Tips for Brand New Puppy Owners

Buying a new puppy can be one of the most delightful times of your life. It can also leave you stressed and sleepless! My "puppy" is one year old now and a fantastic established adult male dog. He has graduated from "puppyhood". I have listed some tips for making the journey from puppyhood to adult dog an easy and fun experience for you.

Choosing a breed of dog for your family

What is the primary reason you are getting a dog? Is it for companionship, hunting, or protection? You must first decide this. Just because your friend Bob's pit bull is really cute, doesn't mean that's the right type of dog for you. Do you have a house and back yard large enough for a larger dog, or are you willing to walk the dog several times per day ? If not, maybe a small lap dog is your ticket to puppyhood. My personal opinion is that you can not beat a lab or lab mix for friendliness. I have a springer/lab and a labradoodle and they are the sweetest dogs I have ever had. Labs are also fantastic hunters, so if you would like a hunting companion, a Lab might be your ticket. Although it is very important to research your breeds, all breeds success relies on how you train a dog. You can train a sometimes vicious breed to be sweet, conversely your little lap dog can bite the postal carrier's foot!

Aquiring your puppy

It is important to choose a reputable puppy breeder, pet store, or shelter when choosing a puppy. Do your research. You don't want to get a puppy from someplace that abused the dog or did not give he/she proper nutrition, shots, etc. Ask your friends or family members if they have gotten a dog from a particular source they trust. You should not only play with the puppy upon first seeing he/she to get a feel for the personality of the dog, but you should also ask the owner how the dog gets a long with others and what his/her personality has been like in the past.

Supplies that work

I title this category supplies that work, because you do not need to go out and buy Petsmart or PetCo to own a puppy, but you will need the basics.

kennel

Before bringing the puppy into the home, you have to decide if you will put he/she into a kennel. There is nothing wrong with a kennel. When properly trained, a dog will enjoy going into his kennel, because they know they can rest there. I would recommend kennels especially if you ever plan on traveling on the airlines with your dog, as he/she would already be used to it. Petsmart, PetCo, Wal-Mart, or your local pet store~they all have kennels. Shop around, as they can get spendy. Craig's list might be an option for checking out used kennels. It's not like a child's car seat-you can buy used! Line your kennel with double thicknesses of paper to begin with, as the puppy will have many accidents before being fully potty trained. Yes, your puppy will cry when putting he/ she in the kennel. My suggestion? Wear earplugs. Sleep in a room far from their kennel. They need to get used to it, and you can not spoil them too much (unless you feel like keeping Fido on the bed with you and cleaning up the urine stained sheets every morning!).

Food

Buy a decent puppy food. If you can't afford it, you should have thought twice about getting a dog in the first place. Proper nutrition is key. My favorite brand of food is the Purina One. It works well for our puppy and our older dog. Buy the age specific type of food though.

Rope Toy

Puppies LOVE to chew. It's what they do. GIve them a toy so they don't chew up your shoes. Rope toys work particularly well, because they have something to chew on and TUG.

Squeky Toys

If you "can't resist" getting your dog a cute animal toy (they usually love squirrels, cats, and hedge hogs), get them a stuffed fabric one. They usually last much longer than the plastic ones. The reinforced canvas toys are even better.

Ball

A tennis ball is a necessity to start your teach your dog to retrieve. Dogs love tennis balls. When my dog has a tennis ball he will not stop throwing it at me!

Treats

Treats are important, especially for training. Do not give your dog a treat every 5 minutes, though, or he/she will be trained to want treats continuously for the rest of their lives! I like to give my dogs a treat right before bed. They both understand they have to go outside first and then they come in, get a treat, and go to bed. There are many treats out there, or you can make your own. Dog bisquits or jerkey treats are a popular choice for my critters.

Rawhide Bones

Do you want a babysitter while you sit down to watch your favorite t.v. show? Buy some rawhide bones. Dogs love them! Natural color are best because they won't stain the carpet. They do get expensive, so most folks won't give their pet one every day.

Kong

Another ultimate dog sitter! Plus, Kongs are most cost effective than rawhide bones. You ask what a kong is. A kong is a rubber oval ball with slots to insert treats, peanut butter, or liver paste. They usually come with liver paste in a can, but I recommend an inexpensive peanut butter. Dogs love peanut butter. Because it's inexpensive and you can literally fill the kong with it, the kong will keep a dog occupied for hours.

House Training

Training a puppy is frustrating and the worst part of owning one. The good news is that it really doesn't take that long to properly house train a dog. The method we used was a combination of kennel training and just letting the puppy out many, many times when he was out of his kennel. When he did mess in the house we would say "No", tap him on the nose, gently rub his nose in it, and let him outside immediately. Never abuse a puppy for messing in the house, but you must let he/she that they did wrong. When you are sleeping, allow the dog to sleep in his kennel and get your rest. The puppy will mess in the kennel at first, but eventually when he is close to being fully house trained, he will not mess in his kennel. He will not want to sleep in a dirty kennel.

Play Time

Play time is important for all puppies. Don't get a puppy if you don't have time for play. Enjoy your dog. Whether it's playing with one of he above toys, or just play "fighting", take time for your dog each day. Even though you may have worked hard all day, the puppy might have been in a kennel all day and ready to play!

Walks

Start walking your puppy as soon as you can. At first, they won't be long walks! That is okay; the puppy just needs to get used to being on a leash. As he/she gets older and you want to start walking training, you might want to consider several options to make walking easier. There are shock collars and choke chains that you may use. It is your personal choice. While I have not personally used a shock collar, choke chains do work fairly well. Another option which we have found very helpful is the "gentle leader", which is basicall a harnass for the nose that goes around the dog's head and nose. The leash is attached to it, and when walking a dog, it will gently tug on the dogs head to keep him walking straight.

The above tips may help you in your adventures of owning a puppy! Owning a puppy takes patience and understanding, but is honestly one of the best times of your life. Enjoy!