This is such an exciting part of every dog lovers life!
I don't think many people understand just how important the first few weeks are once we get this new puppy home.
I have put together a few things to consider to make sure you give your dog the best start at life with you. Are these an exact science and the only way to do it? YES!
Well no they are not, but they are things I have done with every puppy I have ever owned. This includes every litter of Kelpie's I was lucky to have over the years (about 14 litters) which I kept all of them and trained them to about 6 months of age, then kept dogs that fit into what I needed at the time ie. Paddock, yard, all round etc. The rest were sold or given to mates.
Speak to 10 different dog trainers, 10 different dog breeders, 10 different vets and watch 10 different youtube videos and you'll absolutely get 450 different answers and arguments for and against everything and anything.
Here is my stuff -
Each puppy has unique characteristics and behaviors, resulting in varying responses to triggers and commands. Some may display timidity and apprehension, which could last for several days or much longer. Others may readily establish a great rapport with their new owners, exhibiting playfulness and joy. Rarely, if ever, will they exhibit inherent aggression.
While every pup is unique, their ability to drive us insane and develop into a bad behaved dog is not.
All dogs of any age, regardless of their breed can and will jump on people, bark, bite, chew, dig, react on lead, not come back when called, chase things, get aggressive, get anxious, get over stimulated and ignore you etc.... if not properly trained. Training begins the moment we get our puppy home.
Want an indoor puppy?
I've never had indoor dogs, especially in let's say the first 6 months. After this my dogs are allowed in nightly and whenever suits us.
I guess this comes from having working dogs and knowing just how disgusting they are when they are always rolling in dead slimy things and get hand scrubbed by me in water troughs and dams all the time!
I reckon 90% of clients I train have predominately indoor dogs. I'm fine with either, but I know my dogs are excellent outdoors and even better indoors as they never once developed bad habits indoors during their early stage of life.
PS. I've never once toilet trained a dog, nor have I ever had an accident inside. Ever. (Well it happened twice during the couple of days both Bonkers and Stella got desexed at 8 months old, but they were high on meds so I don't count that haha)
When it is very cold our 2 Dalmatians sleep in our living room on their bed. After 8 years... no poos or wees at breaky time.
Some tips -
Establish a designated area within your home for the puppy during the initial few weeks. Get them their own comfy bed and get them used to staying on it and being calm. Do not play or wrestle with your pup on it. This area is for quiet time, sleeping and safety for the pup. You don't want to start associating the bed with crazy behaviour.
Avoid allowing unrestricted access to the entire house, as this period is crucial for boundary establishment and maintaining close supervision.
Maintain consistent control and keep a watchful eye on the puppy as frequently as possible. This practice will facilitate the imprinting of boundaries and greatly contribute to successful toilet training.
Opt for a room that offers convenient and swift access to the outdoors, as this will greatly assist in toilet training efforts.
Utilize tools such as child gates, puppy pens, puppy crates, or simply keeping doors closed to ensure the puppy remains confined to the designated area.
Want an outdoor puppy?
Ensure the outdoor area is appropriately warm or cool, depending on the weather conditions, and provides a safe water source for the puppy to stay hydrated.
Choose a location for the puppy outdoors that is conveniently close to the house, ensuring easy access and supervision.
Be prepared for the puppy to exhibit whinging, crying, and howling behavior, as it may take some time for them to adjust to their new environment. It is considerate to inform your neighbors about the arrival of the new puppy and kindly request their patience for a few days if there is any noise disturbance.
Provide a few toys or objects for the puppy to entertain itself with outdoors, striking a balance between having enough options for stimulation while avoiding overwhelming the puppy with an excessive number of toys.
Check on them and interact calmly with them often.
Some things to consider in the first few weeks -
I repeat "FIRST FEW WEEKS". Not forever. 2 or 3 weeks. 14 - 21 days if you like. Just the initial introduction time of getting the puppy. Let's call it the probation period.
During the initial few weeks of puppy ownership, engage in shorter interactions to maintain a calm and composed atmosphere.
Limit play sessions time lengths to avoid too much over-excitement or hyperactivity.
Use gentle and soothing tones to promote a relaxed environment when interacting with the puppy.
Incorporate structured and controlled playtime with brief training sessions to encourage focus and mental stimulation.
While exposure to other dogs, large crowds at cafes etc. is absolutely important, doing this with a very young puppy that is overwhelmed and unfocused on you this early on can set you up for much more difficult training in the very near future. Like a new born baby, don't take him/her to the footy and force them to stay the whole length of the game if they're getting overwhelmed or upset at half time. This is not about you and your need for Instagram posts on your puppy's new dedicated account. Let's focus on your next decade with your dog and making it the best possible for all of you!
Reward and reinforce moments of relaxation and self-control to encourage calm behaviors. So yes, praise your puppy when it is calm and doing nothing.
Avoid rough or overly stimulating physical play that may contribute to heightened excitement levels (just for a few weeks). This is not stopping you from having fun with your puppy, but actually training your dog that engagement doesn't happen while the dog is over stimulated. (Unless you want a jumpy, nippy and barky 5 month old puppy... Which is what almost every puppy does at my 4 - 8 month old Puppy Primary Schools.) Calm puppy's are easy to train into calm dogs.
Establish consistent routines and predictability in your interactions to help with a sense of security and understanding in the puppy.
Introduce new experiences and stimuli gradually and in a controlled manner, allowing the puppy to acclimate calmly without feeling overwhelmed. An example of this is abandon you dog often for very short lengths of time (2 - 5 minutes) often! While you are home all day, start to prevent separation anxiety but training your dog that it's ok to be alone and calm. Extend these times as the dog gets used to it. Remember your puppy knows nothing so it's up to you to train it. Don't expect it to handle 8 hours alone if it cannot handle 5 minuets alone.
Stay vigilant in monitoring the puppy's body language and behavior, intervening or redirecting attention when signs of over-excitement are observed. The same also applies for anxiousness environments.
Be patient. Be Calm. This will help to teach your dog to be patient and calm. Or do the opposite and book an In Private Training Session in 6 months time.
Get them used to a dog lead, collars and harnesses or whatever you chose to walk them on. DO NOT hype them up for a walk. You do not want your dog to associate the lead or harness as an exciting event. An excited puppy is a distracted puppy which ends up being an idiot on a lead very quickly! Excited pups on leads turn into reactive (both aggressive or excited) 12 month old dogs. They Pull harder, lose complete focus on you and you will just battle the dog on every walk until you either walk them less and less or seek help because you finally gave in by the time the dog is 18 months old.
As I mentioned earlier, these are just some ideas for you to consider with your new puppy. You might even have a dog now that some of these instances ring true and you wish you knew way back then!
I could have written a few million more words (I actually deleted heaps to shorten this) but there are only so many thoughts and theories people will listen to!
My Opinion is just 1 out of 8,045,311,447 - Current world population as of 15/08/2023 9:54am AEST
Give your dog a pat for me!
Cheers, Scott
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