety and protection for short term confinement while training a puppy or new dog about its own and house boundaries.
A crate may look like a jail cell, but when used properly is your dog’s natural den - a personal space where he’ll feels secure and comfortable. The best place to place a crate would be where your dog can see the environment and family members, hear and smell your house - the kitchen is usually a good spot.
An ideal crate should be large enough to allow your dog to stretch out, stand without hitting his head and be able to turn around. The crate should not be so large that your dog can relieve himself in one corner and play move away to play and sleep in another. If your puppy is still young and is not fully growth, try to block off certain section of the crate with cardboards or wood boards.
To encourage your dog to “like” his new den, you should preferably equip it with soft beddings, a bowl of water and a toy that he likes. (You might want to remove the water at night when you are potty training your dog)
You must introduce the crate slowly to your dog. Crate him in smaller interval, about 10 minutes, and gradually increase over time. Your dog need time to get used to being crate. Never crate him for more than 30 minutes or longer for the first time.
It is not advisable to crate a young puppy for long period of time - about 2 hour and pup should always be exercised before being crated.
It’s quite normal for dogs to kick up a fuss, bark and moan while in the crate. If these things happen, do not give your dog any attention! Yes! Do not even look in his direction.
Dogs are intelligent animals - Don’t let him know that he’ll get your attention when he kicks up a fuss. Simply ignore him! Let your dog out only when he settles down.
*if it’s a young puppy whom you’ve just introduce the crate to, maybe you can offer him a treat in the crate to calm him down. Whatever you do, don’t let him out of the crate at that very moment!*
The exception I can think of is if you think your dog has to relieve himself. Even so, bring it out only after he stops barking. Another exception is when your dog is chewing on himself. Let him out immediately and consult a trainer or behaviorist.
Lastly, dog should not be crate for too long day after day. He’ll develop destructive behaviors and anxiety problems. If you notice that your dog displays hyper active behavior compare to before, you might be crating him for too long!
Most important of all, never ever punish your dog in the crate, he’ll dread going back to the crate. It is meant to be a comfortable and safe space, not where he’ll get punish.
Moses Chia is the webmaster of DogsObedienceTraining.com. He provides more helpful information on dog obedience training, dog training book reviews and dog illness symptoms interpretation that you can learn in the comfort of your home on his website. You are welcome to reprint this article if you keep the content and live link intact.
Tags: crate training tips, dog crate training, how to crate train, puppy crate trainingCrate Training Advice
January 16th, 2009 by admin
Crate Training is, with out a doubt, one of the first essential steps in training your puppy and an exercise for your puppy needs to master in their early days. It can be an effective means of housebreaking your puppy. However, many people misunderstand the proper methods of crate training and the benefits it will bring. Your dog will see their crate their space, their sanctuary, their escape from the very odd human world.
Size of Crate
Before you start on this training exercise it is important to consider what size of crate to buy. The crate needs to be big enough to see your puppy through from their early days to their full size. Bear in mind though that if it’s too large, your pet may end up using one end as their ‘Business’ area. Some crates offer divider panels to expand the size as they grows. Choose one large enough to stand, comfortably turn and sprawl.
Night Time
Crate Training through the night can be a daunting task, don’t worry. When you are housebreaking puppies and they “go” as soon as they see you in the morning. It is very difficult for a puppy to hold his bladder until they are around 9 months of age.
Make Arrangements
While crate training is excellent for housebreaking puppies, do not leave dog confined in a small area for too long. If your work allows, try to make arrangements to come home during your lunch hour to allow your pet to relieve himself. Also there are even services you can hire to provide this. A pet ‘holding it’ all day can cause bladder and kidney problems.
When Supervised
When crate training a dog, leave the door open while he’s not confined. Generally, in addition to housebreaking puppies, you are creating a safe place where your pet will feel comfortable sleeping.
Accidents in the House
Don’t make crate training a punishment. If your dog does their ‘business’ in the house, make a loud, surprised sound take them outside. Avoid shouting “NO!” for this routine as they might associate it as something bad. Be sure to give exaggerated praise when your pet ‘goes’ outside in the regular chosen area, so they will learn that there is a good thing.
Keeping Clean
Their crate is their space, but there will be some jobs you’ll need to do on their behalf. Regular cleaning and disinfecting will protect your dog from illness and you home from unwanted smells.
Matthew Glover - http://www.AdviceDogTraining.com - offers Free Dog and Puppy Training Advice for owners and trainers around the world. Visit http://www.AdviceDogTraining.com for all your K9 training needs.
Tags: crate training, dog training, puppy crate training