The Puppy Diaries: Joys and Challenges to Expect
Adding a puppy as a new family member can be an exciting time for all. However, there is a lot of planning involved in helping puppies lead happy and healthy lives alongside us.
One can prepare for a puppy by anticipating both the joys and challenges that come with their companionship. So, here’s a comprehensive guide to what to expect when bringing home a puppy.
How to Begin Puppy Training
Puppy training begins with the breeder or in the shelter and will continue when your puppy arrives home. With that in mind, you can prepare yourself by understanding your puppy’s temperament and what your puppy will respond to best.
All in all, there are various lessons to teach your puppy to help them mature into a well-behaved adult dog. Here are three tips to consider.
Teaching Basic Commands at Home
Early on in training, basic commands are critical social skills for puppies to learn. Teaching a puppy to come, sit, stay, and other commands benefits you and their overall safety. Plus, they’ll need these cues for real-life settings throughout their lives.
Consider Investing in Professional Puppy Classes
Take puppy training one step further and consider hiring a professional dog trainer or investing in puppy training classes. Not only will this be an opportunity for your puppy to socialize with other dogs in a safe environment, but it will also help them become more obedient. In fact, puppies who receive professional training are generally more well-behaved.
The Use of Positive Reinforcement
Ultimately, puppies respond best to praise and reward, so positive reinforcement will be helpful in your housetraining. You can use treats, a new toy, and anything that your puppy is willing to work for to encourage desired behaviors.
Puppy Potty Training Tips
Another aspect of care for your new puppy is going to be potty training in the home. While this is no easy task, there are ways to facilitate the potty training process. Here are useful tips to consider.
- The use of dog crates, since puppies generally won’t want to soil where they eat and sleep. Plus, a crate will benefit travel, vet visits, and confinement for overall safety.
- Emphasis on keeping a consistent schedule for potty training success. Since puppies have tiny bladders, it’s important to take them out many times throughout the day.
- Practice patience and praise your puppy for doing the right thing. Ultimately, this will encourage them to repeat desired behaviors.
The Importance of Puppy Socialization
To help your puppy be emotionally healthy, exposing them to diverse experiences, environments, people, and animals is important. This is called socialization, and you can prepare your puppy for what to expect with the following tips.
- Make sure to take small steps by gently exposing your puppy to different experiences. This can be done by exploring local dog-friendly places in your neighborhood. Your puppy isn’t going to learn social etiquette overnight, so remember to monitor their reactions to each experience to ensure what feels comfortable for them.
- Request different family members to take turns playing with the puppy. Spending quality time with the puppy allows your puppy to establish relationships with various family members. Plus, the shared responsibility for the puppy will potentially ease the labor involved in raising a puppy.
- Don’t forget the possibility of taking your pup to puppy classes! A professional trainer can help guide your puppy through training, including basic commands and obedience training. This will help shape your puppy’s behavior and personality long-term.
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