Surviving Puppyhood

Surviving puppyhood is not hard.  Puppies are predictable.  They chew everything, urinate and defecate everywhere and get into trouble every time they are out of sight.  This is normal!  Surviving puppyhood with some semblance of calm begins by planning for puppies to behave like puppies.  Here are some hints:

Supervise: When your puppy is loose, he must be in sight.  Treat him like a human toddler.  You would never leave your toddler unsupervised.  Don't leave your puppy either.

Entertain: Puppies have active minds as well as active bodies.  Get several safe toys and rotate them so your puppy doesn't get bored.  Don't give them all the toys at once.  Variety helps to keep them interested.

Educate: Your pup is learning every day he is with you.  Start teaching him manners right away.  Use short sessions with lots of praise and food rewards (freeze dried liver is a great training treat).  Even seven-week-old puppies can learn to sit, stay, and come.  Educate yourself as well.  There are many books and videos available to help you successfully raise a puppy.

Prevention: Put things away.  Close cabinets and doors.  Coat electrical wires with an anti-chew product (gold Listerine in a spray bottle works well for many pups).

Confine: Confine parents use cribs and playpens.  Puppy owners use crates and kennels.  Small room with baby gates can be used but remember; a puppy can strip wallpaper, chew the ends of cabinets, or bite holes in drywall.  Therefore, our preference is to always use a crate or kennel.

Enjoy: Your puppy is exhausting, frustrating, and demanding.  He is also charming, innocent, adorable, eager, smart, and wonderful.  Enjoy him every day.

By 4 months of age your puppy should be well on his way to becoming a well-mannered member of the family.  To help him achieve this goal, we outline some major "expectations" you should attempt to achieve.  Your pup should:

• Urinate and defecate consistently in the appropriate area.
  
• Sit on command
  
• Come on command
  
• Stay on command
  
• Hold still for "exam" of eyes, ears, mouth, and feet ( "puppy pester" routine)
  
• Allow brushing of coat (and teeth) and nail trims
  
• Allow you to easily remove food and toys from his mouth ("drop" command)
  
• Allow you to walk through doors first ("sit" command prior to going through door)
  
• Respond to "off" command when jumping up
  
• Respond to "no bite" command when chewing at hands or objects
  
• Walk along on leash without pulling (Gentle leader head halters are great for dogs that pull a lot or are too strong for kids or adults to control)
  

​