7 Tips For New Puppy Owners

Christmas is a very popular time of the year to get a new puppy. Unfortunately, a few weeks after you get the puppy, the kids are not as interested, and your puppy becomes very mobile. If you’re not careful, it can also become very destructive.

After helping thousands of new puppy owners, I have put together a list of 7 steps that can greatly help with your new puppy.

1. Good management skills:

   Puppies can get into trouble very quickly. A new puppy owner needs to watch the puppy all of the time. When you can not keep an eye on the pup, it is a good idea to use some type of confinement. I like to use crates. A crate is a great way to manage your pup’s behavior when you are not home. I have seen many young dogs that have been injured when left on their own and a crate can prevent this.

2. Start training early:

   For many years, dog owners have been told that they can not start training their puppies until they were 6 months old. A good reward based puppy class, starting as early as 8 weeks old, is the most important thing that you can do for a young puppy. Your puppy will become well socialized, and many behavior problems can be prevented.

3. Socialization:

   You can never over-socialize a puppy. The first four months of the pup’s life are the most impressionable. To become a confident and stable dog, a young pup needs to be exposed to many different people, dogs, places, sounds and scents.

4. Puppy proof the house:

   Anything that you value should be put away until after the puppy stage. Also, keep a close eye on your puppy around electrical wires. Puppies love to chew on wires.

5. Going to the vet’s office:Drop by the vet’s office when you don’t have an appointment. Most veterinarians will allow this, but give them a quick call before you come by. When you get to the vet’s, give your puppy some treats and have the office staff give some treats also. For the rest of your puppy’s life, going to the vet will not be a chore.
6. Consistency:Have a game plan for everyone in the house to follow. Many puppies become confused when half the family allows the pup onto the furniture and the other half scolds the pup for being on the furniture.
7. Take lots of pictures:You will be amazed at how fast your pup grows and changes. You will also be thankful that you did take the pictures.

Wes Murph is the owner of The Studly Pooch in Hermosa Beach. You can contact Mr. Murph at 310-376-7033 or email Wes(at)TheStudlyPooch(do9t)com. He also offers a free on-line course titled “How To Reduce Shedding in 3-5 Days” at www.thestudlypooch.com.