Latest posts by Mikki_Hogan (see all)
- Find the Right Food for Your Dog – 7 Tips for Healthy Feeding - August 5, 2012
- Teaching Children Responsible Dog Ownership through Puppy Love - May 15, 2012
- Preparing Your Puppy for Training Success the First Week - March 28, 2012
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Perhaps the most important aspect in training your puppy occurs during the first week at your house. It’s a new environment, new family, new everything and your puppy will observe his surroundings to see how things are done. Everything your puppy is allowed to do during this first week outlines acceptable behavior in your house. That’s why it’s the best opportunity for starting your puppy out right in regards to good behavior.
Preparation is key when it comes to that first week, both physically and mentally for the entire family. There are steps you need to take before you bring your puppy home to ensure your rules are set and obeyed.
Before you bring him home
Bringing home a new puppy is a very exciting time, especially if you have children that are anticipating his arrival. But keep in mind the first week at home your new puppy is learning the rules, meaning if you let him jump all over you, run free in the house and come running every time he whines then that is what he will come to expect indefinitely.
It’s important to understand that it’s much easier to prevent a problem behavior than to change one after it becomes a habit. Prevention of unwanted behaviors is the primary goal of this first week.
To help make sure this first week teaches the boundaries and expectations you want there are a few things you should do before you bring your new puppy home:
- Sit down as a family and discuss the rules. Decide whether or not your dog will be allowed on furniture, what rooms he can be in, when he will eat and so on. Outline everything you can think of.
- Decide how you’re going to enforce these rules. Will you utilize dog obedience training online or attend puppy classes?
- Decide where your new puppy will sleep and prepare his space before you bring him home.
- Be sure to have a variety of chew toys that you can rotate on a daily basis.
- Have plenty of treats on hand for important training opportunities like walking on leash and socializing in a public setting.
Once your boundaries are set including how you plan to enforce them it’s time to set up the puppy area in preparation for bringing your new puppy home.
Setting up Your Puppy Area
The goal of the puppy area is to help set boundaries, establish rules and make housetraining simple. For this reason it needs to be a confined area using either an exercise pen, oversized wire crate or gating off the end of a hallway. Whatever you use it needs to be located in the middle of the family action, where your puppy can see and hear all the normal routines.
During the first week this puppy space should be the only
But preparation isn’t the end of starting off right. Puppies have definite needs with socialization and human interaction and there are effective, simple ways you can begin training your pup without him even knowing it!
First always remember that EVERY interaction is a training opportunity for the young puppy and therefore should always be planned for. Second, consider the following tips on making your training sessions a natural part of every interaction.
Interacting with Your Puppy the First Week
During the first week every interaction imprints an expectation on your new puppy’s brain and therefore sets the ground rules for acceptable behavior. This first week is your prime opportunity for eliminating dozens of bad behaviors BEFORE they ever happen. To begin look at your puppy from the perspective that he is already grown up and big and decide on what behaviors would be unappealing in an adult dog. To suggest a few:
- Jumping – 99% of the people who meet your dog won’t like this
- Barking and whining – while they are young many new owners cater to their whining and barking for attention. At 2yrs old those same behaviors are loud and distracting, often resulting in frustration and negative interactions.
- Running in the House – While small this is often overlooked and “cute” but imagine that 30 pound dog charging through your living room and knocking over lamps!
- Darting out Doors – Very few puppy owners think to prevent their puppies from darting out the doors, especially since they are housetraining but the reality is they are learning acceptable behavior and you don’t want your grown dog running out a door and taking off just because it’s opened.
- Biting your hands – Sometimes those tiny puppy bites are ignored because they are not rough or painful. Always remember they will grow up and bite harder.
- Rough Play with Kids – Children LOVE to get on the floor and let puppies jump on them and kiss their faces. It’s a game both child and pup enjoy, but it’s a HUGE no, no.
- Tugging on the Leash – At a tiny size you may not mind this behavior, but take a second to see your puppy all grown up. Pulling on the leash is a learned behavior just like everything else and is easier to prevent than teach them to stop.
When deciding what to include in your list of rules always think of it in terms of an adult dog, not a puppy. Puppies are cute, fun and exciting, all traits whose charm dissipates in older dogs. If you decide on rules, plan every interaction and take advantage of resources such as private dog training you’ll have fun with a puppy that won’t grow into a terror.
This is a great article that ALL new puppy owners should read. I ready a lot of books before I got my English Bulldog and he turned out to be the best dog I’ve ever owned. Thank you for sharing! Sincerely, Big Time Dog Lover
Austin recently posted..Owner Financing Homes: Some Things You Should Know
Wow, this is great information for new puppy owners and right in time…If you are thinking of getting one come this weekend to the 24 hour Mega Match-A-Thon pet adoption event in Miami and other US cities. The puppy and kitten marathon takes place on Friday, March 30th at 11:59 pm. Love the part about setting the rules with the whole family. I attached a link about this event.
Andrea Crilly recently posted..Rescue A Pet!
Twitter: MyDogDidWhat
How exciting! This Match-A-Thon sounds great.
Mikki_Hogan recently posted..How to House Train a Puppy in 3 Days
Hi Mikki, the event was a total success for Miami even though a strong storm unexpectedly struck in the late afternoon on Saturday, presenting a serious challenge. In 24 hours 288 cats and dogs found a forever home! Puppies and kittens were are gone by the early morning. Look out for the next Mega Match-A-Thon in your city and if you are interested read more and watch our recap video.
Andrea Crilly recently posted..Mega Match-A-Thon Total Success: 288 pets find a forever home in South Florida
That is one of the best, down to earth and practical articles I have read on the subject of preparing for a puppy invasion! All the family are involved and get to know the ground rules as well as pup Fido. Mikki I’ll be glad to visit your site, many new puppy owners should listen to your advice. I hate to read sometimes how people get pups and then hand them back, saying they couldn’t cope.
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Thank you Joanne for your comments! I have worked in animal rescue for several years now and I saw a real honest need for helping potential puppy adopters really understand what they were in for, so many hadn’t thought much about it! It really helps new families succeed when they approach their new puppy “on purpose” I like to say
Mikki_Hogan recently posted..How to House Train a Puppy in 3 Days
Great article Mikki! Everyone loves puppies, but boundries are needed! I totally agree with you that the whole family needs to sit down and discuss the groun rules, so the puppy does not get confuse all the time!
Thank you for sharing!
Sara recently posted..DTY Direct Gas Grill
Twitter: peachesgolden
Often times i have seen parnets teach dogs good behaviors only to have them ruined by kids who don’t work with the dog this is why its important for the whole family to understand how to train a dog
Peaches recently posted..Ear Infections in Dogs
Definitely good information. When an animal comes into a new environment that’s the best time to set new ground rules. He won’t associate it with anything in particular so you get to “start fresh.” And what they learn when they’re young stays with them– those early behaviors will be the most difficult ones to break if they’re bad so it’s definitely important to instill good habits at the earliest age!
Norm recently posted..Create CPA Websites Just Like the Professionals
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Exactly Norm! Those first few weeks at home really make an impression on new pets, especially young curious puppies!
Mikki_Hogan recently posted..How to House Train a Puppy in 3 Days
Twitter: peachesgolden
The training in the first week sets the tone for the rest of the dogs training
Peaches recently posted..Importance of Deworming Puppies and Dogs
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I wish I had read your articles 5 years before, when I brought to my house my first dog.These are helpful advices that every new puppy owner should know because the training without specific goals and plan is absolutely a disaster.I took me many time to train my dog because I didn’t do it in the right time and still there are a lot of gaps!Thank you for sharing.
Sara recently posted..DTY Direct Gas Grill
Twitter: peachesgolden
Its funny as i look back on when i first bought my dog and realized the same thing.
Peaches recently posted..Tips For Grooming Your Dog
The best advice someone gave me before my “new puppy invasion†was to put him on a solid, natural dog food that is for all life-stages. With other dogs that I’ve gotten in the past, I was talked into buying puppy food and then had to go through all the trials-and-errors of finding the right “adult†food once they got older. But with my newest boy Jett, as soon as I got him at 2 months I put him on Natural Balance Ultra and he continues to eat this at six years old and is the picture of perfect puppy health!
Funny, because I was just thinking the other day that we did really well with our training for our youngest dog when it comes to darting out of doors. When we open the door he just stands there and looks, and this is a dog that screams his head off when he gets to go for a walk (he loves outside). I was taking out the garbage and he sat there looking at me.
All of your points very important considerations when getting a puppy.
Bellaisa recently posted..How To Potty Train Puppy
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Dog training starting from the dog enter into our house and must be consistent. All the family members must take the responsibility to take care the puppy/dog. Commitment is the key. Sometimes i thinking that dogs and human have symbiosis relationship which is perfecting each others.
Twitter: peachesgolden
That true the dog doesn’t know if the kid is the boss or the parent and all family member must be consistant in their training
Peaches recently posted..Ear Infections in Dogs
It’s exciting for new pet parents to bring a brand-new puppy home. However, many of them don’t realize how important it is to train their puppy during the first weeeks to set rules, boundaries, and expectations. The week will give them opportunities to set ground rules to eliminate bad behavior before they happen. This is a great post for new pet owners because it’s practical and easy to follow.
Andre recently posted..Dog Owner Series: How to Stop German Shepherd Aggression
Twitter: peachesgolden
Puppy learn every moment of the day and that is why its important to focus on training them the first week as they gain understanding each waking moment.
Peaches recently posted..Dog Proofing Your Home
Twitter: peachesgolden
I have found that by taking some time off that first week to work with your new puppy it pays big dividends down the road.
Peaches recently posted..Ear Infections in Dogs
Twitter: peachesgolden
Training Puppies is a rewarding and fun task. As a new pet owner read lots articles and learn how to train it will pay off in the end.
Peaches recently posted..Basic Tips to Help Train Your Puppy