Your First Few Days With Your Dog/Puppy
After giving it much thought, and having
reviewed many puppies, you have found the pet of your dreams
and now want to bring it home. Good! But before you do, there
are several points which you need to give thought to, if you
want a seamless transition from his previous kennel.
What are the preparations you will have to
make? What do you need to do so that the dog understands the
"rules" he will have to follow at his new habitat.
Let us try taking you through the first few days with him.
Before you start out for the shelter or kennel
from where you are picking him up, there's some stuff you
should buy or get hold of. First and foremost would be an
old bath towel. This will serve a dual purpose. You can arrange
this in your car seat so that your new friend can sit comfortably
on it and, in case of accidents, you can also use it to clean
up the mess.
Secondly, you'll need a nylon slip collar.
Measure the dog's neck and add three inches for the proper
length so that it is long enough to go over the dog's head.
These collars are quite safe and very easy to use.
You will also need a leash made of either
leather or nylon. These will principally help you control
your dog and also keep him near you when you are taking him
out to potty or walking him to your car. Finally, keep an
ID tag attached to his collar right from the very beginning.
On the way home with your dog, place the
bath towel on the seat next to you, but not on your lap. That
way, he will know from the start that he is expected to sit
next to you and not on your lap. If you think that he is beginning
to feel lonely, just place your hand on him and that will
make him feel as if he is with his siblings.
There is no need to pat him as the effect
sought to be created is that he is lying next to them and
they would obviously not pat him.
If your ride home takes more than 2 hours,
ensure that you have a dog bowl and a bottle of water with
you and if the trip is an overnight one, you will need a second
dish. Plan out the little dog's meals in advance. Find out
what food he has been eating and purchase sufficient quantities
of it to give him on the way.
Also, if the journey is long, stop your car
every 2 hours, get out with your new dog at a rest stop or
a park and walk around with him on the grass. You have the
collar and leash so there is no worry about leading him around
in the direction that you want. This will allow him to stretch
his legs and to potty if he needs to. You could be saving
a mess being made in the car.
When you are checking out whether he wants
to potty, start establishing a routine right away. If you
have named him, start using his name to call him and use a
cue word which will mean " Its the time to potty".
This cue word can be anything that you feel is appropriate
and it will establish the potty routine. Just make sure that
you don't use a word which will not mean something else later
in your dog's training as that will confuse him.
Once you reach home, bring him out of the
car on a leash and walk him around your yard. Let him do what
he likes during this time. He can sniff. He can pee as many
times as he likes as he will be basically marking out his
territory at this stage. Just ensure he does not overstep
the boundaries of your yard. If he is about to do so, jerk
him back sharply about 6 to 8 inches and say "No"
firmly.
After about 15 minutes of this, enter the
house with him. But before doing so, say something with "House"
in it in a very happy voice. This will establish that you
want him to come into the house whenever you utter this cue
word. You will have to go through this routine every couple
of hours for the first 7 to 10 days.
Remember, you mustn't let him out of the
house by himself and always have the collar and leash on him
when you bring him out.
On your first night at home together, show
him where his sleeping spot is and see to it that this is
established in his mind. Then take him out for one last walk
before you go to bed. Encourage him to potty.Then set the
alarm for 4 hours. When the alarm goes off, take your dog
out for a walk and give him the cue word for pottying.
Repeat this process after 4 more hours. He
will soon realize that if he wants to do potty, he will have
to do it when you take him out for the walk.
The most important thing that you must establish
with your dog is a routine. This will help put your dog at
ease as he will know what exactly is expected of him and when.
And also, remember to be calm and patient with him if he doesn't
get the routine right the first time. I
t's all new to him so establishing the routine
will take a little time. If you shout and scream at him, it
will only confuse him and compound your problems.
This should basically be how you spend the
first few days with your new doggy. Keep in mind that the
five most important things that are paramount are :
If you follow these suggestions carefully,
you should have a happy time of it with your pet.
Nancy Richards |
