Raising a Puppy

A Demanding Job

No one can deny the joy of having a puppy around the house, but it is not necessarily the right experience for everyone. Puppyhood is a brief period in a dog’s life, and for that short time a great deal of care and sacrifice is required. Here are some things that you should consider:

Choosing the Right Dog

Remember that in as little as twelve to fourteen weeks, a puppy is coasting through adolescence and is solidly on its way toward adulthood. It is the adult dog that you will live with for ten to fifteen years. It is wise to try to overlook cuteness as a factor, and decide what kind of dog you want to spend the next decade with.

Bringing Your Puppy Home

When you have made a choice, don't expect to bring a newborn puppy home. Puppies should not be separated from their mothers until they are about eight weeks old. Considerable expertise is required in the proper handling of newborn puppies, so deal only with a breeder that you can trust. This is the only way you can be assured that your puppy will receive adequate socialization in its early days. Puppies without that early exposure to people often grow to be problematic dogs. When the puppy is turned over to you, it is essential that you continue its socialization. No longer completely helpless, the puppy is now a creature full of lively curiosity with great potential for learning from humans. Take advantage of it. The home atmosphere you create through your care (or carelessness) will play a large role in shaping your pet’s emotional stability. When your puppy arrives home, keep in mind that it has experienced stress in its separation from its mother and littermates as well as its entry into a new environment. Do all you can to reduce the anxiety your puppy is experiencing. This means keeping family members from exhausting the newcomer with over-attentiveness. You can help your dog adjust to its new environment by treating it with affection and consistency. You should not strike your pet, raise your voice, or express undue anger. Be especially mindful of the puppy during its first few nights with you. You may be tempted to have the dog sleep in the same room with you, but be forewarned that allowing it to do so is likely to set a pattern.

Caring for Your Puppy

Puppies require a special diet. Avoid the temptation to feed your dog milk, meat, or table scraps, which interfere with its digestion and foster behavior problems, such as begging. One of the first responsibilities of ownership is to bring your puppy to a veterinarian for an examination. Your dog must be immunized against such illnesses as rabies, parvovirus, and distemper. Your puppy must also be checked for parasites like giardia and heartworms. The chances are very good that your dog will one day lose its way from home. In order to be sure that your dog is returned, attach a personal identification tag with your name, address, and telephone number on its collar. Some dog owners wisely tattoo their dogs with an identifying symbol, such as a social security number, and list the symbol with a national dog registry. Such tattooing is painless, and by having your dog thus marked you will improve the chances of it being returned. It is also advisable to keep up-to-date photographs of your dog on hand for identification.

Housebreaking

The first training task you will face is housebreaking. This can be accomplished most easily by establishing a fixed, daily routine. Let your puppy know it can depend on you feed it at the same time every day and take it out at regular and frequent intervals: first thing in the morning, after your dog eats, drinks, and plays, and at bedtime. Watch for behavior that may indicate that your puppy needs to go. When your puppy goes in the right place, show it that you are proud. If an accident does happen, as it is bound to, act reasonably. Striking your puppy will make it fearful without making it clear what it has done wrong. Sticking the dog's nose in its mess is only confusing. It wasn't the nose that caused the problem. If you see your pet in the process of dirtying, interrupt the dog immediately, indicate that you are displeased, and direct the pup to the correct place. If the dog leaves a mess, deodorize the area after cleaning it to ensure that your pet does not use the same spot again.

A Place of Its Own

As a den animal, your dog instinctively desires the security provided by a small place of its own. A wooden crate, either store bought or homemade, can adequately serve your pet's needs at home. The crate must be well ventilated and roomy enough for your dog to stand up and lie down comfortably, but not much larger. Encourage your dog to seek comfort in its box by feeding it there and by leaving a water dish inside. Put a blanket or some carpeting in the crate, and keep it clean. Once acquainted with its little place, your dog will use the crate and even yearn for it. Do not try to force things along by shoving your puppy inside. That will frighten your puppy and, in the long run, undermine its training. Of course, don't leave your pet in its crate for too long. Every dog, though, should have its own safe place.

Disciplining Your Puppy

The basis of most successful training is reward. Use lots of praise when your puppy pleases you or obviously tries to. Give it an occasional treat; pet it; let love work for you. If you must discipline the dog physically (and chances are that at some time you will), take your pet by the scruff of the neck and shake in an imitation of maternal behavior. In dog language, this means "Cut it out!" You should also have some understanding of the canine social instincts of dominance and submission, which determine an ironclad hierarchy within the dog pack. If you want your dog to obey you, you must become its leader. Discipline can be taught and your puppy will welcome it if you impress upon it early and often that you are absolutely the Number One dog. You are the center of its world, and don't ever let the puppy forget it. When you require your dog's attention, do not let it ignore you. However, there is no need to provoke or challenge your dog unnecessarily.
Finally, bring your puppy along slowly with patience and devotion. Remember that your puppy needs companionship, which is in no way difficult to provide. In fact, doing so is a positive joy. Play games with your dog, but keep in mind that you are teaching behavioral patterns all the while. Tug-of-war games are a bad idea because they encourage your pet to fight against you. Get a ball and roll it around with the dog. Be sure that your own children and their friends don't handle the puppy too much, and protect it from larger, mature dogs. Puppies are often unaware of the deference they must show to other animals, and they can be injured. Above all, enjoy your dog's puppyhood for as long as it lasts and make it easy for your puppy to do the same.