You have just bought a puppy! Congratulations on your new family member. These puppy tips are specially written to give him the best possible start.
It is recommended that you pick up your puppy in the evening. Preferably transport your puppy in a cardboard box with a dog training pad or absorbent paper on the bottom and the blanket or towel that carries the litter scents. Keep the arrival as calm as possible. Play with your pup briefly and give him a short time to explore his new home. Let him eat a little more and then accompany him to the garden so he can relieve himself. A crate is an ideal sleeping place for your puppy: a spot of his own where he can retreat. There are different views on what the best approach for the first night is. Some people think that puppies are best gradually accustomed to their new sleeping place in the house, while others believe that puppies should immediately sleep in their own spot in another room, ignoring the whining and squeaking that will probably occur the first night. Both approaches have advantages. Keeping your puppy close to you sounds logical. After all, dogs are naturally pack animals that feel safe and comfortable in the company of others. However, sooner or later there will be a time when you have to leave your puppy alone, so it’s good to get him used to sleeping alone from the start. If you really can’t leave him alone the first night, it’s best to sleep next to him in the room where he will later sleep. If you let him sleep in your bedroom, or worse: in your bed, this can lead to a dog that absolutely cannot be without you or an adult dog with separation anxiety. The first nights your puppy will almost certainly be restless, whimpering and crying. Resist the temptation to go to him, otherwise he will learn that he gets attention when he makes noises. If you make this mistake early on, he will eventually whine even more urgently and it will take longer before he can sleep alone. Take your puppy outside every hour, as well as after eating and drinking, after playing, immediately after waking up, and before bedtime. This gives the best chance that he will relieve himself in the right place. Use a command, e.g. ‘go pee’, when he relieves himself. After a while he will associate this command with relieving himself and will do it on command. Reward your pup lavishly with praising words and treats when he relieves himself in the right place. That way he learns that peeing outside is the proper way. The puppy enjoys doing something right and will start to associate peeing outside with happy, positive feelings. Correct your puppy only if you actually see him urinating or defecating in the wrong place. Then say a clear ‘no’ and call him, so that he follows you to the door. Go outside with him and let him relieve himself in the correct place. If you can interrupt him long enough to go outside with him, he learns the two aspects of being house-trained: first indicating he needs to go outside by going to the door and then actually doing his business outside.Puppy tips 1: The journey home
This way he has already eaten and is naturally a bit sleepy. Make sure you have a comfortable spot in the car so he may fall asleep on the way. Bring a blanket or towel; you can wrap him in it and thus take the litter scent with you. These familiar smells will put your pup at ease during the journey and on his first day at home.
Secure the box for safety with the seat belt or have someone hold it securely. Don’t drive too roughly so the puppy won’t get scared.
Puppy tips 2: The homecoming
Afterwards bring him to his sleeping place so he can go to sleep.
Puppy tips 3: Getting through the first night
Puppy tips 4: Sleeping alone
House training tips
Anticipate
Choose a standard command
Reward good behavior
Correct
