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Raising a Puppy
These guidelines are not a complete guide to raising a puppy (there are entire
books devoted to that topic!) but will get you off to a good start. They are
arranged along a timeline, starting at the age of 8 weeks, the earliest age
at which most people would be bringing a puppy into their home. If your puppy
is slightly older, but missed out on the earlier stages (or you don't know if
they did), as long as they are under five months old, these steps can still
be followed. For puppies older than 5 months, please use our adolescent &
adult behavior and training articles.
Prepare for puppy's arrival
Being prepared can mean the difference between getting a good start, or
getting started off on the wrong paw. A puppy needs a safe, warm environment.
Being raised indoors with as much human contact as possible is critical at this
stage
- Puppy-proof a play area. Puppies will chew everything, from electrical wires
to socks and shoes.You need a secure, puppy-proof, enclosed area or crate
for those times you cannot directly supervise your puppy. Puppies typically
are not housebroken, and should be kept in an area when it is ok to have accidents.
- Establish a daily routine from day one. A puppy feels secure having dinner,
playtime, lessons and walks at the same time each day. Also, spending all
weekend with it when you first bring it home, then leaving Monday all day
can cause lots of anxiety! If you do bring it home on a weekend, leave it
alone for progressively longer periods of time. Schedule your puppy feedings
so that all are done by about 5-6 pm if you go to bed at 11, and very little
water after that. Be regular about your (and your puppy's) bedtime and time
getting up in the morning, to help your puppy learn to hold it through the
night.
- Establish your house rules. If you do not want your adult dog on the furniture
or jumping up, do not allow the puppy on the furniture or to jump up. Ask
all visitors (and family members!) to follow your house rules. No matter how
cute it is when he's tiny, most people do not want their full grown dog jumping
on everyone.
- Crying, whining and barking - depends your puppy's age, temperment and experiences.
See Pups Keep
Crying at Night for training your puppy not to cry in his crate during
the night, which notes the key point: "The WORST thing to do is to let
the puppy holler for a long time, and THEN go let it out or give it attention.
When you do that, you teach the puppy to PERSISTENTLY make noise in the crate,
because you have shown the puppy that persistence pays! You don't want to
respond quickly to a puppy making noise in the crate, provided you are sure
the puppy's needs have been met."
Basic commands at any age
At the minimum, your dog should learn to come when called, walk on a leash
and sit/stay.
- Never repeat a command. Repetition is dulling, and the puppy ignoring you
when you say "come here come here come here" is training him NOT
to come when called.
- Try saying "come here" in a fun, high tone of voice every time
the puppy starts running towards you,and give the puppy lots of rewards/tummy
rubs/verbal and food treats whenever he comes running to you. Say "good
sit!" everytime the puppy sits.
- If the puppy does something undesirable, be firm but avoid a harsh tone
and never yell and NEVER use physical punishment. Punishment and yelling serve
only to make your puppy act afraid of you. Cowering does not mean your puppy
'knows' he did something wrong, he is just reacting to your voice right at
the moment. It will not help it learn what is the right thing to do.If your
puppy is cowering when you are verbally correcting him, use a softer tone
of voice.
- Be consistent. Always use the same command to elicit the same result. Don't
use the same word to mean two different things. When you say "down"
do you mean lie down or get off the counter?
2 to 4 months old
- Socialization at this age is critical.
Time spent with the family means the puppy will become comfortable with the
sights, smells and sounds that people make, and grow up accustomed to them,
rather than afraid of them. Puppies can usually be left alone 1-2 hour for
every month of age (ie, a 2 month old puppy can be alone for 2-4 hours). Leaving
young puppies alone for too long means they are not being properly socialized.
Try to plan your absenses during naptime, or play with your puppy to tire
it out before leaving.Using toys to entertain while you are gone, such as
Kongs stuffed with goodies, make time alone easier. Crates
can make being alone less frightening as well.
- Housebreaking begins
- Bite Inhibition teaching starts
4 1/2 months old
- Enroll your dog in a good obedience class so it can benefit from the experience
of the instructor, as well as socialize with other dogs. There is no substitute
for a good obedience class.
If you find this information helpful, please make a donation to
the Pasadena Humane Society. You can donate
online or mail a check made out to PHS to:
BEST Training
Pasadena Humane Society & SPCA
361 S. Raymond Ave
Pasadena, CA 91105