National Puppy Day

Today is National Puppy Day and in honor of that I would love to give my big picture idea of what to do when bringing your puppy home and what you should have when you do.

Please see my post on Responsible Ownership if you haven’t already, where I talk about what goes into picking your puppy and some generalizations on the day to day with a puppy.

There are many things which people say are necessary when you bring home your dog. Here’s my list:

• Long Leash – 6+ Feet (Great for recall training and explorative walks in the future)
• Short Leash – 2 Feet or less (Great for leash training and walks)
• Solid Collar – Primarilly for Identification
• Head Halter or Front Connect Leash –  For leash training and more
• Food Bowls – Metal, Glass, or Ceramic. Plastic bowls will hold flavors, hold bacteria, and can leach toxins into food and water
• Crate and Bed- Big enough for the puppy to stand up and turn around comfortably. If the crate is too big the house training benefits of crating will be lost and they will eliminate and still have room to get away and sleep.
• Quality Puppy Food – Talk to your veterinarian and do your own research to see what the best recommendations for your pet and your pets breed.
• Quality Toys – Your dog will want and need to chew. It’s recommended to have many varieties of toys and feelings for your dog, and to rotate toys so that they don’t get ‘bored’ with them.
• Quality Treats – You should have a variety of treats of different interest levels. Plain biscuits, soft smelly treats, freeze dried high value, and more
• Clicker – This is optional but I feel it’s a very beneficial and helpful training tool.

Within I’d say the first two weeks or so of having your puppy I would recommend not trying to actively train. I believe that the best thing for this time would be to simply introduce your dog to a positive and negative word or sound. When they do something you want to encourage you can quickly click and treat while saying your positive word or sound and if they do something you don’t want to encourage you can say the negative word or sound and redirect them to something you want or like.

More on puppies to come in the next few days!