HOW TO RAISE A PUPPY | 6 DO’S AND DON’TS FOR A NEW PUPPY PARENT

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During this pandemic, more people than ever are gearing up to add a pet to their lives and what’s better than a pupper to keep boredom at bay while self-isolating at home? The question, however, you need to ask yourself before getting home a new puppy is if you’re ready. The quarantine isn’t going to last forever. The dog, however, will last a quarter of a lifetime. This post will be a good starting point on how to raise a puppy efficiently, especially for all the newbie pet parents out there.

The quarantine isn’t going to last forever. The dog, however, will last a quarter of a lifetime.

Welcoming a new puppy can be incredibly exciting. However, preparing for one is really crucial.

One needs to be ready financially, emotionally and logistically. Especially during the pandemic, there will be a number of challenges while carrying out routine stuff like socializing the dog, taking the dog out multiple times and frequent vet visits. Not to forget, the puppy might get used to having the humans around 24*7 at this point in time and getting back to normal will be a challenge. Keep reading to get a gist on how to efficiently raise a puppy that you want to be proud of!

You can CLICK HERE to read on surviving the first night of getting a new puppy.

6 things TO DO to raise a good puppy-

1. Potty and crate train

Sounds like a no-brainer that every puppy needs to be house trained. However, you’d be surprised to know how many of us do not consider this as a priority! The longer we wait on this, the tougher it gets for the puppy to relieve himself at the right spot.

Crate training goes hand in hand as it just accelerates the process of potty training and goes a long way in making the puppy independent, as well as keep issues like separation anxiety at bay.

I recommend opting for a grass patch indoors for multiple reasons. It’s environment friendly, causes less wastage, is economical and teaches the puppy faster to pee outside.

Here are other things to consider while efficiently potty training a puppy  –

• Pee cleaning enzyme
• Puppy Pads 
• Training treats to reward at the appropriate time
• Potty Training bells
• Potty training aid spray 

2. Socialize in different environments at a young age

It has been an on-going debate between vets and behaviorists with regards to the right age of socializing a puppy. While a lot of vets recommend waiting a few months to finish all the necessary vaccinations to take a pup outside, most pet parents end up missing on crucial socialization period (between 3-16 weeks of age) thereby ending up with a rather under socialized and anxious dog by the time he hits adolescence.

Balance can be achieved by taking a pup outside in monitored environments and in areas not frequented by a lot of animals on a day to day basis. Socialization does not only mean taking your dog out to meet other dogs; it essentially means desensitizing a pup to a wide variety of smells, environments, people, sights, sounds and activities.

Socialization does not only mean taking your dog out to meet other dogs; it essentially means desensitizing a pup to a wide variety of smells, environments, people, sights, sounds and activities.

3. Train, don’t blame

“When is the right time to start training my puppy?” This is one of the most frequently asked questions to a trainer. My answer to this would be – The day you welcome your dog home is the day you start training him. Now, training does not just mean teaching tricks to your dog. It essentially means teaching your puppy basic manners and the human way of life, since he’s going to be living with one for the rest of his life.

Early training will go on my top 3 things while answering How to raise a puppy you’d be proud of!

Here are a few things to help you begin training your dog –

• Training treats
• Clicker
• Short leash (for better control inside the house)

4. Set boundaries

This is basically an extension of training. Your pup is not going to magically understand once he grows up that he’s not supposed to claim the couch or beg for food or stop biting the human hand anymore. A simple way to look at it would be to notice any behaviour you find cute in your puppy and imagine your pup doing the same behaviour as a full-grown dog.

A golden retriever puppy jumping on you to get your attention can be cute AF! Would it also be cute if he continues doing that as a fully grown 65 lbs Goldie? If yes, let him jump away! If not, let him know when he’s a puppy.

Consider watching a few videos to guide you through the initial puppyhood phase and an awesome reference point on how to raise a puppy –

5. Exercise

Again, stating the obvious, but, 80% of behavioural issues in dogs that I train aged between 6 months – 2 yrs is due to lack of ample physical and mental stimulation. Excessive barking, digging, chewing the house down, whining etc are all signs of extreme boredom and frustration in a dog. A workout a day keeps the glitches away.

80% of behavioural issues in dogs that I train aged between 6 months – 2 yrs is due to lack of ample physical and mental stimulation.

A puppy needs to be physically and mentally stimulated in order to be balanced. Here are some toys you can consider to keep your pupper occupied and out of trouble –

6. Keep your team ready

The vet, groomers, trainers, pet stores, pet sitters/ boarders and pet insurance make up your team. Make sure your team has got your back.

Shopping for a new puppy can be quite daunting as there is a ton of stuff to keep in mind. Here’s an image along with the downloadable pdf checklist you can refer to before you go on that spree!

New puppy checklist (Click to Download

6 things NOT TO DO with a new puppy:

1. Humanize the dog

It’s incredibly nice of you to treat your pooch as a family. We trainers do too! But damn Hooman… let your dog be a dog!

How do you plan to raise a puppy when you won’t treat him like one? Your dog does not need to eat from the same plate you’re eating from, or have an uber fancy bed to lay his head on. No, he won’t be offended if you don’t allow him on the couch or the same bed as you.

You know what will offend him? The fact that you spend a bomb to get him a diamond-studded leash but spend 0 time in actually using it. The fact that you take him out in mud but refuse to let him roll in the dirt to save his ‘expensive jacket.’ The fact that you feed him well; so well that he can’t get off the floor without a little help from you.

 2. Keep snatching things from your puppy’s mouth

“My puppy keeps stealing my things and refuses to give it back!” Have you often found yourself complaining about this? If yes, welcome to the club. You’ll find 99% of puppy parents in this club!

You trying to snatch things away from your pup’s mouth is just training him to find ways to guard things from you.

There is no polite way of grabbing stuff from someone’s mouth. Instead, teach your pup to trade it for something better every time he takes something that he should not be taking.

3. Set habits that you won’t follow for the rest of your dog’s life

Hand-feeding your puppy, not leaving him alone for even a single minute, letting him beg while you’re eating just because Awwwww… , taking him out to pee in the middle of the night and then spend time playing with him at 2am are all examples of dreams that we sell to our dogs and then crush it when “they just don’t get it that we can’t keep doing this forever!”

Any habit that you’re setting in terms of the dog’s daily routine, you need to be able to do for the next 14 yrs of your life. If the answer is yes, set away my friend! How you raise a puppy decides the kind of adult dog you’ll be seeing.

4. Leave the pup alone for long hours without ample physical and mental stimulation

While it’s important for your dog to learn to be alone for a few hours right from puppyhood, as a responsible pawrent, you must make sure the puppy is not bored when he does so. If you wish to return to a home that is not chewed up, make sure you leave your little bite machine with ample interactive toys and plenty exercise to get through a few hours on his own.

5. Get another dog just to keep him company

What’s the point in getting a puppy in the 1 st place for company, when you’re not gonna be around for company?!

One of the major perils of having another dog would be that they may never get along. Are you going to be around to break up a dog fight? Another peril would be what if they get along way too much? Your dogs would respond to each other more than they’d do to you and would keep picking up bad habits from each other which will be a pain to break!

6. Chain your dog for long hours

Be it indoors or outdoors, chaining a dog beyond a certain point can make a dog anxious and depressed. An example of this would be that a lot of people tend to chain their dogs up when there are guests over. This may result in the dog associating new people in the house with being chained up everytime and can result in anxious behaviour towards new people. Train your dog to be calm around guests instead.

Having a puppy can be tedious and sometimes overwhelming. It may not be a job but it definitely is a lot of work. But starting off on the right foot will make life a lot easier for you and for your pup.

FURTHER READS –

12 Breeds that are great with kids

Top 10 ways to entertain a bored dog indoors