Puppy Knowledge

Bringing home a new puppy is a fun and exciting time, but in order to avoid problems down the line and to ensure a lifetime of happiness and enrichment, you must do your research first! A puppy is a major responsibility and it is important to arm yourself with as much puppy knowledge as possible before the big day when you bring puppy home.

Pick the Right Puppy
Once you have decided that you want a puppy and not an adult dog, there are still many considerations you have to make in order to choose the right puppy. Bringing a puppy into your home is a 15-20 year commitment, so it is important to not take the decision lightly. Read more…

Positive Puppy Training Basics
Start teaching your pup valuable cue words as soon as possible. Teaching her valuable action cues such as come, sit, lie down, settle and stay etc, is crucial for safety, good manners and builds up a language of communication between you. Remember, teaching promotes confidence and a confident, social dog is a joy to live with. Read more…

Vaccinate Your Puppy
In the rush of excitement during the first days of having your new puppy at home, don't forget about the importance of beginning the habit of regular medical checkups and vaccinations. Too many common illnesses and issues occur because of a failure to keep puppy's health up to date. Be sure to take puppy to the vet early on and try to create positive associations with trips to the vet's office – you'll be especially glad you did once your pup grows up. Read more…

Socialize Your Puppy
The primary socialization window runs from birth to approximately 16 weeks, when a pup’s brain is like a sponge and when the pup is curious about investigating things without fear. Make sure you socialize your puppy well before her 16 week birthday by allowing her to have many pleasant experiences in different environments, situations and people so that she does not develop a fear of the unknown.

The earliest age you should bring a pup home is 8 weeks. Getting a pup before this age can be detrimental, as puppy needs to learn valuable lessons from mom and littermates. As your pup grows, be aware that she will experience behavioral changes. These occur at around 4 to 6 months of age, 1 year and 18 months when pup reaches adulthood. Read more…

Toilet Training
It is really important that you start the house training process right away. Do not give your pup free reign until she is fully toilet-trained otherwise you will find accidents all over your home.

Crate training can be another valuable way to teach your puppy to pee and poop appropriately. You either need a puppy proofed room with pup’s crate, food bowl, water bowl and appropriate chew toys or a puppy pen with a crate, food bowl, water bowl and chew toys inside it.

Whichever method you use, the most important thing to remember is to follow a toilet training schedule and encourage her to go outside at regular intervals.

Puppy Teething & Mouthing
From about 4 months to 6 months, pup will go through an intense time of chewing because that is when pup loses her baby teeth and the adult teeth start coming through. This chewing phase can be exasperating for owners and it can continue into adulthood.

After the adult teeth come in, it takes many months for them to set into the jaw and so the chewing phase can last for up to a year. Chewing helps relieve boredom and anxiety as well, so it is really important to provide puppy strength durable chew toys for her to chew on. Put some of pup’s food into a puppy chew proof toy and put it into the freezer. When it is frozen, take it out, let it thaw for half an hour and then give it to pup to chew. This is good for her gums and will keep her occupied for long periods of time. Read more…

Puppy-Proof Your Home
Provide a puppy-proofed area that your pup can go to when unsupervised such as a small room, crate or pen.Make sure that pup can still be close to you and is not isolated behind a closed door but is still confined so that she is safe and there is nothing that she can get into, damage or hurt herself on. Remove any other hazards that might harm your pup, such as wires or small objects.

You can check that your home is safe by lying on the floor to get a pup’s eye view to see what you might have missed.