Just became a puppy owner? Here are a few must do’s for you
I don’t really care which breed you have or where you got your furball from, but it is a fact (fight me on this) that puppies are inarguably, impossibly and adorably cute. You have to be pretty hardhearted and cold or otherwise emotionally damaged not to get gushy over baby dogs, with their innocent faces, sweet puppy breath, satiny ears, and soft pink paw pads.
I have had dogs since I was a child and have continued to have them as pets even now. I agree initially I had no idea how to deal with them or how to train them for a few things. These few things which later become the foundation of how your dog behaves at home as well as outside. A few very important things that paw parents should be aware of before or even after they get their puppy. Sooner the better.
Socialize Your Puppy to Many Situations
It means taking your puppy lots of places, exposing them to different sights, sounds, surfaces, humans and other animals, and making sure they are having a good time while doing so. You want to give them a positive classical association with the world and all things they are likely to encounter in their dog life. Lots of people understand the part about taking their puppy to lots of different places for socialization. They sometimes miss the critically important part: making sure the puppy has a good time.
Prevent Separation Anxiety by Leaving Your Puppy Alone
Dogs are social animals. In a world not controlled by humans, our dogs would spend most of their time in the company of others. Feral dog populations show us that, while not a true pack in the “wolf” sense of the world, wild dogs tend to exist in loose-knit social groups and do choose to be in the company of others of their own kind.
Housetrain Your Puppy to Relieve Himself in Designated Places and/or Times
Successful house training requires ultra-management: You simply never give your pup the opportunity to go to the bathroom anywhere other than the desired place(s).
Leashes, tethers, crates, baby gates, exercise pens, and eagle-eye supervision all come into play as your pup learns that “outdoors = bathroom” (or, for those who choose to teach their dogs to eliminate indoors, bathroom = pee pads or a sod box). The key is to take your pup to her potty spot more often than she has to go, and reinforce her when she “does her business.”
