Puppy Introduction
Introducing a puppy to the family for the first time is an incredibly joyful and exciting period. It ushers in a lifetime of love, care and support between owner and dog which will be greatly fulfilling to you both. But aside from how cute your dog may be when he is a puppy, and how exciting it is to have this bundle of joy running around the house, it is important to bear in mind that this puppy is very much like a child. He needs love and tenderness as well as structure and support to be a happy and positive member of the family, who is a joy to be around. Thus you need to establish certain boundaries which are realistic and should be upheld consistently throughout your dog’s upbringing. Arguably the most challenging aspect of bringing up a young puppy which you will encounter quite early on in its life is house training. So how do you get it right? What top tips can we offer you to make this process a little easier on both of you?
Throughout any aspect of training a puppy, do remember that you are dealing with a very young and immature animal, who has a very steep learning curve to climb.
Puppy Introduction – Young Puppies
Very young puppies, like children, do not have a highly developed bladder control mechanism yet, and so you should not be too angry when accidents occur. These are normal, and as long as they are taken into account during the wider house training process, they should become less and less of a problem. A general rule of thumb is that a puppy can hold for approximately an hour for every month of their age, plus another hour. This general rule is indeed quite useful as an outline as to what you should expect when house training a puppy. Also, you must at all times be patient with your puppy. Do not expect him to master house training for at least six months or so. This can indeed feel like a long time, but believe me as long as you are supportive and consistent with your boundaries and expectations, you will soon reap the benefits of a well-trained pup, and will indeed have developed a close and positive relationship with him by then.
Another Tip
Another important tip is to establish a regular food and water routine, and what is especially important here is to remove your puppy’s water at night. This will help to establish a cycle in your dog’s routine, which will help him handle his house training more easily. Do bear in mind that from your puppy’s point of view, there is no designated place to go to the toilet. It is up to you to show him this. By taking him on regular walks, preferably at the same times each day and on the same route, you are again establishing a kind of routine which will help his house training habits. Fortunately, a puppy’s instincts will tell it to keep its bedding area clean, so unless he has an accident during the night, you should not have too many problems in this area.
Closing Thoughts on Puppy Introduction
By bearing in mind all these general tips and guidelines, you will soon master certain techniques associated with training a puppy, making it easier to train them in other ways too. All the while you will have the opportunity to foster a close and loving relationship with your puppy which you both will benefit from in the years to come.