How do I ensure my puppy grows into a well behaved dog?
How do I train my puppy?
How do I house train my puppy?
Is a crate or indoor cage a good idea?

1. You have to put in place important ground rules.Dogs are pack animals. This means that:

• They live by a hierarchical system. The leader of the pack eats first and decides when the other pack members eat; you must assume the position of pack leader, and therefore you and your family must always eat first or your puppy’s meal time must be at a completely different time from yours.
• Never feed your puppy from your plate or at your meal times.
• It is important that your puppy thinks of you and the rest of your family as “top-dogs”.
• You must always try to be seen to initiate actions. Treats, including general affection, should be earned; for example, simply asking your puppy to sit or lie, before giving them some attention or feeding them.
• Dictate which areas are out of bounds, which should include elevated positions such as your bed, chairs and sofas, and if practical, going upstairs.

2. General socialisation:

• Before 12 weeks of age, puppies react to new sights and sounds with curiosity and interest, so almost as soon as your new puppy has arrived, start introducing them to the strange sights and sounds of our world, as well as other dogs and other people of different age groups.
• Common sense is required to deal with the fact that vaccine immunity will not have become established until 13 weeks. By carrying your puppy around, meeting other healthy, vaccinated dogs and using your car, there are many areas of our lives that you can introduce to your young puppy without putting it at risk.

How do I train my puppy?

Puppies learn by getting into the habit of doing things correctly. They respond to positive praise for doing things the right way. That praise must be immediate (within half a second!), consistent and repeated until the habit is established.  Praise can be in the form of audible, verbal praise, physical praise (patting/stroking) or a treat that could be a tit-bit or access to a favourite toy.

Inappropriate behaviour is best dealt with by ignoring ( no attention=punishment) , distracting and engaging your dog in an activity or behaviour for which praise can be given, eg- fetching and bringing a toy, sitting or lieing, or a firm NO, then engaging in a praiseworthy activity.

How do I house train my puppy?

This should start immediately your new puppy arrives.

Take your puppy to the chosen area for toileting, frequently, especially after meals. Initially you are relying on your puppy going to the toilet in the right place, purely by chance! Be on hand to immediately praise the act! Gradually you will learn the times when your puppy is most likely to need to go to the toilet and the trips outdoors can become less frequent.

Ignore “accidents” indoors. If you catch your pup in the act of going to the toilet, a firm “NO” is all that’s required and immediately take him to the correct area. A dog can only associate an action with a consequence for approximately half a second. When they look guilty when you arrive home to find a pile of poo or a lake of wee, it is because of the presence of the mess, NOT the action of producing it! Punishment at this point causes confusion, anxiety and therefore a greater chance of more “accidents”.

Some books advise “paper training”. ie teaching your puppy to go to the toilet on newspaper, indoors. The problem with this is you’re saying its OK to go to the toilet inside your house; you then have to accept that, or, subsequently train them to go outdoors. We suggest simply train them to go outdoors from the start. By all means place plenty of newspaper around for damage limitation, but treat acts of toileting on the newspaper as “accidents”; ie ignore them.

Is a crate or indoor cage a good idea?

Many owners find the thought of using a crate unpleasant, associating it “imprisonment”. Used appropriately, a crate is like a den. In other words a crate can provide a safe haven, a place of refuge akin to a wild dog or wolf seeking shelter in a cave.

• Introduce the crate from when your puppy first comes home.
• Place his bed inside and ensure there is enough space for your puppy to stand up and turn around, a food and water bowl, and an area for toileting. Remember your puppy will grow rapidly, especially in the first six months.
• Leave the door open so that your puppy can come and go. Ensure the crate is associated with positive experiences,eg feeding inside the crate; getting in there yourself to play with and pet your puppy.
• Use the crate to constrain your pup’s activity, when necessary. Usually this will be at night time or if you are going out. However, sometimes it might be useful if your puppy is getting over excited.
• Using a crate will reduce damage to your furniture from chewing, enhance house training and provide your puppy with a refuge and safe haven.