Puppy Pre-School
Puppy Pre-School is dedicated to the best puppy in the world: your puppy. Nearly 10 million dogs are euthanized every year in this country. By educating owners on raising their puppies, we hope to decrease these dramatic numbers. It is up to you to take the first step towards helping your puppy develop and grow in the right direction. Whether or not you are training, you are still directing behavior and establishing patterns in your dog’s life. By not teaching or by not setting limits your puppy understands, you are allowing him to become a wild, undomesticated dog.
When to Begin
It is crucial that you begin an educational program with your puppy at an early age. Between the ages of 7 and 16 weeks, dogs begin to form attitudes and opinions that will last a lifetime. Puppies should begin pre-school as close to eight weeks of age as possible, yet no later than 14 weeks of age. This early start is so important in preventing future behavioral problems. Your puppy cannot become the ideal of “man’s best friend” without an understanding of his nature, without love, and without guidance. Your puppy wants to please you, he simply does not know how.
What to do With the New Puppy
Now you have your new Puppy Home! What do you do? Where do you start? Relax! This will be a fun time for both of you! Just follow a few simple rules
Where should your Puppy Sleep?
No! Not in bed with you! Let’s give the puppy his or her own space. A place they can call theirs. I suggest getting a wire crate over plastic. Why you ask? In a wire crate they can see everywhere. They seem to be more comfortable because they don’t feel confined in a hole, or shut away from the world. Get one big enough for them to use when they are grown. This will give you enough room for a vinyl mat, their food and water. This makes it their secure place.
What should you feed your Puppy?
Well, like humans, puppies are what they eat. Get a good quality puppy food. Check the ingredient. There should be NO By-Products, Corn or Wheat. The better the food, the easier it is to housebreak. Feed your puppy twice a day. Morning and Evening. Make sure the evening meal is before 6pm.
House Training
This is a routine that you must stay closely with!
1) 15 minutes after eating. Take your puppy outside, ON A LEASH to the same spot in the yard everytime. Stand still and let puppy sniff the area. Encourage to “Go Potty.” If they urinate, “Good Puppy.” It may take 10-15 minutes the first few times. When they have completed all jobs, PRAISE, Love Them Up! Then spend a few minutes as play time. This will make them speed up their potty time so they can get the praise and play time.
2) Take your puppy out about every 2 hours the first two weeks. You will be able to increase the time between as the puppy matures. If you have them on good quality food, your puppy should only have 2 bowel movements a day. Any more then that, then find another dog food. If they are getting the nutrition from the food then they have less waste.
3) When they are playing excitably take them out after 15 minutes of such play.
4) Take away food and water by 6pm. If you have them out at 10pm, then they should be fine until 6am.
What if they cry when left in their crate?
Puppies are like babies, they need nap times. Put them in their crate, if they whin and cry, ignore! If this doesn’t make them quiet after a few minutes, then take an empty milk jug, rap on crate a few times while saying “NO! NO! NO!” Then walk away and ignore. Let them sleep for an hour or two, then take out for potty and play time.
Getting them use to a collar and leash and Socializing
You should be doing this with the house training. Don’t worry about a heel position. Take them for walks. Let them see everything. Introduce them to other people, places and things. If they shy away from something, encourage them to check it out. Take them to local playgrounds, around swings, kids and other noises. Take them for car rides too. This gets them over their fear of riding. Use a crate in the car for your safety as well as theirs.
Grooming your Puppy
Bath your puppy every 2 weeks. Check their ears for dirt. If they are a floppy ear dog, you may have to wash them out with an ear wash. If they fuss keep bathing, talking to them and reassuring them. Trim their nails. You want them as close to the quick as possible (Blood Vein) with out clipping into it. I prefer using a dremal tool. It takes them back quick. Check their mouth. Rub their teeth and gums often. I have found that giving your dog a 3″ chunk of raw meat with their meal will aid in tartar removal on their teeth. Even raw hamburger works. Or you can give them a “Greenie” every other day. Check between their pads, stickers or blades of grass can stick and cause infection. The more you play with their feet the more use to it they get.
Fleas and Ticks
They are Everywhere! You can’t get away from them. So let’s protect our puppy from the misery! If you are like me and don’t like chemicals on your puppy here is what I use:
1) Put garlic powder on their food. 1-2 tablespoons
2) Put 1 Tablespoon of vinegar per quart of water for them to drink. They like the taste. I have used it for years and my dogs are tick and flea free.
Do’s and Don’ts With your Puppy
1) Do Not Play Tug of War with your puppy. This teaches them to pull for what they want and some dogs it can bring out the aggression side of them.
2) Don’t carry your puppy around. They have four legs make them walk.
3) Don’t baby your puppy for shying away from others or things. Encourage them to “check it out.” Make them sniff and touch it. Causation should be caution.
4) Never pick up your puppy to hand to someone. Encourage them to go Say Hi.
5) Stuffed animals are not good play toys. If they can shred them, anything stuffed is OK. Same with plastic bottles. Give them hard chew toys. Kongs are good.
6) Tennis balls are OK for fetching while supervised. Don’t leave them in their crate. If they pop them they can choke on the stuff inside. Hard rubber balls are better.
7) Chewing on you or play biting is not allowed ever! See play biting corrections.
8) Don’t allow food or toy aggression. This means even growling. Never allowed
9) Never let your puppy roam loose without supervision. Crate them while you are away. This gets them use to being alone and keeps them safe and out of trouble.
10) Keep your puppies shots current. Your vet will tell you the schedule
Food and Toy Aggression
When feeding your dog their meal, sit and pet them, play in their dish, and talk to them. If they growl or snap, correct with a firm “NO” take food away, and then give it back. Repeat until they accept you there. Feed them by hand a few chunks. Praise when they accept. If they growl with a toy do the same thing. When giving treats don’t allow grabbing them. Offer, if they go to grab, pull it back “NO Gentle,” Repeat until they take it gently without biting your fingers.
Play Biting
All Puppies do it. It’s the way they played with their littermates. But we can’t allow it. It could cause your dog to be labeled aggressive later on. Puppies grow up, teeth are bigger and so is the jaw pressure. So let’s stop it now. When your puppy puts their mouth on you, hand flat, go inside the mouth as far back as you can, grab their bottom jaw, use your other hand to hold the scuff of the neck, hold on! “No Bite.” Puppy will cry and squirm! Don’t let go until they are totally calm and not fighting you. Remove your hand; show it to them. If they lick, praise “Good Puppy” If they bite, repeat. Usually a couple times and then all you have to say is “No Bite” Then praise.