Summer 2000

Puppy Pre-school: Puppy training, toilet training & care 

Puppy Pre-School would like to wish all our puppies a very happy Christmas and New Year. We’ve had a very full year with lots of fun, training and socialisation. I hope everyone, including pups, have enjoyed themselves as much as we did.

With Christmas just around the corner, I’m sure many people will be getting new pups. I’d like to give you a few tips on when you bring your new puppy home. Since Puppy Pre-School doesn’t usually start for your pup until 10-16 weeks of age (although we will take pups from 8 weeks old) it is important to encourage good behaviour practices from the moment the puppy comes home. Some of the common behaviours that most puppy owners don’t like are jumping, biting and chewing. A lot of this behaviour and others can be controlled when you bring your new puppy home.

Jumping

By not allowing your new puppy to jump on anyone in the household at all and by rewarding it for sitting at your legs.

Biting

If your puppy bites, as all puppies do, let out a loud ouch so your puppy is aware it really hurt, even if it didn’t. This will make him/her aware that biting does hurt and is not the right thing to do on his owners. He/she should also have appropriate toys of their own so they can bite them.

Chewing

Owners need to be persistent when it comes to stopping their puppies from chewing things. Giving the pup plenty of its own toys to play with should deter it from other items. Toys which include food items are an excellent idea. With Summer already upon us a good thing to do is freeze an ice cream container of water with treats in it as dogs love chewing ice and they then also get a good supply of water for those hot days.

So, when you bring your new puppy home, any behaviour you don’t want him/her doing as an older pup and adult dog, don’t allow this behaviour as a new puppy.

Susan