Postby JustT » Mon Feb 15, 2021 8:27 am
Hi there,
Jacqueline did give you a great brain dump. What sort of dog are you getting? I am a dog walker/daycare/boarding/trainer in the area. I can definitely get you started and it's great the more you know before puppy comes home.
My other top tips to add to Jacqueline's would be to
(a) start as you mean to go on (in other words, letting it jump up or sleep on the couch now when it's cute and small may not be what you want when it's bigger and muddy!)
(b) for housebreaking, take puppy out (armed with a small treat) every 20-30 minutes the first week and reward the moment business is finished. They are most likely to need to wee after a nap, before and after meals, and after playing. Do not punish accidents. Blame yourself.
(c) do not waste your recall word calling the dog if he/she is highly distracted and unlikely to listen (e.g. playing with another dog). Practise using your word ("come" or "here") after your dog is already running towards you that way building an association with the word. Then use a big reward that is reserved for recall training as it's the most important thing you'll teach, in my opinion.
(d) And finally, leadership is really important. Dogs are pack animals and need a leader. That leader cannot be the dog. It must be all of you. The dog must understand that it is the lowest in the pecking order (which is not disrespectful because they are not human). They feel more secure when they know you are the leader. This is not domination. There are a myriad of ways to develop this leadership role but it includes not rushing to the puppy first thing in the morning or when you come home, making puppy sit before - well - everything. This area is least well talked about when people are busy teaching commands but I've seen it as the biggest problem amongst anxious 'lockdown' puppies in particular.
Anyway, only little tidbits. It's overwhelming if you try to consider too much right from the start. Take a look at The Happy Puppy book if you haven't already. And for food, check out All About Dog Food (loads of people come home from the breeder with innutritious food....if the number one ingredient is maize, it's really bad!).
Good luck,
Billi Street
The Common Canine
07973 156003