How to Prepare For A New Puppy pt.3

Lets run through part 3 of the in’s and out’s of how to prepare for a puppy.

After you’ve prepared what we’ve covered in part 1 & part 2 of “How to prepare for a puppy” it’s time to start thinking about puppy training and socialisation.

Finding a dog trainer near you, which teaches you about effective puppy training, is just as important as what to feed your puppy and taking your puppy to the right veterinarian.

How you train your puppy will effect the over-all outcome of your relationship with one another and the relationship your dog has with the world they live in.

1. When should you begin training and socialising your puppy?

It’s best to prepare a plan before your puppy arrives; so you’ll have a good idea about the best way to train your puppy

This way, you’ll have a clear goal in mind to make sure your puppy is socialised well from the start.

The catch about socialisation; is that the when your puppy’s “critical period” of socialisation shuts, it SLAMS shut.

Expert dog trainers differ in their opinions on when that happens, but with most puppies, their critical period for development closes at the age of 16wks (some having a slightly longer or shorter “critical period of socialisation”)

So playing it safe with your puppy, having a plan and goal in mind BEFORE they arrive home with you and then getting right into it when they come home, is SUPER important.

If your puppy is from a registered and professional breeder, chances are, they’ve received SOME form quality of early socialisation.

Though not all puppy breeders are equal.

Make sure you do your research and find a puppy breeder who is putting in the hard yards, working on ENS and puppy culture, for their puppies to have the best start possible.

(i.e – trips to the vet, car rides, meeting young kids, elderly people, exposure to different sounds / surfaces, gentle handling, early toilet training, name recognition etc.)

If you know your breeder well; you can make simple requests such as:

– Having your puppy hear a clicker or a word you intend to use in training, every time before they eat their meal.

– Asking to have your puppy exposed to baby noises to prepare them for being around your baby or young child.

– Having your puppy find their food sprinkled in a ball pit filled with cans and bottles

Etc.

2. Should you wait to train your puppy until after all of their vaccinations?

Did you know that one of the biggest mistakes new puppy owners make, is to keep their puppy locked away at home, exposing them to very little?

Don’t make that mistake!

Socialising your puppy before they’ve had all their needles ISN’T a scary thing and shouldn’t be feared.

Yes, there is common sense caution to take, like not having your puppy play with unfamiliar dogs, or taking your puppy to a dog park, but showing your dog the world in a safe way is totally possible!

As a result of keeping puppies locked away from the world; many people end up with nervous, skittish and very often, aggressive dogs, which have no idea how to behave in or interact with the world they live in.

Under socialised (or poorly socialised) puppies tend to respond to change with fear and nervousness. They don’t seem to take anything in their stride.

Under or poorly socialised puppies seem to do well in familiar situations and contexts; but when something changes, like moving to a new home, a new dog or person entering the family, construction work next door etc. they crumble under the pressure.

Of course; proper socialisation alone isn’t always going to 100% prevent behaviour problems in dogs.

Though it can be said that proper socialisation will reduce the risk of your dog developing scary behaviour problems, massively.

3. The best way to socialise your puppy.

With all of the conflicting information on the internet, it’s no wonder some people end up confused.

Any responsible puppy owner wants their puppy to be happy and enjoy the world they live in, without fear or distress.

The best way make sure that happens, is to socialise your puppy to as many things as possible, in a controlled and fun way.

Take your puppy (on leash) in your arms at first, to skate parks, beaches, outside shopping centres, cafe’s, school drop offs, car trips, the vets, across strange surfaces like wobbly bridges, small sets of stairs – anything you can think of, that you can make sure your puppy can be exposed to safely.

Guide your puppy through their experiences.

Don’t forget, 1 fright doesn’t mean the end of the world. Look at the way your puppy recovers when startled.

If they behave fearfully, help them through it, guiding them towards the thing which has frightened them and rewarding them heavily at the source.

If your puppy takes everything in their stride, be sure you’re still rewarding them for their appropriate responses to strengthen that attitude and outlook on their world.

Don’t forget to expose your puppy to novel and new surfaces, sounds and smells (i.e slippery floors at bunnings and petbarn)

In example, things like balloons, cars starting, lawn mowers, edge trimmers, the hose, fans, party poppers, storms, rain and wet grass, are ALL on the important list of things your puppy should be used to before their critical period is over.