Thursday, May 20, 2010

New Puppy, Read This!

By Lynn Lamoureux

You researched the type of puppy you wanted. Found the puppy, bought it, purchased a cute collar and matching water bowls, now what? Now you need to begin training and housebreaking your adorable puppy. Be prepared, you need to be dedicated and committed. First thing you need to do is decide on a name for your new puppy and begin using at all times especially when talking, playing, or feeding your puppy. This will help your puppy to learn his name quicker and easier.

Now that your puppy is learning his name you need to begin housebreaking your spunky pup. Start with designating a particular area for your puppy to use as the "potty area." Be consistent with showing your puppy that this is where he is to suppose to go "potty." An eight week old puppy needs to go relieve himself approximately every 30 minutes to an hour, most import times are usually after every nap, mealtime, and playtime. Crate training is a great way for you to housebreak your young puppy. It is most successful because puppies normally don't like to "mess" where they sleep. Supervision while outside or in the crate helps with preventing accidents in the house or crate.

Socialization is also a key to a well-rounded puppy. It gets them used to different people, places, and things. Take your puppy with you whenever you need to run an errand, pick up food from the pet store, or even a car ride.

Do Not go to public parks, rest stops, or around unvaccinated dogs with your puppy. The risk is too great, as there are too many germs for your puppy's young immune system to fight off. If you choose to take your puppy to a park, choose a dog park that requires your dog to be up-to-date on their vaccinations.

It's important for you to be consistent and enforcing the rules. Your puppy will become confused and take longer to be trained if you are not persistent and consistent. If your puppy is not caught in the act of doing something wrong, then don't punish him for it. Punish him only when you catch him breaking the rules. Positive reinforcements such as: treats and praise are both great ways to let your puppy know he has done a good job. This is how they begin their learning process and to eventually be able to not only be housebroken, but learn tricks, etc.

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