So you got a new puppy, now what? Unfortunately, being a puppy parent isn’t all about snuggles and kisses. Your new companion may look sweet and innocent while sleeping, but there will often be moments of frustration when they are awake. The best way to ensure that your pup becomes a “good dog” is through diligent, consistent puppy training. Here are a few tips to help you along the way:
Claim Your Rightful Spot as the Alpha
Puppy training starts the first day you bring your new friend home. As much as it may break your heart to scold your precious pup, you now fill the parental role of their mother. Your dog will look to you for cues on how to behave, and it is up to you to praise good behavior and discipline bad behavior.
A Social Dog is a Friendly Dog
If you want your dog to be good around people and other animals, it is important to insert regular social activities into their lives. The more your puppy interacts with adults, children, cats, and other animals, the more receptive they will be to these social interactions as they grow older. Before taking your pup to a dog park, be sure to have them up-to-date on all of their vaccinations.
Set a schedule and stick to it
Just like children, pups thrive better on a set schedule. Try to wake your dog up, feed them, let them out, and send them to sleep around the same time every day. Dogs are creatures of habit and find security in consistency. Developing these daily routines will not only help train your pup, it will also help to create a lasting bond between the both of you.
Potty breaks every hour
As we are sure you are aware, puppies are much smaller than full-grown dogs! This also means that their body parts are much smaller as well, including the bladder. Though this may come as common knowledge, many people underestimate the number of times your pup will need to take a potty break. Try to take your new puppy outside every hour when you first bring them home. This will help prevent accidents in your home and will help your puppy to associate using the bathroom with being outside.
Keep the food consistent at first
Your puppy will be going through a lot of change when you first bring them home. For the first few days, it will be important to try to maintain their previous feeding schedule and continue them on their same food. After 3-4 days have passed, you can begin to introduce a new food to their diet by first combining it with their old food. Start with about 75% of the old food and add about 25% of the new food. Over the next 7-10 days you can increase the amount of new food added until you have completely transitioned your pup over. Always be sure to feed your buddy premium, dry puppy food to maintain healthy weight gain and growth!
Be prepared for teething
Your puppy will eventually begin to grow their adult teeth. This is normally the period of time in which you will catch your pup chewing on almost anything they can get ahold of. A quick solution to this is to buy your dog a toy that will keep your dog’s attention. The Tuggo Dog toy is the perfect solution as it will keep your pup entertained for hours and your dog will never outgrow it! The Tuggo will stay your dog’s favorite toy throughout the years, and you can adjust the water amount to match your pup’s weight as they continue to grow into a fully grown dog!
