{"id":1299,"date":"2018-05-21T17:38:33","date_gmt":"2018-05-21T21:38:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.smokymountaindoodles.com\/?p=1299"},"modified":"2019-01-12T14:40:18","modified_gmt":"2019-01-12T19:40:18","slug":"tips-for-new-puppy-owners","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.smokymountaindoodles.com\/?p=1299","title":{"rendered":"Tips for New Puppy Owners"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s around day two of life with a new puppy that most people start to ask themselves, “what the heck have I gotten myself into?”<\/strong><\/p>\n

When you bring a puppy home, you are suddenly faced with obnoxious puppy behavior like whining, biting, jumping, chewing, and pooping on the carpet.<\/p>\n

And if you\u2019ve done any research at all, you know that proper care and training is critical during a puppy\u2019s first few months. The things your puppy experiences now are going to affect him for the rest of his life. No pressure, right?<\/p>\n

Between managing the puppy\u2019s destructive tendencies, worrying about stuff like vaccinations and socialization, and dealing with well-intentioned but often incorrect advice from friends, family, and TV shows, a puppy parent can get a little overwhelmed.<\/p>\n

So here are some bite-sized puppy tips to get you through the next few months.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Get a crate.<\/strong>\u00a0It makes housetraining incredibly easy.<\/p>\n

Let your puppy sleep in your bedroom, at least for the first few nights.<\/strong>\u00a0This whole experience is scary for a pup. Don\u2019t make him sleep in the laundry room. Put the crate next to your bed so you can reassure him.<\/p>\n

Baby gates are your friend.<\/strong>\u00a0Use them to keep the puppy out of places your don’t want him to destroy.<\/p>\n

Supervise, supervise, supervise<\/strong>. If you cannot watch him like a hawk, he needs to be in his crate or in his \u201croom,\u201d see below.<\/p>\n

Set up a puppy room for when you can\u2019t supervise.<\/strong>\u00a0Pick a small area like the bathroom or kitchen, block it off with baby gates. Add a bed in one corner and pee pads or a dog \u201ctoilet\u201d in another.<\/p>\n

Pick a potty spot.<\/strong>\u00a0If you don\u2019t want Sparky pooping all over the yard as an adult, pick one area and take him directly there when it\u2019s potty time.<\/p>\n

Set a daily routine.<\/strong>\u00a0Housetraining<\/a>\u00a0proceeds more smoothly if your puppy knows what to expect from her day.<\/p>\n

Enroll in a puppy class.<\/strong>\u00a0Your pup will learn some basic obedience, but the real benefit of puppy classes is socialization with other puppies and people.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t believe everything you read on the internet.<\/strong>\u00a0Not all advice is good advice. Take everything with a grain of salt. And please, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, stay away from Yahoo! Answers.<\/p>\n

Make sure everyone is on the same page.<\/strong>\u00a0Discuss the puppy rules with your whole family. Figure out who will do what when. Pick one set of training cues and stick with them.<\/p>\n

Play some<\/strong>\u00a0puppy training games<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t encourage behavior that you\u2019ll regret when he gets big.<\/strong>\u00a0Jumping up is cute when he weighs ten pounds. It won\u2019t be cute when he\u2019s 60 pounds.<\/p>\n

Get your pup used to handling from day one,<\/strong>\u00a0touching feet, nails, tail, ears, mouth, teeth, and belly with love. Your vet and groomer will thank you.<\/p>\n

Start grooming early on.<\/strong>\u00a0For the same reason as above.<\/p>\n

Let your puppy meet at least two new (friendly and gentle) people every day.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Take your puppy to the petstore.<\/strong>\u00a0Great socialization opportunity. Keep her in the shopping cart and off the floor until she\u2019s had all her puppy shots.<\/p>\n

Introduce your pup to all kinds of novel things.<\/strong>\u00a0People in funny hats. Remote control cars. Kids playing. Agility equipment. Balloons. Cats. Car rides.<\/p>\n

Socialize, don\u2019t traumatize.<\/strong>\u00a0Introduce new experiences slowly and never let your puppy get overwhelmed.<\/p>\n

Invite friends and family to meet-the-puppy parties.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Frozen wet washclothes and baby carrots make great chews for teething puppies.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Reward good behavior, don\u2019t wait for bad behavior.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Reward the puppy when you see him doing something you like. Don\u2019t wait until he\u2019s misbehaving to give him attention.<\/p>\n

Avoid the dog park.\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0In addition to putting your undervaccinated puppy at risk for disease, most dogs at the dog park are quite rude by canine standards. A couple bad experiences could ruin your puppy\u2019s opinion of her own species.<\/p>\n

Pick up anything you don\u2019t want destroyed.<\/strong>\u00a0If it\u2019s on the floor, it WILL be chewed.<\/p>\n

Focus on what you want, not what you don\u2019t want.<\/strong>\u00a0For example, teach your puppy to sit when greeting people. Don\u2019t just yell at her for jumping up.<\/p>\n

Watch your puppy\u2019s poops.<\/strong>\u00a0Disgusting? Yes. But it could save your puppy\u2019s life. If you notice anything like diarrhea or blood, take your puppy for a vet visit ASAP.<\/p>\n

Provide toys.<\/strong>\u00a0If you provide her with her own toys, she\u2019s less likely to chew on yours (ha! Yeah right. It\u2019s worth a shot, though).<\/p>\n

Rotate through the toys.<\/strong>\u00a0Let your puppy have two or three toys at a time. Changing up the toy selection will keep Sparky interested.<\/p>\n

If you think your puppy needs to go potty at all, don\u2019t hesitate to take him outside!<\/strong>\u00a0You\u2019d be surprised how often puppies need to go sometimes.<\/p>\n

Practice separation.<\/strong>\u00a0As tempting as it is, don\u2019t let Sparky be glued to your side all day. Letting your puppy have time to himself in his crate or room will help prevent separation anxiety.<\/p>\n

Hellos and Goodbyes should be no big deal.<\/strong>\u00a0Don\u2019t make a fuss over your pup when you leave or come home. Again, prevents separation anxiety.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t get offended when your puppy chews on you.\u00a0 <\/strong>Puppies bite!\u00a0 Sometimes painfully. It is NOT aggression. Do not react by smacking him, rolling him on his back, or holding his muzzle shut.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t use ammonia-based cleaners.<\/strong>\u00a0Your puppy will think it smells like urine and it will actually encourage her to pee there again. Use an enzymatic cleaner like Nature\u2019s Miracle.<\/p>\n

Visit the vet.<\/strong>\u00a0Take your pup for a visit when she doesn\u2019t have an appointment. Bring some treats and ask the office staff to give her some. Make the vet\u2019s office a fun place! (call ahead first to make sure this is OK)<\/p>\n

As a general rule of thumb, the number of hours a puppy can \u201chold it\u201d is his age in months plus one.<\/strong>\u00a0So a two month old puppy should be crated for a maximum of three hours at a time (during the day. When they sleep at night, puppies can usually hold it for longer).<\/p>\n

Leave the TV or radio on when you leave your puppy home alone.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Teach good leash manners early.<\/strong>\u00a0Better to teach your puppy to walk nice on leash than to teach your adult dog to stop pulling on leash.<\/p>\n

Remember that your puppy is a baby \u2013 don\u2019t ask too much of her.<\/strong>\u00a0Don\u2019t worry about whether she\u2019ll perform a perfect sit\/stay or heel. Plenty of time for that when she\u2019s older. Focus on socialization and having fun.<\/p>\n

Take lots of pictures.<\/strong>\u00a0Puppyhood goes by SO fast.<\/p>\n

Be prepared for your pup to become an obnoxious little brat around age 6-10 months.<\/strong>\u00a0Adolescence is even more challenging than puppyhood. Have fun with your teenage dog!<\/p>\n

https:\/\/3lostdogs.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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