Raising your Puppy
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Below we have provided a few tips to help get the most out of your puppy
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Bringing your Puppy Home
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When you bring your puppy home give him time to warm up and get comfortable. He will likely bark and pee more frequently than normal until he begins to feel safe and loved in his new home. Spoil your puppy with food, love, and attention but don't let him get away with bad behaviour without letting him know its wrong. The longer a puppy get away with bad behaviour the harder it is to teach them. Your Puppy's First Night | Purina® Canada
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Biting and Teething
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As your puppy grows and develops, like babies, she goes through teething phases. She will often find your hand or arm as a toy both for teething but also for play. Be patient but consistent with teaching her not to bite and make sure to give her lots of toys that she can comfortably chew on as she grows in her adult teeth. . There are many different approaches to addressing this behavior and you will need to find what method works for both you and your dog. Here are a couple links to different ways to approach puppy biting. If all else fails talk with the breeder or a puppy class instructor/trainer for more help. How to Stop Puppy Biting – American Kennel Club (akc.org) How To Stop A Puppy From Biting | Purina
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Crating your puppy
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Puppy crates are essential for your puppy. it provides them with a safe place to sleep, relax, and escape from stress when needed. Start teaching your puppy the crate is a safe place with rewards and treats. Don't keep your puppy crated for long except at night, and make sure to immediately take him for a potty break when you let him out. Puppy should be able to comfortably stand up and turn around in the crate. Be careful to not have the crate too large or he can learn to start going potty on one side and sleeping on the other side.
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Importance of Socializing your Puppy
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Socializing your puppy at a young age is extremely important to have a well mannered confident puppy. We introduce the puppies to many strangers and situations before they go to their new home but you will need to continue to introduce your puppy to many new strangers and dogs. Socializing helps your puppy learn that people are friendly and the what proper way to approach and interact with other dogs and animals is. Spending extra time on this at a young age could save you from stress with your dog in the future. A well run puppy socializing/obedience class will do wonders on socializing your puppy.
Look into Avidog and puppy culture for some excellent resources in socializing your puppies as well as reading the article below.
Puppy Socialization: How to Socialize a Puppy (akc.org)
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What is Safe Exercise
It is important to give your dog an adequate amount of safe exercise daily. Enjoy taking your dog out for walks or to the dog park and play fetch or other fun games. It is important to remember to not over work her at a young age as that can cause injury to her joints as she is developing and predispose her to joint problems when she is older. Start out with walks and work your puppy to short runs. Do not run your puppies far or hard until she is fully grown and mature. How Much Exercise Do Puppies Need? - Avidog University
