5 Tips for New Puppy Owners

A new puppy is all hype for a couple weeks, but if you're not careful he can become destructive. Once the puppy has been in the home for a while, it can become less of priority. Here are some tips to keep your puppy out of trouble and raise a nice, obedient dog into adulthood.

1. Puppies can get into trouble quickly! A puppy needs to be watched all the time by his owner. If you can't do that, then the next best thing is to crate train your pup. This keeps him safe and out of trouble when you have to run to the store, or are entertaining important company. At some time in every dog's life, he will likely be exposed to a crate. An overnight stay at the vet's, a grooming appointment, or any type of travel will require the use of a crate to keep the dog safe for a required amount of time. It's better to train your puppy to use a crate while they're young and more malleable.

2. Puppy proof your home. If you've ever had children, you already know the basics of this. Not quite as drastic, a puppy can cause a lot of damage and get hurt easily. Put all breakable things away, and anything else that you hold dear. Got a pillow your great-grandma made that sits on the sofa? Put it away. Anything on tables that can be knocked over onto the dog remove also. Keep an eye on the puppy around electrical wires since they like to chew on those. These things can come back out when the dog is older and has better manners around your things. For now, it's better to be safe than sorry.

3. Start training early. For a long time, dog owners were told that they shouldn't begin training until their dog was 6 months old. This is simply untrue. A puppy class that is reward based can socialize your puppy well and many behavior problems can be prevented before they even start.

4. Socialization. You can not over-socialize your dog. The first four months of you dog's life are the most impressionable of his life. He needs to be constantly exposed to all variety of people, dogs, places, and scents to become a stable and adjusted dog. Drop by the vet's even if you don't have an appointment just to show your dog that it's not a scary place. Give him treats and let people pet him. Same goes for the grooming place. Make places that he's going to have to come to now and then positive experiences from the start.

5. Be consistent. Every member of your household should be teaching your dog the same things. Confusion easily occurs when half allow the puppy to do something, and the other half scold him for doing it. To curb bad habits, be consistent.